11 August 2007
KUWAIT: Two Indian Naval ships, the lNS Rajput and the INS Betwa of the Indian Navy's Western Naval Command, are to arrive at Shuwaikh Port on a goodwill visit scheduled on August 14 till August 18, 2007. The INS Rajput is commanded by Captain Atul Kumar Jam while the INS Betwa is commanded by Captain Sanjay Bhutani.
The INS Rajput is the first Kashin 11 Class Guided Missile Destroyer which was commissioned into the Indian Navy at Poti (USSR) on May 4, 1980. She is fitted with an array of weapons and sensors and is designed for multi-dimensional combat operations. The ship forms the backbone of the Eastern Fleet as its combat capacity has been further enhanced by the fitment and successful firing of the BrahMos Surface to Surface Missile.
The INS Rajput has an overall length of 146.2 meters and a displacement of over 5,000 tons. The ship is fully geared to face any nuclear, chemical and biological warfare at sea and as it is powered by four high performance Gas Turbines, she can achieve speed of up to 30 knots. This ship is affiliated to the prestigious Rajput Regiment of the Indian Army. The INS Rajput has a crew of 27 Officers and 371 sailors.
The INS Betwa is the second ship of the three indigenously built Brahmaputra Class guided missile frigates. The ship was designed by the Indian Navy's Directorate of Naval Design, built by M/S Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Kolkata and commissioned on July 7, 2004. The ship marks yet another milestone in the Indian Navy as the ship is Indian in design, construction, propulsion package as well as her state-of-the-art sensor and weapon suite.
The INS Betwa embodies a cutting edge of technology and is capable of neutralizing threats in all the three dimensions; on the surface, underwater or in the airspace above. The 3,600 ton ship is powered by two steam turbines and is capable of speeds in excess of 30 knots. The INS Betwa has a crew of 30 Officers and 300 men.
The Western Fleet is based Mumbai on the Western seaboard of India. It is appropriately described as the "sword arm" of the Indian Navy and comprises of a variety of multi-role warships including the Aircraft carrier Viraat, the indigenously designed Delhi class destroyers and Godavari/Brahmaputra Class frigates as well as the newly acquired Taiwar class frigates with stealth technology. The fleet is supported in operations by integral replenishment tankers/supply ships.
The Western Fleet has come a long way since its inception in 1957. The Fleet finds its roots as far back as 1863 when the Bombay Marine Corps was raised. This was rechristened as the Royal Indian Marine Corps in 1864 and served the country under this banner for over three quarters of a century. The Royal Indian Navy was commissioned in 1934, which was later nurtured and renamed as the Indian Fleet in 1957. As the Indian Navy expanded, the Indian Fleet was divided into the Western Fleet and the Eastern Fleet based at Mumbai and Visakhapatnam respectively.
Besides participating in various theaters of operation, the Western Fleet was involved in Operation Sukoon in 2006 in which citizens of many nations were evacuated from Lebanon. Peace keeping missions and humanitarian roles in Sri Lanka, Maldives and Somalia by the Fleet has placed India in her rightful place in the region.
The efficient and seamless operations in every ocean provides an opportunity to the Fleet to exercise with most friendly navies of the world. The Western Fleet therefore remains an important component of India's maritime prowess.
Goodwill visits to foreign lands by navies the world over are undertaken to enhance relations between countries and to foster greater defense cooperation between the navies. The present deployment of Western Fleet ships to Doha, Kuwait, Manama, Al-Jubail, Abu Dhabi, Muscat and Djibouti is aimed at strengthening friendship and harmony with India's maritime neighbors.
The last goodwill visit to Kuwait by the two Indian Naval ships the INS Delhi and the INS Mumbai was in December 2003. The forthcoming goodwill visit of the INS Rajput and the INS Betwa will be an important addition in the further development of the historical and friendly partnership between the Republic of India and the State of Kuwait.
KUWAIT: Two Indian Naval ships, the lNS Rajput and the INS Betwa of the Indian Navy's Western Naval Command, are to arrive at Shuwaikh Port on a goodwill visit scheduled on August 14 till August 18, 2007. The INS Rajput is commanded by Captain Atul Kumar Jam while the INS Betwa is commanded by Captain Sanjay Bhutani.
The INS Rajput is the first Kashin 11 Class Guided Missile Destroyer which was commissioned into the Indian Navy at Poti (USSR) on May 4, 1980. She is fitted with an array of weapons and sensors and is designed for multi-dimensional combat operations. The ship forms the backbone of the Eastern Fleet as its combat capacity has been further enhanced by the fitment and successful firing of the BrahMos Surface to Surface Missile.
The INS Rajput has an overall length of 146.2 meters and a displacement of over 5,000 tons. The ship is fully geared to face any nuclear, chemical and biological warfare at sea and as it is powered by four high performance Gas Turbines, she can achieve speed of up to 30 knots. This ship is affiliated to the prestigious Rajput Regiment of the Indian Army. The INS Rajput has a crew of 27 Officers and 371 sailors.
The INS Betwa is the second ship of the three indigenously built Brahmaputra Class guided missile frigates. The ship was designed by the Indian Navy's Directorate of Naval Design, built by M/S Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Kolkata and commissioned on July 7, 2004. The ship marks yet another milestone in the Indian Navy as the ship is Indian in design, construction, propulsion package as well as her state-of-the-art sensor and weapon suite.
The INS Betwa embodies a cutting edge of technology and is capable of neutralizing threats in all the three dimensions; on the surface, underwater or in the airspace above. The 3,600 ton ship is powered by two steam turbines and is capable of speeds in excess of 30 knots. The INS Betwa has a crew of 30 Officers and 300 men.
The Western Fleet is based Mumbai on the Western seaboard of India. It is appropriately described as the "sword arm" of the Indian Navy and comprises of a variety of multi-role warships including the Aircraft carrier Viraat, the indigenously designed Delhi class destroyers and Godavari/Brahmaputra Class frigates as well as the newly acquired Taiwar class frigates with stealth technology. The fleet is supported in operations by integral replenishment tankers/supply ships.
The Western Fleet has come a long way since its inception in 1957. The Fleet finds its roots as far back as 1863 when the Bombay Marine Corps was raised. This was rechristened as the Royal Indian Marine Corps in 1864 and served the country under this banner for over three quarters of a century. The Royal Indian Navy was commissioned in 1934, which was later nurtured and renamed as the Indian Fleet in 1957. As the Indian Navy expanded, the Indian Fleet was divided into the Western Fleet and the Eastern Fleet based at Mumbai and Visakhapatnam respectively.
Besides participating in various theaters of operation, the Western Fleet was involved in Operation Sukoon in 2006 in which citizens of many nations were evacuated from Lebanon. Peace keeping missions and humanitarian roles in Sri Lanka, Maldives and Somalia by the Fleet has placed India in her rightful place in the region.
The efficient and seamless operations in every ocean provides an opportunity to the Fleet to exercise with most friendly navies of the world. The Western Fleet therefore remains an important component of India's maritime prowess.
Goodwill visits to foreign lands by navies the world over are undertaken to enhance relations between countries and to foster greater defense cooperation between the navies. The present deployment of Western Fleet ships to Doha, Kuwait, Manama, Al-Jubail, Abu Dhabi, Muscat and Djibouti is aimed at strengthening friendship and harmony with India's maritime neighbors.
The last goodwill visit to Kuwait by the two Indian Naval ships the INS Delhi and the INS Mumbai was in December 2003. The forthcoming goodwill visit of the INS Rajput and the INS Betwa will be an important addition in the further development of the historical and friendly partnership between the Republic of India and the State of Kuwait.
© Kuwait Times 2007
