INS AIRAVAT

INS AIRAVAT

INS AIRAVAT  is one of the two Magar-class Landing Ship Tankers (LSTs), designed and built by the Hindustan Shipyard Limited in partnership with the Kolkata-based Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers. Both the ships are stationed at the naval base in Vishakhapatnam.

INS Airavat has the capacity to carry 500 soldiers and can provide stern refuelling for other naval vessels apart from conducting amphibious assault operations.The ship can also operate two medium-lift helicopters, which are primarily meant for ‘inserting’ a small team of Special Forces (marine commandos) and it is equipped with a fully-functioning hospital on-board and has made significant contributions in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) during natural disasters like tsunamis and cyclones.Safety features aboard the Airavat include anti-roll Flume Stabilisation System, smoke curtains to impede spreading of smoke and toxic gases in case of fire, as well as battle damage control systems. Fully loaded, she can operate independently at high seas for up to 45 days.

It is primarily designed for amphibious assault operations, Airavat's missions also include Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief (HADR) during natural disasters, including tsunamis, cyclones, earthquakes,etc. She has a full-functioning hospital on-board, the capacity to carry 500 soldiers, and can provide stern refueling for other naval vessels.Primary suppliers for her equipment are Bharat Electronics Limited, Kirloskar, Larsen & Toubro, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Keltron and the Godrej Group.

Class                             :          Shardul class landing ship

Displacement                 :            5650 tons

Length                           :           125 m

Beam                             :           17.5 m

Draft                              :           4 m

Propulsion                     :            Kirloskar PA6 STC engines

Speed                           :           16 knots

Capacity                       :            11 MBT, 10 infantry trucks or APC,500 troops.

Complement                  :  11 officers, 145 sailors

Electronic warfare          :   Chaff launchers

Armament                      :  2 x WM-18 rocket launchers

4 x CRN-91 AA (Naval 30mm Medak) guns, MANPAD's

shoulder-launched IGLA SAMs

Aircraft carried             :   1 Westland Sea King or HAL Dhruv.

INS KESARI

INS KESARI

INS KESARI

The Indian Navy has recently inducted its amphibious vessel Landing Ship Tank (LST) INS Kesari in the Andaman and Nicobar command and will soon be inducting Operation Patrol Vessels (OPVs) constructed at Goa Shipyard Ltd.

INS Kesari adds thrust to Navy's ongoing drive for indigenous warship production. The ship, measuring 125 meters in length, 17.5 metres in breadth and displacing 5655 tons, can achieve speed in excess of 15 Knots. Second of the Shardul class of ships, INS Kesari is the most contemporary and fully indigenised LST (L) in the Indian Navy. In addition to its primary role of amphibious operations carrying battle tanks, troops and vehicles to hostile coasts, the ship also forms a potent assault platform with rockets and chaff launchers, anti-aircraft guns, shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles and an integral Sea King or an advanced light helicopter. On the other end of the spectrum, the ship can also be tasked as a fleet tanker, a hospital ship, or for disaster relief operations.

OVERALL GLANCE OF INS KESARI :-

Class  of ship        :      Kumbhir class

Displacement      :       1120 tons (standard)

Length                  :      83.9 m [1]

Beam                    :      9.7 m

Draught                :      1.3 metres (extreme bow and 2.58 metres (stern)

Depth                   :      5.2 m

Propulsion           :       2 x 2200 hp Soviet Kolomna 40-D two stroke diesel engines.

Speed                   :      18 knots

Crew                    :       120 (incl. 12 officers)

Radar system     :        SRN 7453 radar

Armament          :        2 x AK-230 30mm guns 4 x CRN-91 AA (Naval 30mm Medak) guns.                

Aircraft carried :         1 HAL Chetak

INS KOLKATA

INS KOLKATA

 Kolkata class destroyer  is the India’s latest guided missile destroyer designed for Indian navy. Fast and stealthy, with an advanced sensor suite and an array of potent air, land and sea weapons, the Kolkata class would be a formidable ship in any navy.

The Kolkata class destroyers are true multipurpose destroyers, capable of providing protection to India’s aircraft carriers or operating independently. The primary radar system, an actively scanned array radar provided by Israeli Aircraft Industries, is reportedly comparable to the American Aegis radar system. The radar is capable of detecting contacts in the air and at sea and provides guidance to radar-guided missiles. 

The Kolkatas will also feature a bow mounted and towed sonar arrays for detecting submarines.

Armament will be considerable, with vertical launch cells for up to 64 air defense missiles. The missiles  will be a mix of short-range Barak 1 and medium range Barak 8 radar-guided surface to air missiles, capable of point and area defense, respectively. Such defensive missile armament will allow it to provide air defense for carrier battle groups, surface action groups, amphibious groups and shipping convoys.

The Kolkatas will pack the heaviest surface-to-surface firepower of any destroyer in any navy, with each ship carrying 16 BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles. Rounding out the ship’s armament is a 76mm gun, four AK-630 close-in weapons systems, anti-submarine rockets and torpedoes, and two embarked helicopters with a hangar.

Three Kolkata destroyers are to be built, with the first of class expected to be commissioned this year. A follow-on class of four destroyers with improved stealth characteristics is already being planned.China would fear the Kolkata class because it would provide air defense for ships such as the Vikramaditya. Armed with 16 BrahMos missiles, the Kolkatas could also operate independently as commerce raiders, threatening Chinese shipping.