Article Posted on : - Jul 11, 2012

NEW DELHI (PTI): To further enhance its stealth and anti-submarine warfare capabilities, the Indian Navy will be commissioning one of its most advance warships INS Sahyadri on July 21 at Mumbai-based Western Naval Command headquarters.

The warship, which is last of Project-17 undertaken by Indian Navy, will be commissioned into service by Indian Defence Minister A K Antony in presence of Admiral Nirmal Verma and other senior naval officials.

"INS Sahyadri is the last ship in the series of stealth warships after INS Shivalik and Satpura. It will be commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 21," a Navy official said on Tuesday.

The first two ships in the class -- INS Shivalik and INS Satpura -- were commissioned into service in April 2010 and August 2011. These ships have been performing various operations tasks in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

The 4,900-tonne INS Sahyadri is equipped with some of the most advance surface and air-to-air missiles and can carry two helicopters - a mix of Dhruv, Sea King or Kamov - onboard for various missions.

Along with the capability to launch offensive on enemy vessels, the warship is also equipped with advance electronic warfare capabilities and torpedoes to detect and neutralise enemy submarines.

The warship will also carry BRAHMOS supersonic cruise missiles.

Designed and built by Mazagaon Dockyard Limited, the keel of INS Sahyadri was laid in March 2003 and it was taken out for sea trials earlier this year.

The warship will sail with a complement of over 250 officials, including 35 officers and can attain a speed of over 30 knots.

It has got an advance sonar and radar system to keep an eye over any enemy movement in deep sea and is fitted with an electronic warfare suite for the purpose.