New Delhi : INS Kiltan (P30), third Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) stealth corvettes built under Project 28 (Kamorta Class) was commissioned into the Indian Navy by Raksha Mantri, Nirmala Sitharaman at a ceremony held at Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam. Speaking on the occasion Raksha Mantri, Nirmala Sitharaman emphasised that the NavyÂs relentless pursuit of self-reliance through indigenisation is highly appreciable and this has helped the Indian Navy to seamlessly transform from a BuyerÂs to a BuilderÂs Navy. She highlighted that the addition of INS Kiltan to the naval fleet is a reaffirmation of this transformation. She said that we need to benchmark our shipbuilding practices to international best practices and produce quality ships in a shorter time frame and at competitive costs. The Government fully appreciates the nationÂs defence requirements and requisite finances for the Armed Forces and Defence industry would be made available for the modernisation and development plans of the Navy. 

Regarded as a very prestigious acquisition, INS Kiltan is one of the most potent warships to have been constructed in India. The shipÂs keel of was laid on 10 August 2010 and launched on 26 March 2013. Her maiden sea trials commenced on 06 May 2017 and finally was handed over to the Indian Navy by GRSE on 14 October 2017. The sleek and magnificent ship is propelled by ÂCombination of Diesel and Diesel (CODAD)Â propulsion system of four diesel engines to achieve speeds in excess of 25 knots and has an endurance of around 3,500 Nautical Miles.

The ship has enhanced stealth features resulting in a reduced Radar Cross Section (RCS) achieved by X-form of hull and superstructure along with optimally sloped surfaces. The very low under water acoustic signature makes it a Âsilent killer on the prowlÂ. This has been achieved by using advanced techniques for propeller design and mountings of main machinery. The shipÂs advanced stealth features make her less susceptible to detection by the enemy and help in effective employment of soft kill measure like the Chaff.

More than 80 % of the ship is indigenous with state of the art equipment & systems to fight in Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) warfare conditions. Also, P-28 weapons and sensors suite is predominantly indigenous and showcases the nationÂs growing capability in this niche area. INS Kiltan is the first major warship with superstructure entirely of composite material.

Weapons and Sensors have been installed/ interfaced on this composite superstructure for the first time on a major warship. Composite superstructure fitted on INS Kiltan ushers the usage of advanced engineering materials on Indian Naval warships with significant improvement in weight and stability parameters.

Apart from her integral ASW capable helicopter, the formidable array of weapons include heavy weight torpedoes, ASW rockets, 76 mm caliber Medium Range gun and two multi-barrel 30 mm guns as Close-in-Weapon System (CIWS) with dedicated fire control systems. She is also fitted with indigenous missile decoy rockets (Chaff) and advanced ESM (Electronic Support Measure) system to detect and map enemy transmissions and direction finder equipment. The ship boasts of a highly advanced Combat Management System and a sophisticated Integrated Platform Management System.

The ship gets her name from old INS Kiltan (P79), a Petya class ASW ship that served the nation for 18 years before being decommissioned in June 1987. Named after the coral island belonging to the Lakshadweep group of islands in India, the ship has a total complement of 15 officers and 180 sailors. The sleek and magnificent ship spans 109 meters in length, 14 meters in breadth with a displacement of 3,300 tonnes and can rightfully be regarded as one of the most potent Anti Submarine Warships to have been constructed in India.

With the changing power dynamics in the Indian Ocean Region, INS Kiltan will augment the Indian NavyÂs mobility, reach and flexibility whilst proudly flying the Indian Flag. The ship is manned by a team comprising 13 officers and 178 sailors with Commander Naushad Ali Khan at the helm as her first Commanding Officer. The commissioning of Kiltan will add a new dimension to the ASW capability of the Indian Navy and the Eastern Fleet in particular. The multifarious missions that can be undertaken by the ship truly reflect the enhanced multi-dimensional capability of the Indian Navy.