INS Sukanya is the lead vessel of the Sukanya-class patrol vessels of the Indian Navy.[1] In Sanatan Dharma, Sukanya was the daughter of Shryayati, son of Vaivasvata Manu and the wife of the great sage Chyavana. It was commissioned into service on 31 August 1989.

INS Sukanya
History
India
NameINS Sukanya
NamesakeSukanya
Commissioned31 August 1989
Statusin active service
General characteristics
Class and typeSukanya-class patrol vessel
Displacement1,890 tons (full load)[1]
Length101 m (331 ft 4 in)
Beam11.5 m (37 ft 9 in)
Propulsion2 × diesel engines, 12,800 bhp (9,540 kW), 2 shafts
Speed21 knots (39 km/h)
Range7,000 nautical miles (13,000 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h)
Complement70
Sensors and
processing systems
  • 1 × Racal Decca 2459 search radar
  • 1 BEL 1245 navigation radar
Armament
Aircraft carried1 HAL Chetak
NotesTwo onboard desalination plants to produce 20 tonnes of fresh water daily

Service history edit

In 2006, INS Sukanya served as the Presidential yacht for the 2006 Naval Fleet Review.[2] In February 2010, Sukanya escorted the Maldivian Coast Guard vessel Huravee home via Colombo, Sri Lanka. Huravee was returning home after a refit in India.

On 20 and 24 September 2011, pirates in the Gulf of Aden attempted to approach vessels being escorted by INS Sukanya. The attack was warded off and the pirates disarmed by a team of marine commandos. Indian Navy officials seized three rifles, eight magazines and about 320 rounds of ammunition from the pirate boat with 14 pirates. Ladders and grapnels used by pirates to board merchant vessels were recovered. The boat was carrying a large quantity of fuel and LPG cylinders, in addition to communication and navigation equipment. This was the fourth time INS Sukanya thwarted a pirate attack in the Gulf of Aden. On 11 November 2011, Sukanya again thwarted piracy attempts near the Gulf of Aden.

In December 2014, a fire damaged the only de-salination plant in Maldives plunging it into a severe water crisis. On 4 December 2014, Sukanya led by Commander M. Dorai Babu, NM, while patrolling off Kochi, was immediately diverted to Maldives. The ship had two de-salination plants on board with capacity to produce 20 tonnes of fresh water daily which were used to avert the water crisis.[3][4]

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Surface Ships of Indian Navy". Archived from the original on 19 June 2009. Retrieved 13 August 2009.
  2. ^ "PFR 2006". Archived from the original on 6 July 2006. Retrieved 5 September 2006.
  3. ^ "Indian Navy the First to Respond in Maldivian Crisis". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  4. ^ "Here's how Indian Navy is helping water crisis-hit Maldives". The Economic Times. 8 December 2014. Retrieved 28 June 2016.