Article Posted on : - Dec 22, 2015

INS Godavari. An Indian Navy photo

MUMBAI (PTI): The country's first indigenously designed and built warship Indian Naval Ship (INS) Godavari will be decommissioned on December 23 at Mumbai, thirty-two years after it was commissioned into the Indian Navy.

"With her decommissioning INS Godavari will complete its full life cycle, meeting all responsibilities and duties assigned, proving the success of Indian ship design and construction," a defence release stated.

Over the past three decades, Godavari has successfully been deployed in numerous operations including 'Operation Jupiter' - 1988 (Sri Lanka), 'Operation Shield' and 'Operation Bolster' - 1994 (de-induction of Indian Army from Somalia) and 'Patrol of Gulf of Aden' (PoG) - 2009 and 2011 (anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden), it said.

In 1988, in an operation called 'Operation Cactus', India successfully thwarted a coup d' tat against Maldivian Government, the release added.

"Godavari and INS Betwa intercepted and arrested the mercenaries, who tried to flee Male on board the Merchant Vessel Progress Light. The mercenaries were later handed over to Male, earning great respect and goodwill for India in the international community," it said.

According to the release being the first indigenously designed and constructed ship, INS Godavari was showcased around the world as a symbol of India's growing military might and self-reliance and the warship has also participated in numerous operations and deployments, across the expanse of the Indian Ocean and beyond.

"The Leander Frigate Project of the 1960-70s, resulted in not only the construction of six 'Giri Class' frigates (based on the Leander design and in collaboration with the UK) at Mazagon Docks Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), but also in boosting indigenous naval design and shipbuilding capability," it added.

Godavari class frigates were armed with potent surface-to-surface and surface-to-air guided missiles. INS Godavari was also among the first frigates in the world capable of carrying two Sea King helicopters, it added.

Godavari's keel was laid on November 03, 1978 and the warship was launched on May 15 1980. INS Godavari was commissioned on December 10, 1983.