By IANS
New Delhi : The amphibious troop carrier INS Jalashwa has arrived at its homeport of Visakhapatnam, the headquarters of the Indian Navy’s Eastern Fleet, it was announced Thursday.
The vessel, the second largest in the navy after the aircraft carrier INS Viraat, was accorded a warm reception when it arrived at Visakhapatnam Wednesday afternoon.
INS Jalashwa, the name means hippopotamus in Sanskrit, was commissioned into the Indian Navy after an extensive refit at Norfolk in the US on June 22.
It was to have been ceremoniously received at Mumbai Sep 10 but this was apparently dropped due to protests of India’s Left parties against the five-nation joint naval drill Malabar-2007 staged in the Bay of Bengal Sep 4-9. The vessel was then diverted to Visakhapatnam.
With its Motto “The Fearless Pioneers”, INS Jalashwa is an assault ship that can embark, transport and land various elements of an amphibious force to support operations ashore.
This is the first ship to be transferred from the US, besides being the first Landing Platform Dock (LPD) to be acquired by the Indian Navy.
INS Jalashwa is equipped with a Landing Craft Mechanized (LCM-8), as also six Sea King helicopters, radars and rapid firing guns to undertake maritime surveillance operations, special operations, search and rescue missions, and medical support and humanitarian relief operations.
The ship’s specialty is a “well deck” that can be flooded by opening a hinged gate at the vessel’s rear end to launch LCM-8. The ship’s cargo space enhances its equipment carrying capability.
Unlike regular warships, INS Jalashwa has a flight deck from which four medium helicopters can operate simultaneously. This deck can also be used to operate vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft like the Sea Harrier in special circumstances.
Since the ship is capable of embarking over 1,000 troops, she is fully equipped with extensive medical facilities including four operation theatres, a 12-bed ward, a laboratory and a dental centre to take care of the healthcare needs of the embarked personnel.
Captain B.S. Ahluwalia, a helicopter pilot, commands INS Jalashwa that is manned by a crew of 27 officers and 380 sailors. With a length of about 175 metres and width of 32 metres, the ship is capable of travelling 20 knots an hour.