Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman commissioned the third of the four indigenously-built Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) stealth corvettes "INS Kiltan" under Project 28 (Kamorta class) into the Indian Navy at Visakhapatnam's Naval Dockyard.
It is India's first major warship to have a superstructure of carbon fibre composite material resulting in improved stealth features, lower top weight and maintenance costs. The ship is also the first major warship to have undertaken sea trials of all major weapons and sensors as a pilot project prior delivery by the shipyard to the Indian Navy and is ready to be operationally-deployed on the day of joining the Indian Navy.
With a displacement of 3,500 tonnes, the ship spans 109 metres in length and 14 metres at the beam and is propelled by four diesel engines to achieve speeds in excess of 25 knots with an endurance of 3,450 nautical miles. About 81 per cent of the ship is indigenous and it is well equipped to fight in Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) warfare conditions.
The ship in the future would also be installed with short-range SAM system and carry an integral ASW Helicopter.
The commissioning ceremony was attended by Admiral Sunil Lanba PVSM, AVSM, ADC, Chief of the Naval Staff and host of other dignitaries.
These ships are the first ASW corvette's to be built in India and have been built at the Garden Reach Ship Builders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd., Kolkata.