INS Tarmugli (T91) near Visakhapatnam port.
Class overview
NameCar Nicobar class
BuildersGarden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers
Operators Indian Navy
Preceded byBangaram class
Succeeded by NGFAC Class
Cost₹500 million (US$6.3 million)
Built2007–2017
In commission14
Planned14
Completed14
Active
Retired0
General characteristics
TypeFast attack craft
Displacement
  • Fleet I: 293 t (288 long tons; 323 short tons)[1]
  • Fleet II: 315 t (310 long tons; 347 short tons)[2]
Length48.9 m (160 ft 5 in)[1]
Beam7.5 m (24 ft 7 in)[1]
Draught2.1 m (6 ft 11 in)[1]
Propulsion
  • 3 × MTU 16V 4000 M90 diesel engines, 11,238 PS (8,266 kW)
  • 3 × Hamilton HM811 waterjets[1]
Speed35 kn (65 km/h; 40 mph)[1]
Range2,000 nmi (3,700 km; 2,300 mi) at 13 kn (24 km/h; 15 mph)[1]
Crew29 including 6 officers[1]
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Navigation radar
  • LINK II tactical datalink and satellite communication (SATCOM) to Rukmani[2]
  • Surface search radar[1]
Armament

The Car Nicobar class of high-speed offshore patrol vessels are built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) for the Indian Navy. The vessels are designed as a cost-effective platform for patrol, anti-piracy and rescue operations in India's exclusive economic zone. In 2023, one of the ships, INS Tarmugli, was donated to the Maldivian Coast Guard.[3][4]

The class and its vessels are named for Indian islands. They are the first water jet-propelled vessels of the Indian Navy.[5]

Unlike the United States Coast Guard's similarly sized Sentinel class cutters, the class is propelled by water jets, at up to 35 knots (65 km/h), where the American patrol vessels conventional propulsion systems maximum stated speed is 28 knots (52 km/h). Both classes have a mission endurance of 2,000 nautical miles (3,700 km).

Design

The Car Nicobar-class vessels were designed and built by GRSE. Production of the class was fast tracked after the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The vessels feature improved habitability with fully air-conditioned modular accommodation, on board reverse osmosis plant for desalination, and a sewage treatment plant.[5][6]

The vessels are each powered by three HamiltonJet HM811 water jets, coupled with MTU 16V 4000 M90 engines, delivering a combined 8,160 kW (10,940 hp) of power. An aluminium superstructure reduces weight and is designed to reduce radar cross-section.

As patrol vessels, they are lightly armed. They carry various sensors, including the Furuno navigation radar and sonar. Armament on board includes a 30 mm CRN-91 automatic cannon with an electronic day-night fire control system of Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) origin. The vessels also mount two 12.7 mm heavy machine guns (HMG) and multiple medium machine guns, besides carrying shoulder-launched Igla surface-to-air missiles to combat aerial threats.

The first two vessels commissioned were initially restricted to speeds up to 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph) due to deficiency in the gearboxes, which was later rectified by KPCL. INS Kabra, the eighth in the class, has a top speed of more than 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph). The improved maneuverability and speed allows these vessels to have high-speed interdiction of fast-moving targets.[7]

The last four ships are an improved variant of the Car Nicobar-class patrol boats and have been dubbed 'follow on waterjet fast attack craft' (FOWJFAC) by the Indian Navy. Improvements include an enhanced electrical power generation capacity of 280 kW and twice the reverse osmosis (RO) capacity at 4 tonnes per day.[2]

Vessels

Yard No. Name Pennant number Builder Launched Commissioned Homeport Status
 Indian Navy
Fleet I
2057 Car Nicobar T69
GRSE
 23 November 2007 16 February 2009 Chennai Active
2058 Chetlat T70 27 November 2007 16 February 2009 Chennai Active[8]
2059 Cora Divh[9] T71 16 July 2008 10 September 2009 Port Blair Active
2060 Cheriyam T72 16 July 2008 10 September 2009 Port Blair Active[10]
2061 Cankarso T73 27 March 2009 29 June 2010 Goa Active[11]
2062 Kondul T74 27 March 2009 29 June 2010 Goa Active
2063 Kalpeni T75 27 March 2009 14 October 2010 Kochi Active
2064 Kabra T76 29 March 2010[12] 8 June 2011[13] Kochi Active
2065 Koswari T77 29 March 2010 12 July 2011[14] Karwar Active
2066 Karuva T78 29 March 2010 25 August 2011 Port Blair Active[15]
Fleet II: FOWJFAC[2]
2110 Tillanchang T92
GRSE
 30 June 2015 9 March 2017[16] Karwar Active
2111 Tihayu T93 30 June 2015 19 October 2016[17] Visakhapatnam Active
2112 Tarasa T94 30 June 2016[18] 26 September 2017[19][20] Mumbai Active
Maldives Maldivian Coast Guard
Fleet II
2109 MCGS Huravee (formerly Tarmugli)
GRSE
 30 June 2015 23 May 2016 Transferred to Maldivian Coast Guard and commissioned on 2 May 2023 as MCGS Huravee[3][4]

Operations

INS Car Nicobar and INS Chetlat are based in Chennai under India's Eastern Naval Command.[21]

INS Cankarso and INS Kondul are based in Goa under the Western Naval Command.[citation needed]

INS Kalpeni is based in Kochi under the Southern Naval Command.[22]

Operation Island Watch

In January 2011, as a part of Operation Island Watch, INS Cankarso and INS Kalpeni were deployed on anti-piracy patrol to the west of the Lakshadweep archipelago.[citation needed] On 28 January, Cankarso responded to a Mayday call from a container ship. Upon reaching the site, she saw Somali pirate skiffs being hoisted aboard a hijacked Thai fishing trawler, Prantalay 14, which was being used as a pirate mother ship.[7][23]

Cankarso ordered the pirated ship to stop for inspection. The pirates on board fired on Cankarso as they tried to flee west towards Somalia. Cankarso returned the fire, which hit some of the fuel drums stored on Prantalay 14's deck for refuelling the skiffs. The mother ship was set ablaze and sank, even as Kalpeni and an Indian Coast Guard patrol vessel, ICGS Sankalp, reached the site. 15 pirates were arrested, and the 20 crew of the fishing trawler were all rescued unharmed.[24]

In another operation on 13 March 2011, an Indian Navy patrol aircraft spotted the Mozambique-registered fishing vessel, Vega 5, when responding to a merchant ship reporting a pirate attack. Beira-based Vega 5, owned by Spanish company Pescamar Lda, had been captured on 27 December 2010 by pirates who were demanding US$1.8 million in ransom.[25] INS Kalpeni intercepted the pirated ship about 1,100 kilometres (680 mi) off Kochi on India's west coast. A fire broke out on the vessel when Kalpeni returned fired after being fired upon by the pirates. 61 pirates were rescued and arrested after they jumped into the Arabian Sea to escape the fire. The crew of Kalpeni put out the fire on board Vega 5, rescued her 13 crew members and escorted her to Mumbai. Rocket-propelled grenades and over 80 assault rifles were recovered from the pirates.[26][27]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Commodore Stephen Saunders, ed. (2016). "India". Jane's Fighting Ships 2016–2017 (119th ed.). Coulsdon: Jane's Information Group. p. 357. ISBN 978-0710631855.
  2. ^ a b c d e Mazumdar, Mrityunjoy (1 July 2015). "GRSE launches three fast attack craft for Indian Navy". IHS Jane's Defence Weekly. Archived from the original on 5 July 2015.
  3. ^ a b "Eastern Naval Command bids farewell to INS Tarmugli in Visakhapatnam". 7 April 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Rajnath Singh hands over Fast Patrol Vessel, Landing Craft Assault ship to Maldives". 2 May 2023.
  5. ^ a b "Indian Navy to Commission INS Carnicobar, INS Chetlat". India Defence. 16 February 2009. Archived from the original on 14 August 2011. Retrieved 16 September 2011.
  6. ^ "GRSE delivers two warships from Rajabagan Dockyard". The Hindu Business Line. Retrieved 16 September 2011.[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ a b "Fast Attack Craft INS Kabra commissioned". The Hindu. 9 June 2011. Archived from the original on 10 June 2011. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
  8. ^ "Commissioning of INS Carnicobar & INS Chetlat". Government of India. 13 February 2009. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  9. ^ Launching Ceremony of Kora Divh(Yard-2059) and Cheriyam (Yard-2060) on 16 Jul 2008 Archived 19 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ "Indian Navy inducts two fast attack crafts to boost surveillance". Daily India. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  11. ^ Launching Ceremony of Cankarso (Yard 2061), Kondul (Yard 2062), Kalpeni (Yard 2063) on 27 Mar 09 Archived 19 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ "Simultaneous launching of three Waterjet Fast Attack Crafts" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
  13. ^ "Indian Naval ship Kabra commissioning on Jun 8". IBNLive.in.com. 6 June 2011. Archived from the original on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  14. ^ Indian Navy commissions Fast attack craft INS Koswari[dead link]
  15. ^ "Fast attack warship INS Karuva commissioned". Deccan Herald. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  16. ^ "INS Tillanchang commissioned to Indian Navy by Vice Admiral Girish Luthra". The Financial Express. 9 March 2017. Archived from the original on 11 March 2017. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  17. ^ Bhattacharjee, Sumit (19 October 2016). "INS Tihayu commissioned". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  18. ^ "Launch of GRSE Yards 2112 (FO-WJFAC) | Indian Navy". indiannavy.nic.in. Archived from the original on 1 July 2016. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
  19. ^ "Indian Navy commissions fourth improved Car Nicobar-class patrol vessel | Jane's 360". www.janes.com. Archived from the original on 26 September 2017. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
  20. ^ "INS Tarasa commissioned into Indian Navy". The Economic Times. 26 September 2017. Archived from the original on 27 September 2017. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
  21. ^ "Indigenously designed Fast Attack Crafts commissioned". The Hindu. 17 February 2009. Archived from the original on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  22. ^ Handing over of WJFAC, Yd No. 2063 (Kalpeni) – 25 Aug 10 Archived 19 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  23. ^ "India pushes back on Somali pirates' new 'mother ship' offensive". CSMonitor.com. 7 February 2011. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  24. ^ "Pirate Mother Ship Prantalay Sinks off Lakshadweep during Anti Piracy Operations by India". MarineBuzz.com. 30 January 2011. Archived from the original on 3 April 2016. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  25. ^ "Mozambique: Pirates Demand Ransom, Say 'Vega 5' Relatives". allAfrica.com. 6 February 2011. Archived from the original on 19 October 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  26. ^ "Indian Navy captures 61 pirates, rescues 13 sailors". DNA India. 14 March 2011. Archived from the original on 14 March 2013. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  27. ^ "Indian navy captures 61 pirates". The Daily Breeze News. 13 March 2011. Archived from the original on 24 May 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2014.

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