Pondicherry-class minesweeper

Pondicherry-class minesweeper
INS Kozhikode
Class overview
Operators:	Indian Navy
In commission:	1978–
Completed:	12
Active:	7
Retired:	5
General characteristics
Type:	Minesweeper
Displacement:	877 long tons (891 t) full load
Length:	61 m (200 ft 2 in)
Beam:	10.2 m (33 ft 6 in)
Draft:	2.7 m (8 ft 10 in)
Propulsion:	2 × M-503B diesels, 2 shafts, 5,000 bhp (3,700 kW)
Speed:	16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Range:	4,000 nmi (7,400 km) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) 3,000 nmi (5,600 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement:	10 officers, 72 enlisted
Sensors and processing systems:	Sonar: • MG-69/79 High frequency, hull mounted, active mine detection Radar: • Don 2 I-band air/surface • 2 × Square Head - High Pole B IFF • MR-104 Drum Tilt H/I-band fire control
Electronic warfare & decoys:	Minesweeping: • AT-2 acoustic sweep • GKT-2 contact sweep • TEM-3 magnetic sweep
Armament:	• 4 × 30 mm (2×2) guns • 4 × 25 mm (2×2) AA • 2 × RBU 1200 5-tubed ASW rocket • 10 mines • M67–M72 also have 2 × SA-N-5 SAM, 16 Grail missiles

The Pondicherry class are a class of minesweepers built for the Indian Navy by the Soviet Union. They are modified versions of the Natya class minesweeper. The vessels were acquired in two batches. The first were purchased from 1978 to 1980 and the second from 1986 to 1988. Technically, the second batch is referred to as the Karwar class but are physically identical to the first batch with the exception of additional surface-to-air missiles. As minesweepers, they are large and heavily armed. They can serve a dual purpose as an anti-submarine warfare escort. Their hulls are constructed of U3 low magnetic signature steel. M61–M66 are based at Mumbai and M67–M72 are based at Visakhapatnam.

Ships

Name, pennant, commissioning date:

• INS Pondicherry (M61) (2 February 1978, decommissioned 2007)
• INS Porbandar (M62) (19 December 1978, decommissioned 2007)
• INS Bedi (M63) (27 April 1979, decommissioned 2009)
• INS Bhavnagar (M64) (27 April 1979, decommissioned 2009)
• INS Alleppey (M65) (10 June 1980)
• INS Ratnagiri (M66) (10 June 1980, decommissioned 2012)
• INS Karwar (M67) (14 July 1986)
• INS Cannanore (M68) (17 December 1987)
• INS Cuddalore (M69) (29 October 1987)
• INS Kakinada (M70) (23 December 1986)
• INS Kozhikode (M71) (19 December 1988)
• INS Konkan (M72) (8 October 1988)

References

• Pondicherry Class - Bharat Rakshak
• http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/india/m-pondicherry.htm
• http://www.hazegray.org/worldnav/asiapac/india.htm#6
• (English) All Pondicherry Class Minesweepers - Complete Ship List