INS Kavaratti: ‘Made in India’ ASW stealth corvette to be commissioned into Indian Navy today. All you need to know

On 22nd October 2020, General Manoj Mukund Naravane, Chief of Army Staff will commission the indigenously built ‘INS Kavaratti’ into the Indian Navy at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam. ‘INS Kavaratti’ is the last of four indigenously-built anti-submarine warfare (ASW) stealth corvettes under the ‘Project 28’.

The Indian Navy, in a statement, said, “Designed by Indian Navy’s Directorate of Naval Design, the ship portrays our growing capability in becoming self-reliant through indigenization.

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‘INS Kavaratti’ – the ‘Made in India’ warship

The name Kavaratti comes from erstwhile INS Kavaratti, which was an Arnala class missile corvette. The older Kavaratti played a vital role during Bangladesh’s liberation war in 1971.

It is a ‘Made in India’ warship designed by the Indian Navy’s in-house organization, Directorate of Naval Design(DND), and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata.

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It is equipped with state-of-the-art weapons and a sensor suite capable of detecting and prosecuting submarines. ‘INS Kavaratti’ is also capable of self-defense. The weapons and sensors suite of the warship is predominantly indigenous. It has good endurance for long-range deployments.

With 90 percent indigenous content and use of carbon composites for the superstructure, it perfectly showcases the commendable feat achieved in Indian shipbuilding.

The ship will be commissioned into the Indian Navy as a combat-ready platform. It has already completed sea trials of all the installed systems onboard.

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Importance of INS Kavaratti

The induction of ‘INS Kavaratti’ into the Indian Navy will enhance its preparedness amid ongoing tension with China. It showcases the growing capability of the Indian Navy, GRSE, and the nation in becoming self-reliant through indigenization. It is being touted as a significant step in India’s national objective of “Atmanirbhar Bharat”. The warship was delivered amid strict Covid-19 restrictions, which makes it a praiseworthy achievement in itself. INS Kavaratti is the fourth and last one of the Kamorta Class Stealth ASW Corvette. INS Kamorta, INS Kadmatt, and INS Kiltan have already been commissioned in the Indian Navy.