The Indian Navy’s warship INS Kabra T76 arrived at Azhikal port on Friday.
INS Kabra, a fast-attack craft in the hydrojet division, is led by Commandant Sushil Kumar Singh. The ship was received by K.V. Sumesh MLA, Azhikode grama panchayat president K. Ajeesh, senior port conservator Ajinesh Madankara, and port officer Pratheesh G. Nair.
The ship has five officers and 42 sailors. It will leave for Kasaragod on patrol and return to Kochi later. Lt. Commandant B. Dutt is the second-in-command officer of the ship.
Mr. Singh said the vessel, which regularly patrols the Arabian Sea off the Kerala coast, was visiting minor harbours like Azhikal as part of efforts to establish good relations with fishermen. The ship had earlier visited Beypore, Vizhinjam and Kollam ports.
INS Kabra is waterjet-based and hence nets are not damaged when it patrols. Its speed is 35 knots or 65 km per hour. The ship is armed with weapons, including a 30mm gun attached to a camera, capable of firing a thousand rounds per minute for maritime security.
It has a communication system that can connect to the naval headquarters even from deep sea. Named after an island in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the ship was developed locally at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, Kolkata. The ship can travel fast and reach shallow terrain.
