Indian Navy gets two fast attack craft vessels

"Two brand new acquisitions of the Indian Navy INS Kondul and INS Cankarso commissioned in August at Visakhapatnam this year have been positioned at Goa," Indian Navy's public relation officer, Commander M C Joshi told PTI.

They are water jet propelled fast attack craft and have been indigenously designed and built. INS Kondul commanded by Cdr SR Patil and INS Cankarso commanded by Lt Cdr Arun Bahuguna were today received by Rear Admiral Sudhir Pillai, the Flag Officer Commanding Goa Naval Area.

The vessels are almost entirely Indian in design with an indigenous weapon package and are designed for coastal or maritime patrol and are named after Kondul and Cankarso Islands in the northern group of Lakshadweep Islands.

"What makes Kondul and Cankarso special is that the ships are capable of very high speeds and in a chase can achieve speed in excess of 30 knots," Commander Joshi said. The ships are fitted with state-of-the-art navigation and communication equipment. The crew comforts and operational preparedness have also been carefully balanced.
They are equipped and capable of accomplishing their designed roles of rapid interception, anti-poaching, anti-piracy and local naval defence.

The spokesman said it is foreseen that the arrival of these two ships will increase operational capabilities of Goa Naval Area which has been operating with only one ship, Fast Attack Craft INS Bitra for the past two years.