Arnala-class corvette

Arnala class was an Indian designation for the Petya III-class vessels of the Indian Navy.[1]

Class overview
Name:	Arnala-class corvettes
Operators:	Indian Navy
Preceded by:	Bathurst class
Succeeded by:	Abhay class
In commission:	1968–2003
Planned:	11
Completed:	11
Lost:	1
Retired:	10
General characteristics
Type:	Anti-submarine corvette
Displacement:	950 tons (standard) 1,150 tons (full load)
Length:	81.8 m (268 ft 4 in)
Beam:	9.2 m (30 ft 2 in)
Draught:	2.9 m (9 ft 6 in)
Propulsion:	2 shaft CODAG, 2 gas turbines - 30,000 hp 1 diesel - 6,000 hp (4,500 kW)
Speed:	30 knots (56 km/h)
Range:	4,870 nmi (9,020 km) at 10 knots (19 km/h) 450 nmi (830 km) at 30 knots (56 km/h)
Complement:	90
Sensors and processing systems:	Radar: Don-2, Slim Net, Hawk Screech Sonar: Herkules hull-mounted & dipping active sonar
Armament:	4 76mm guns (2 × 2) 4 RBU 6000 anti-submarine rocket launchers 3 533mm torpedo tubes Depth charges, mines

Although these vessels were classified as frigates in the Soviet Navy, they were classified by the Indian Navy as anti-submarine corvettes due to their role and smaller size. Vessels of the class were named for Indian islands.

Vessels

The corvettes of this class constituted the 31st Patrol Vessel Squadron of the Eastern Naval Command and the 32nd Patrol Vessel Squadron of the Western Naval Command.[2]

Name	Pennant	Builder	Commissioned	Decommissioned	Fate
INS Arnala	P68		29 June 1972	9 April 1999
INS Androth	P69		30 June 1972	9 April 1999
INS Anjadip	P73		23 December 1972	13 December 2003
INS Andaman	P74		28 December 1973		Storm 22 August 1990
INS Amini	P75		12 December 1974	16 September 2002
INS Kamorta	P77		21 November 1968	31 October 1991
INS Kadmatt	P78		23 December 1968	30 November 1992
INS Kiltan	P79		30 October 1969	30 June 1987
INS Kavaratti	P80		23 December 1969	31 July 1986
INS Katchall	P81		23 December 1969	31 December 1988
INS Amindivi	P83			1986–1988

Operational history

INS Kiltan (P79) and INS Katchall (P81) were part of the task force for Operation Trident during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971.[3][4]

The hulls of this class were of relatively inferior quality, requiring the vessels to undergo major refit every 5 years. The Indian Navy constructed the Naval Dockyard at Visakhapatnam, primarily to service Russian vessels. But given the lack of engineering support from Russia there were inordinate delays in completing the servicing facility. This resulted in considerable delay of the second refit for INS Andaman (P74), which was in poor repair and subsequently was lost at sea in storm conditions, 140 miles (230 km) east of Visakhapatnam on 21 August 1990.[5]

References

1. "P68 Arnala Class". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
2. "Petya II Class". Bharat Rakshak. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
3. "Trident, Grandslam and Python: Attacks on Karachi". Archived from the original on 26 September 2009.
4. Gulab Mohanlal Hiranandani (2000). Transition to Triumph: History of the Indian Navy, 1965-1975. Lancer Publishers & Distributors. p. 187. ISBN 9781897829721. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
5. Gulab Mohanlal Hiranandani. Transition to Eminence: The Indian Navy 1976-1990. Lancer Publishers & Distributors. p. 243. Retrieved 16 May 2012.