INS Abhay (2024)
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| History | |
|---|---|
 India | |
| Name | INS Abhay |
| Ordered | 29 April 2019[1] |
| Builder | Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) |
| Cost | ₹789 crore (US$93 million) (FY2020) |
| Yard number | 3032 |
| Laid down | 13 June 2023[2] |
| Launched | 25 October 2024[3] |
| Identification | Pennant number: |
| Status | Launched [3] |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft |
| Displacement | 900 t (890 long tons)[4] |
| Length | 77.6 m (254 ft 7 in)[5] |
| Beam | 10.5 m (34 ft 5 in)[5] |
| Draft | 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in)[5] |
| Propulsion | Water-jet propulsion[6] |
| Speed | 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph) |
| Range | 1,800 nmi (3,300 km; 2,100 mi) at 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph)[5] |
| Boats & landing craft carried | 1 × RHIB[7] |
| Crew | 57 (7 officers + 50 sailors) |
| Sensors & processing systems |
|
| Armament |
|
| Notes | Largest class of waterjet-powered vessels in the Indian Navy. |
INS Abhay is the fourth of the Arnala class of the Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Watercraft operated by the Indian Navy.[11][12]
On 23 December 2013, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) –- the main acquisition panel subordinate to India's Ministry of Defence (MoD), approved the procurement of sixteen anti-submarine warfare (ASW) vessels capable of operating in shallow waters, at a cost of ₹13,440 crore (equivalent to ₹230 billion or US$2.7 billion in 2023), to replace the ageing Abhay-class corvettes of the Indian Navy – which were commissioned between 1989 and 1991. This includes the development of the vessels with about 700 t (690 long tons; 770 short tons) displacement and an operational radius of 200 nmi (370 km; 230 mi) from its home port. They would be built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE).[13][14]
In June 2014, the MoD issued a tender, worth USD2.25 billion under the 'Buy and Make India' category to private-shipyards – including Larsen & Toubro (L&T), ABG Shipyard, Pipavav Defense and Offshore Engineering, Goa Shipyard (GSL) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), for the procurement of the 16 anti-submarine vessels.[15]
In October 2017, Cochin Shipyard (CSL) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) emerged as the first and the second-lowest bidder in the tender, respectively. CSL had quoted a value of ₹5,400 crore (US$829.22 million) while GRSE had to match the bid value of CSL in order to get the contract.[16]
Purchase
On 29 April 2019, the MoD and GRSE signed a contract, valued at ₹6,311.32 crore (equivalent to ₹78 billion or US$930 million in 2023), for eight anti-submarine vessels, to be delivered between 2022 and 2026. The contract mandates the first vessel to be delivered within 42 months of the date of signing, with the remaining seven vessels delivered at a rate of two ships per year within 84 months.[1][17]
On 30 April 2019, the MoD and CSL signed a similar contract for the construction of the remaining eight vessels – within a deadline of 84 months.[18] Under this contract, the first ship was also expected to be delivered within a span of 42 months, with subsequent deliveries of two ships per year.[17][19][20]