Article Posted on : - Oct 03, 2011

INS Jalashwa was originally commissioned in the United States Navy as USS Trenton.

PANAJI (PTI): While increasing its prowess for battling the enemy on the sea, the Indian Navy is also looking to enhance its capabilities to carry out humanitarian operations off-shore.

Flag Officer Commanding, Goa Area (FOGA) Rear Admiral Sudhir Pillai told reporters that the induction of INS Jalashwa, a craft procured from the US Navy, was a step towards increasing the capabilities to carry out humanitarian operations.

"Some of our ships are equipped with a lot of weapons or armament. They are not usually equipped for humanitarian tasks like sea-lifting," Pillai said, adding that Jalashwa's induction had made it possible for the Navy to take up the assignment of bringing Indian nationals back from Libya.

"We used the Jalashwa to rescue the Indian population in Libya," he said. "It has huge landing platform which carries helicopter, and such facilities becomes critical when there is a relief operation," Pillai explained.

"The Navy has an important role to play in disaster management as was seen during the 2004 Tsunami. We are building up our sea lift capacity by inducting suitable craft like the Jalashwa," he said.

INS Jalashwa, an amphibious floating dock, was commissioned into the Indian Navy in 2007.