India to Induct Indigenous Anti-sub Corvette Soon

NEW DELHI: India is all set to induct its newest corvette later this month at Visakhapatnam to boost its anti-submarine warfare capabilities. The warship was built by Kolkata-based Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited, one of India’s four defence public sector shipyards.

To be commissioned as INS Kamorta, it is a super sophisticated frontline warship with stealth features and it will sail from GRSE to Visakhapatnam ahead of its induction into the Indian Navy’s Eastern Fleet. Earlier known by its GRSE codename ‘Yard-3017’, Kamorta’s keel was first laid in 2006 and was launched into the waters in 2010. The Navy has designated Commander Major Jha as the first Captain of Kamorta. Kamorta is the first of the four corvettes, meant to function as submarine hunters and killers, being built by GRSE for the Navy. The other three corvettes -- Kadmatt, Kiltan and Kavaratti -- are under construction at the shipyard and would follow Kamorta into the Navy fleet soon. “The quartet is considered to be lethal. They will be platforms feared by the lurking enemy submarines and possibly these corvettes would turn out to be the nemesis too once the enemy submarines are detected,” Kolkata-based defence chief public relations officer Group Captain Tarun Kumar Singha said. They would also be deployed as advance screen to counter any submarine threat for Indian Navy’s two Carrier Battle Groups (CBGs) with INS Vikramaditya and INS Viraat as their lead ships.