Indian Navy gets fast attack supercraft

MUMBAI, June 23: It's a bird, its a plane. Actually the Indian Navy's new fast attack craft is a bit of both. Combining the best of aerospac...

MUMBAI, June 23: It8217;s a bird, its a plane. Actually the Indian Navy8217;s new fast attack craft is a bit of both. Combining the best of aerospace technology lightweight aircraft aluminium construction and a hi tech fly-by-wire control 8212; the new Super Dvora can effortlessly zip to speeds of over 45 knots to intercept intruders on the high seas and shallow coasts.

The first Super Dvora Mark II, the T-80, is to be commissioned at the naval dockyard by Vice Admiral Madhvendra Singh on Wednesday morning. The craft which arrived from Israel last week, is the product of an Indo-Israeli defence deal.

The acquisition of the Dvora epitomises the importance given to the limited counter-insurgency role being undertaken by the Indian Navy off the western and southern coasts of the country.

Besides the fly-by-wire controlled machinery and propulsion systems, the boat is fitted with a unique articulating surface drive8217; ASD propulsion system, which steers the propeller and makes it capable of shallow wateroperations.

A deal to supply four Super Dvora XFAC8217;s was concluded with Ramta Shipyard, a division of the state-owned Israel Aircraft Industries IAI, was concluded in Israel in late 1996 by an Indian delegation headed by Goa Shipyard CMD Rear Admiral B R Menon.

The first two boats are to be delivered by IAI and the remaining two are to be assembled at the GSL in Goa. A second Dvora is under construction at Goa and is to join the navy later this year.

The XFAC is battle proven and can be used for day-night coastal surveillance and reconnaissance, co-ordination of sea-air Search and Rescue SAR operations, beach insertion and extraction of commando forces and high speed interception of small, manoeverable craft over territorial waters.

Story continues below this ad

The 21-metre-long Dvora is an improvement of the Israeli Dabur class coastal patrol craft and displaces 54 tonnes. It packs a mean punch with two hydraulically stabilised 20 mm Oerlikon guns, two 7.62 light machine guns.

It can also be fitted with surface-to-surfacemissiles, depth charges, torpedoes or rocket launchers. It has a range of 1200 nautical miles at 17 knots.