Hello, Warriors! The Indian Navy commissioned the first indigenously designed, built recovery and torpedo launch vessel INS Astradharini on Tuesday. The home-grown torpedo launch and recovery vessel, INS Astradharini is an advanced replacement for INS Astravahini, which was decommissioned this year.
It is a matter of pride that 95 per cent of the ship’s systems are of indigenous design i.e. 95 per cent of the ship is made in India. It also demonstrates Navy’s continued adherence to the ‘Make in India’ philosophy. The induction of INS Ashtradharini adds thrust to the country’s ongoing endeavours at indigenisation and achieving India’s goal of self-reliance in under-water weapons development.
INS Astradharini will be utilized for completing the specialized trials of submerged weapons and frameworks created by NSTL, a maritime frameworks research facility of DRDO. It is a propelled substitution for Astravahini, which was decommissioned on July 17 this year.
Following is all that you need to know about INS Astradharini:
- The indigenously built torpedo launch and recovery vessel INS Astradharini was commissioned by Vice-Admiral Satish Soni, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Naval Command at a ceremony held at the Naval Base in Visakhapatnam on October 6th, 2015.
- The outline of the Astradharini is a partnership work of Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL), Shoft Shipyard and IIT Kharagpur and has a remarkable configuration of a sailboat structure frame that altogether diminishes its energy necessity.
- INS Astradharini will be used to carry out the technical trials of underwater weapons and systems developed by NSTL, a naval systems laboratory of DRDO.
- It has a unique design of a catamaran hull form that significantly reduces its power requirement. The unique hull form of the vessel and the extraordinary body type of the boat shows the nation’s boat plan and shipbuilding capacities.
- The vessel is manufactured with indigenous steel. Having a length of 50 m, the vessel is competent to do paces up to 15 Knots.
- It can operate at high ocean states and has a large deck area which carries torpedo launchers for deploying and recovering various kinds of torpedoes during trials.
- The ship also has modern power generation, distribution, navigation and communication systems.
- It is assigned a crew of 2 officers and 27 sailors.
- INS Astradharini can also accommodate 13 scientists and can undertake multiple trials during a single sortie.
