Article Posted on : - Jun 08, 2011

A file photo.

KOCHI (PTI): India's latest warship 'INS Kabra' was Wednesday commissioned at Naval Base here by Vice Admiral K N Sushil, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command.

Speaking on the occasion, the Vice Admiral stressed the importance of relatively smaller ships like Fast Attack Crafts for a blue water navy, pointing that these were essential inventory for low intensity conflicts and anti-piracy operations.

The ship is named after an island in Andaman and Nicobar archipelago.

Rear Admiral K C Shekhar, Chairman and Managing Director, Garden Reach Ship Builders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, said INS Kabra was a cost effective and fuel efficient platform.

INS Kabra is the eighth of a series built at GRSE.

With a top speed of over 35 knots and manoeuvrability offered by her water-jet propulsion, the ship was ideally suited for high-speed interdiction of fast-moving targets and useful in search and rescue operations, he said.

INS Kabra complies with the latest regulations of International Maritime Organisation on sea pollution control.

The main armament of the ships is an indigenous 30 mm CRN-91 gun along with an Optical Sight manufactured by Ordnance Factory Medak and Bharat Electronics Limited, Chennai. It has an overall length of 49m, beam of 7.5m and a standard displacement of 320 tons.

The ship has a crew of three officers and 39 sailors.