Abhay-class corvette

An Abhay-class corvette underway
Class overview
Name	Abhay class
Operators	Indian Navy
Preceded by	Durg class
Succeeded by	Veer class by precedence ASW-SWC by role
Planned	4
Completed	4
Active	1
Retired	3
General characteristics
Type	Corvette
Displacement	485 short tons (440 t)[1]
Length	58.5 m (192 ft)[1]
Beam	10.2 m (33 ft)[1]
Draught	3.4 m (11 ft)[1]
Propulsion	2 × Type M 521 diesel engines (16,184 PS; 11,903 kW)[1]
Speed	28 kn (52 km/h)[1]
Range	2,400 nmi (4,400 km) at 14 kn (26 km/h)[1]
Complement	32 (includes 6 officers)[1]
Sensors and processing systems	MR-352 (NATO: Cross Dome) E/F band air and surface search radar Pechora I-band navigation radar MR-123 (NATO: Bass Tilt) H/I-band fire-control radar Rat Tail variable depth sonar[1]
Electronic warfare & decoys	2 × PK 16 chaff launchers[2]
Armament	1 × quad Strela-2M (SA-N-5) SAM 1 × 76 mm AK-176 gun[2] 1 × 30 mm AK-630 gun 4 × 533 mm torpedo tubes, SET-65E anti-submarine torpedoes 2 × RBU-1200 five-tubed anti-submarine rocket launcher[1]

The Abhay-class corvettes of the Indian Navy are the customised variants of the Soviet Pauk-class corvettes. The class was primarily intended for coastal patrol and anti-submarine warfare. The last ship of the class is expected to be decommissioned by 2025. The class is being replaced by Arnala-class and Mahe-class of Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW SWC).^[3][4] The ships formed the 23 Patrol Vessel Squadron of the Indian Navy.^[5][6]

Description

Abhay class is modified from Pauk II class under Project 1241 PE. The ships were built at Volodarski shipyard in the former Soviet Union. Abhay class vessels are longer, have larger torpedo tubes and improved electronics when compared to the Pauk I class vessels.^[1] The ships in the class were named after former Abhay-class seaward defence boats.^[1][7]

Abhay class is to be upgraded with Abhay integrated sonar system developed by Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory.^[8]

Service history

INS Agray was damaged in 2004 when an anti-submarine rocket fired from the onboard RBU-1200 launcher misfired and exploded on the side of the ship.^[9] Following the accident, the vessel was converted into a patrol vessel and a trials ship for electronic warfare systems.^[10]

The Ministry of Defence cleared acquisition of 16 shallow water anti-submarine vessels to replace the Abhay class of vessels.^[11]

INS Ajay was decommissioned on 19 September 2022 after 32 years of service in the Indian Navy.^[12]

Ships of the class

Name	Pennant	Builder	Homeport	Commissioned	Decommissioned	Status
Abhay	P33	Volodarski	Mumbai	10 March 1989[1]		Active
Ajay	P34			24 January 1990	19 September 2022	Decommissioned[12]
Akshay	P35			10 December 1990	3 June 2022	Decommissioned[5]
Agray	P36			30 January 1991[1]	27 January 2017	Decommissioned[10]

See also

• List of active Indian Navy ships

References

1. Commodore Stephen Saunders, ed. (2005). "India". Jane's Fighting Ships 2005-2006 (108th ed.). Coulsdon: Jane's Information Group. p. 320. ISBN 0710626924.
2. Commodore Stephen Saunders, ed. (2008). "India". Jane's Fighting Ships 2008-2009 (111th ed.). Coulsdon: Jane's Information Group. p. 333. ISBN 978-0710628459.
3. "LAUNCH OF 'ABHAY', SEVENTH SHIP OF ASW SWC (GRSE) PROJECT". Press Information Bureau. 25 October 2024. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
4. "COCHIN SHIPYARD LTD CONCURRENTLY LAUNCHES OF TWO (2) ANTI-SUBMARINE WARFARE SHALLOW WATER CRAFTS FOR INDIAN NAVY". cochinshipyard.in. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
5. "INS Nishank and INS Akshay Decommissioned". Press Information Bureau of India. 3 June 2022. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
6. "Indian Naval Squadrons – Indian Navy". Retrieved 15 November 2024.
7. Hiranandani, G. M. (2005). Transition to Eminence: The Indian Navy 1976-1990. Lancer Publishers. p. 44. ISBN 9788170622666.
8. "Locally made underwater sensors for Navy". The Hindu. 17 November 2016.
9. Bhatt, Arunkumar (8 February 2004). "Damaged ship being towed to dockyard". The Hindu.^{[dead link‍]}
10. Mazumdar, Mrityunjoy (30 January 2017). "Indian Navy decommissions two ships". IHS Jane's Defence Weekly. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
11. "MoD clears Navy plans to get 16 shallow-water anti-sub vessels". The Tribune. 26 September 2013. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
12. @IN_WNC (16 September 2022). "INS Ajay (P34) of 23rd Patrol Vessel Squadron, under the operational control of #FOMA, will be decommissioned at Naval Dockyard #Mumbai, on 19 Sep 22, after rendering 32 years of glorious service to the #IndianNavy" (Tweet) – via Twitter.