VISAKHAPATNAM, Aug 23: Union Defence Minister Arun Jaitley today said the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Indian Army have been effectively tackling the ceasefire violations by Pakistan.
Addressing media after commissioning the first indigenously built stealth Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvette INS Kamorta at the Naval dockyard here, he said the Centre had noticed the ceasefire violations by Pakistan.
He said of late, the ceasefire violations by Pakistan had increased and the BSF and the Indian Army had capability to tackle the situation.
Regarding the problems faced b the Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) in Visakhapatnam which was taken over the Defence Ministry, Mr Jaitley said the HSL was the biggest shipyard in the country and it had a good track record.
“Now it is faciing some problems due to lack of orders,” he said, adding, Public Sector Undertakings, including Defence Public Sector undertakings should prepare to work in an competitive atmosphere.
Earlier addressing the gathering after commissioning the warship Kamorta, Mr Jaitley said strength of the Indian Navy has been growing very fast and it was playing an important role in safeguarding the maritime interests of the country. “We have a vast coast line and Indian Navy is doing a commendable join in maritime security,” he said. Out of the 119 warship and submarines on the pipeline, 42 were under the construction in various ships in the country, he added.
Chairman and Managing Director of the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, Rear Admiral (retired) A
K Verma said the GRSE had a long association with the Indian Navy since 1961 when it built the first ship for the Navy. He said INS Kamorta was first of the four integrated Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Stealth Corvettes designed by the Navy’ in-house organisation, the Directorate of Naval Design (DND), under Project 28, with an indigenous component of about 90 per cent.
Measuring 110 meters in length, 14 meters in breadth and displacing 3500 tons, the ship can achieve speed of 25 Knots. The ship is fitted with Anti-submarine Rockets and Torpedoes, Medium and Close-in Weapon Systems and indigenous surveillance radar Revathi. The ship is also capable of carrying an integral ASW helicopter.
Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R K Dhowan said the sanction of the President for acquisition of four ASW corvettes under the aegis of project-28 was accorded on March 29, 2003. He said INS Kamorta was the first of four highly advanced ship and the first indigenous anti submarine corvette as well as the first indigenous stealth corvette built by the India. The commissioning of INS Kamorta has added a new dimension to the ASW capability of the Indian Navy and in particular, the Eastern Fleet.
(UNI)
Follow our WhatsApp channel