INS Kavaratti (P31), Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) stealth corvette built under Project 28 (Kamorta Class) was commissioned into the Indian Navy by General Manoj Mukund Naravane, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) at a ceremony held at Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam today, 22 October 20.
The event marks the formal commissioning into the Navy of the last of the four ASW Corvettes, indigenously designed by the Indian Navy’s in-house organisation, Directorate of Naval Design and constructed by GRSE.
Named after the capital of the Lakshadweep group of islands, INS Kavaratti has been constructed using high-grade DMR 249A steel produced in India. The sleek and magnificent ship spans 109 meters in length, 14 meters in breadth with a displacement of 3300 tonnes and can rightfully be regarded as one of the most potent Anti-Submarine Warships to have been constructed in India.
The complete superstructure of the ship has been built using composite material. The ship is propelled by four Diesel engines. The ship has enhanced stealth features resulting in reduced Radar Cross Section (RCS) achieved by X form of superstructure along with optimally sloped surfaces. The ship’s advanced stealth features make her less susceptible to detection by the enemy.
The unique feature of this ship is the high level of indigenisation incorporated in the production, accentuating our National Objective of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’. The ship has high indigenous content with the state of the art equipment & systems to fight in Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) warfare conditions. Also, the weapons and sensors suite onboard is pre-dominantly indigenous and showcases the Nation’s evolving capability in this niche area.
Some of the major equipment/ systems developed indigenously include Combat Management System, Torpedo Tube Launchers and Infra-Red Signature Suppression System etc.
INS Kavaratti has a multitude of advanced automation systems such as Total Atmospheric Control System (TACS), Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS), Integrated Bridge System (IBS), Battle Damage Control System (BDCS) and Personnel Locator System (PLS) to provide a contemporary and process-oriented System of Systems for optimal functioning of the warship. Having completed sea trials of all her equipment, Kavaratti has been commissioned as a fully combat-ready platform providing a boost to the ASW capability of the Indian Navy.