Indian Navy patrol vessel
INS Sumitra is the fourth and last
Saryu-class patrol vessel of the
Indian Navy, designed and constructed by
Goa Shipyard Limited.
[2] It is also the
presidential yacht of
India.
[3] It is designed to undertake fleet support operations, coastal and offshore patrolling, ocean surveillance and monitoring of sea lines of communications and offshore assets and escort duties.
[4]
[5]
Construction
The
keel of INS Sumitra was laid at Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL) on 28 April 2010, and she was
launched on 6 December 2010. During her construction at GSL, she was known as Yard 1211.
[6]
[7]
Service history
INS Sumitra completed her sea trials and was handed over to the Indian Navy on 18 July 2014,
[2] and was commissioned into the fleet by the
Chief of Naval Staff
Admiral RK Dhowan on 4 September 2014 in
Chennai. She will operate under the
Eastern Naval Command and conduct maritime surveillance and coastal security missions. Her first Commanding Officer is Commander Milind Mokashi.
[8]
Operation Raahat
On 30 March 2015, INS Sumitra and her crew rescued 350 Indian citizens stranded in Yemen, by evacuating them from the Yemeni port of
Aden to
Djibouti across the
Red Sea. This rescue was part of
Operation Raahat. Sumitra was diverted from her anti-piracy patrol in the
Lakshadweep region to join the operation while Saudi Arabia-led forces were conducting air strikes against
Houthi rebels.
Two other navy ships
INS Mumbai and
INS Tarkash (F50) were also part of this operation, along with two
C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft of the
Indian Air Force, two Airbus A-320 aircraft from
Air India and passenger liners MV Kavaratti and MS Coral. The operations were overseen by Gen
VK Singh (Retd), Minister of State for External Affairs, Government of India.
2024 Anti-piracy patrols
On 29 January 2024, INS Sumitra successfully rescued
fishermen
hijacked by
pirates along the East coast of
Somalia and the
Gulf of Aden. The naval warship was responding to a distress message regarding hijacking of an
Iranian-flagged Fishing Vessel (FV) Iman. The fishing boat had been boarded by pirates and its 17-member crew was taken hostage. Acting in accordance with the established SOPs the crew successfully coerced the pirates for the safe release of the crew along with the boat & ensured the successful release of all 17 crew members along with the boat. The FV was subsequently sanitised and released for onward transit.
[9]
[10]
Less than 36 hours later, INS Sumitra rescued 19
Pakistani sailors after
pirates
hijacked their
fishing vessel off the
east coast of Somalia the previous day.Eleven armed pirates climbed onto another
Iranian-flagged fishing vessel FV Al Naeemi and took 19 crew members - all Pakistanis -
hostage. The Navy warship intercepted the fishing vessel and coerced the pirates to release the hostages. The Navy warship intercepted the fishing vessel and coerced the pirates to release the hostages With the help of
MARCOS , a special forces unit of the Indian Navy, onboard.The warship intercepted the vessel on January 29 and surrounded it. The aggressive posturing by INS Sumitra aimed to coerce pirates to surrender and leave the ship. Warning shots were then fired in the water to coerce the Somali pirates who had taken control of the vessel the Indian Navy deployed its
Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv, which flew over the ship , a psychological tactic used by the Navy to create fear in the mind of the enemy to force a surrender. The Somali pirates were scared to see the Indian Navy and dumped their weapons when INS Sumitra approached closer.Armed with
Tavor TAR-21, an
Israeli
assault rifle and other combat gear, the MARCOS brought the pirates to their knees and disarmed them. No injuries were reported in the swift operation conducted by the Navy, which captured
Kalashnikovs and several mobile and
satellite phones from their possession.
[11]The incident took place in Southern
Arabian Sea approximately
850 nautical miles
West of
Kochi, and prevented misuse of these Fishing Vessels as Mother Ships for further acts of Piracy on Merchant Vessels.
[12]
[13]
[14]
[15]
[16]
Gallery
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Admiral RK Dhowan, Chief of the Naval Staff, unveiling the plaque of INS Sumitra along with Vice Admiral Satish Soni, FOC-in-C, East and Ships Commanding officer Commander MM Mokashi
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USS Russell (DDG-59) with INS
Sumitra during a passex exercise
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INS Sumitra during her trials
See also
References
External links