Indian Army chief, Gen. Manoj Mukund Naravane on Thursday commissioned INS Kavaratti, the last of four indigenously-built anti-submarine warfare (ASW) stealth corvettes, at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam.

"The commissioning of INS Kavaratti marks yet another significant step in securing our country's maritime goals. I congratulate and extend my best wishes to Team Kavaratti," he said.

Built under Project 28 (Kamorta Class), INS Kavaratti (P31) and her sister ships were indigenously designed by the Indian Navy's in-house organisation, Directorate of Naval Design, and constructed by the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers.

Named after the capital of the Lakshadweep group of islands, INS Kavaratti has been constructed using high grade DMR 249A steel produced in India and can be regarded as one of the most potent ASW ships to have been constructed in India, an official said.

Spanning 109 metres in length, 14 metres in breadth with a displacement of 3,300 tonnes, the ship is propelled by four diesel engines.

Having its complete superstructure built using composite material, the ship has enhanced stealth features resulting in reduced Radar Cross Section (RCS) achieved by X form of superstructure along with optimally sloped surfaces. The advanced stealth features make the ship less susceptible to detection by the enemy.

The unique feature of this ship is the high level of indigenisation incorporated in the production, accentuating the National objective of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat', the official said, adding the vessel has high indigenous content with the state of the art equipment and systems to fight in Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) warfare conditions.

Also, the weapons and sensors suite onboard is predominantly indigenous and showcases the nation's evolving capability in this niche area.

Some of the major equipment or systems developed indigenously include the Combat Management System, Torpedo Tube Launchers and Infra-Red Signature Suppression System etc.

INS Kavaratti has a multitude of advanced automation systems such as total atmospheric control system, integrated platform management system, integrated bridge system, battle damage control system and personnel locator system to provide a contemporary and process oriented system of systems for optimal functioning of the warship.

Having completed sea trials of all her equipment, Kavaratti has been commissioned into the Eastern Naval Command as a fully combat-ready platform providing a boost to the anti-submarine warfare capability of the Indian Navy.

The ship is the reincarnation of the erstwhile Arnala Class missile corvette of the same name (INS Kavaratti - P80).

Kavaratti, in her previous avatar, displayed distinguished service and her legacy outlives her service life of almost two decades, in which she participated in the 1971 war for the liberation of Bangladesh and many other operational deployments.

During the 1971 war, she was deployed for contraband control in the Bay of Bengal and the support of mining of entrances to Chittagong. She captured the Pakistani Merchant Ship Baqir during this operation. In the present avatar, Kavaratti is equally powerful and packs an even more deadly punch.

(IANS)