Indian Navy inducts two new warships

VISAKHAPATNAM - The Indian Navy Tuesday inducted two indigenously built fast attack craft, INS Cankarso and INS Kondul, into its fleet in the coastal city of Visakhapatnam.

Andhra Pradesh Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan commissioned the ships at a function at the naval base here that was also attended by Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command Vice Admiral Anup Singh.

Fitted with a 30-mm CRN-91 gun and Igla missiles and light and heavy machine guns, the warships will be tasked to detect, locate and destroy small but fast-moving enemy surface craft engaged in covert operations.

“The ships will be tasked in anti-smuggling and fisheries protection operations also. In the long run, these ships can help in ensuring stability in India’s maritime zones of responsibility,” a navy spokesman said.

INS Cankarso and INS Kondul use water jet propulsion technology, which has gained acceptance as the leading means of propulsion for all types of high-speed marine vessels. The ships, built by the Kolkata-based Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, can achieve speed of over 35 knots.

“These features are an improvement over the previous fast attack craft ships,” the spokesman said.

The navy is planning to soon induct eight similar vessels of the the Car Nicobar Class V and VI series in its fleet.