INS Airavat (L24)

Last updated

The INS Airavat sails out of Visakhapatnam harbour after commissioning on May 19, 2009.jpg
The INS Airavat sails out of Visakhapatnam harbour after commissioning on 19 May 2009
History
Naval Ensign of India.svgIndia
NameINS Airavat [1]
Namesake Indra's mount
Builder Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers
Yard numberYard 3016 [2]
Commissioned19 May 2009
Homeport Visakhapatnam
Identification Pennant number: L24
Statusin active service
Badge INS Airavat emblem.JPG
General characteristics
Class and type Shardul-class tank landing ship [3]
Displacement5650 tons
Length125 m (410 ft)
Beam17.5 m (57 ft)
Draught4 m (13 ft)
Propulsion Kirloskar PA6 STC engines
Speed16 kn (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Capacity
  • 11 MBT
  • 10 infantry trucks or APC
  • 500 troops
Troops500
Complement11 officers, 145 sailors
Electronic warfare
& decoys
Chaff launchers
Armament
  • 2 × WM-18 rocket launchers
  • 4 × CRN-91 AA (Naval 30 mm Medak) guns, MANPAD's
  • shoulder-launched IGLA SAMs
Aircraft carried1 Westland Sea King or HAL Dhruv [4]

INS Airavat is the third Shardul-class amphibious warfare vessel of the Indian Navy.

Contents

History

INS Airavat was built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers in Kolkata at Yard 2016. [2] She began sea trials in July 2008 after completing basin trials in May. She was commissioned at the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam on 19 May 2009, by the Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Sureesh Mehta. She is named for the mount of god Indra, the elephant Airavata, as mentioned in the Rigveda. [5]

Design

Safety features aboard the Airavat include anti-roll flume stabilisation system, smoke curtains to impede spreading of smoke and toxic gases in case of fire, as well as battle damage control systems. Fully loaded, she can operate independently at high seas for up to 45 days. [4]

While primarily designed for amphibious assault operations, Airavat's missions also include humanitarian assistance & disaster relief (HADR) during natural disasters, including tsunamis, cyclones and earthquakes. She has a fully functioning hospital on board, the capacity to carry 500 soldiers, and can provide stern refuelling for other naval vessels.

Primary suppliers for her equipment are Bharat Electronics Limited, Kirloskar, Larsen & Toubro, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Keltron and the Godrej Group.

Deployments

On 11 July 2011, INS Airavat made a goodwill visit to Sihanoukville, Cambodia. Between 19 and 28 July 2011, she made courtesy calls at Nha Trang and Hai Phong in Vietnam. [6] [7]

On 1 May 2016, INS Airavat arrived at Brunei to participate in the ADMM Plus (ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus) Exercise on Maritime Security and Counter Terrorism(Ex MS & CT) which took place from 1–9 May 2016. During the exercise, she engaged with participating navies from Brunei, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, China, Japan, Russia, Australia, Republic of Korea and the United States, through professional interactions in harbor and complex operations at sea. [8]

In November 2020, as part of Mission Sagar-II, INS Airavat delivered food aid to Sudan, South Sudan, Djibouti and Eritrea. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian Navy</span> Maritime service branch of the Indian Armed Forces

The Indian Navy (IN) is the maritime branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy. As a blue-water navy, it operates significantly in the Persian Gulf Region, the Horn of Africa, the Strait of Malacca, and routinely conducts anti-piracy operations and partners with other navies in the region. It also conducts routine two to three month-long deployments in the South and East China seas as well as the western Mediterranean sea simultaneously.

INS <i>Rana</i> (D52)

INS Rana is a Rajput-class destroyer in active service with the Indian Navy. She was commissioned on 28 June 1982.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MARCOS</span> Indian Navy special operations force

The Marine Commandos, abbreviated to MARCOS and officially called the Marine Commando Force (MCF), are the Special Operations Forces unit of the Indian Navy and is responsible for conducting special operations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers</span> Indian shipbuilders in Kolkata

Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd, abbreviated as GRSE, is one of India's leading shipyards, located in Kolkata. It builds and repairs commercial and naval vessels. GRSE also builds export ships.

The Indian Naval Air Arm is the aviation branch and a fighting arm of the Indian Navy which is tasked to provide an aircraft carrier based strike capability, fleet air defence, maritime reconnaissance, and anti-submarine warfare.

<i>Shardul</i>-class tank landing ship

Shardul-class landing ships are large amphibious warfare vessels built at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers for the Indian Navy. They are an evolution of the Magar-class amphibious landing ships.

INS <i>Shivalik</i> Indian lead ship of Shivalik-class

INS Shivalik (F47) is the lead ship of her class of stealth multi-role frigates built for the Indian Navy. She is the first stealth warship built by India. She was built at the Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) located in Mumbai. Construction of the vessel began in 2001 and was completed by 2009. She underwent sea trials from thereon before being commissioned on 29 April 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andaman and Nicobar Command</span> Tri-services command of the Indian Armed Forces

The Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) is the first and only tri-service theater command of the Indian Armed Forces, based at Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a Union Territory of India. It was created in 2001 to safeguard India's strategic interests in Southeast Asia and the Strait of Malacca by increasing rapid deployment of military assets in the region. It provides logistical and administrative support to naval ships which are sent on deployment to East Asia and the Pacific Ocean.

INS <i>Kulish</i> (P63)

INS Kulish is a Kora-class corvette, currently in active service with the Indian Navy. She was ordered in October 1994 and was laid in October 1995. She was launched in August 1997 and was commissioned on 20 August 2001.

INS <i>Shardul</i> (2004)

INS Shardul is the lead ship of the Shardul-class amphibious warfare vessels of the Indian Navy. On 3 October 2008, Shardul was affiliated to the 5 Armoured Regiment of the Indian Army in an on-board ceremony, at the Mumbai Naval Base.

INS <i>Kesari</i> (2005)

INS Kesari is a Shardul-class tank landing ship of the Indian Navy.

The procurement of Landing Platform Docks (LPD) by the Indian Navy, formerly known as the "Multi-Role Support Vessel Program" (MRSV) - is an initiative of the Indian Navy to procure a series of landing platform docks, specific vessels dedicated to amphibious warfare, as part of the service's strategy to augment its capabilities of amphibious warfare, disaster-response, humanitarian assistance and auxiliary duties.

INS <i>Shakti</i> (A57) Deepak-class fleet tanker

INS Shakti (A57) is a Deepak-class fleet tanker in service with the Indian Navy. She was built by Fincantieri, an Italian shipbuilding company based in Trieste. She is the second and final ship of her class. Shakti, along with her predecessor Deepak, is one of the largest ships of the Indian Navy.

INS <i>Jyoti</i> (A58)

INS Jyoti (A58) is the third of the four Komandarm Fedko-class replenishment oilers. She was modified for naval use and is now being operated by the Eastern Naval Command of the Indian Navy. Jyoti was the largest ship in the navy until INS Vikramaditya (R33) was commissioned in November 2013. Its primary role is fleet replenishment and sustaining blue-water operations. It was later fitted with close-in weapon systems for self-defence.

Tiger Triumph is the bilateral tri-service amphibious military exercise involving the armed forces of India and the United States. It is the first tri-service military exercise between the two countries. India has previously only held tri-service exercises with Russia.

SAGAR, used as a backronym or reverse acronym which stands for Security and Growth for All in the Region, is a label used by the Prime Minister and Government of India for India's vision and geopolitical framework of maritime cooperation in the Indian Ocean region. Sagar means 'ocean' or 'sea' in multiple Indian languages. Since the first usage of the phrase in 2015 at Port Louis by Prime Minister Narendra Modi the term has been adapted to include more elements such as linkages with the Indo-Pacific region.

KDB <i>Daruttaqwa</i> Darussalam-class Offshore Patrol Vessels

KDB Daruttaqwa (09) is the fourth and last ship of the Darussalam-class offshore patrol vessels. The vessel is in active service in the Royal Brunei Navy (RBN).

MV <i>Avatar</i> Refitted cargo vessel

MV Avatar is a general cargo vessel currently in service with the Republic of Singapore Navy as a training vessel. She is owned by Valour Offshore Marine Services and leased to the Defence Science and Technology Agency, a statutory board under the Ministry of Defence. Avatar is not a commissioned navy warship and flies the state marine ensign instead of the naval ensign.

References

  1. Archived 19 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  2. 1 2 "Indian Navy Commissions INS Airavat, Landing Ship Tank". MarineBuzz.com. 19 May 2009. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  3. "Shardul class". Bharat Rakshak. 4 January 2007. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  4. 1 2 "INS Airavat (Landing Ship Tank)". StratPost. 19 May 2009. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  5. "LST(L) Shardul". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  6. "Indian Navy downplays Chinese warning to its warship". Daily News & Analysis. PTI. 1 September 2011. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  7. Dutta, Sujan (17 September 2011). "China in mind, salute & port plea to Vietnam". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 3 February 2013. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  8. "ADMM Plus Exercise on Maritime Security and Counter Terrorism at Brunei". Business Standard. 2 May 2016. Retrieved 6 July 2019.
  9. "Mission Sagar". Drishti IAS. Retrieved 31 January 2022.