Another fast-attack craft commissioned in Indian Navy

Karwar (Karnataka), March 9 (IANS) INS Tillanchang, a Water Jet Fast-Attack Craft (WJFAC), was commissioned into the Indian Navy by Vice Admiral Girish Luthra, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command, here on Thursday.

INS Tillanchang is the third of the four ships of its kind built by the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata.

The first two ships of the class -- Tarmugli and Tihayu -- were commissioned in 2016 and are based at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.

The ship has been indigenously designed and built and is an upgrade on the Chetlat class of Fast-Attack Craft that the Indian Navy possesses.

Speaking on the occasion, Vice Admiral Luthra said the ships will play a vital role in the given security environment and are designed to take on both conventional and asymmetric threats.

He said that INS Tillanchang was able to achieve the fastest speed among all WJFACs during trials.

INS Tillanchang is about 50 metres long and powered by three waterjet propulsion systems, which give it speeds of over 35 knots an hour, the statement said.

The ship is armed with a 30mm main gun and a number of light, medium and heavy machine guns to undertake operations at sea.

It is manned by 50 personnel.

Commanded by Commander Adit Patnaik, INS Tillanchang is an ideal platform for a number of missions like coastal and off-shore surveillance, exclusive economic zone control, law enforcement as well as non-military missions such as search and rescue, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

INS Tillanchang will be based at Karwar under the operational control of the Flag Officer Commanding, Karnataka Naval Area.

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