KOLLAM: All eyes were on the warships docked at the Kollam port as thousands of spectators thronged the place. INS Kabra and INS Kalpeni, ships meant for coastal surveillance attracted thousands of visitors. The ships reached the port the other day and were opened to the public on Monday as part of Navy Day celebrations on December 4.
Navy officers were busy explaining to the public about the facilities and amenities that were on the ship. “These ships are used for coastal surveillance along the coasts of Kerala, Minicoy, and Lakshadweep. The ships are 98.9 meters in length, 7 meter in breadth, and carries 50 crewmen and four officers each,” said Varun Gupta, Captain of INS Kabra.
The ship has the capacity to move at 32 knots equivalent to 70 kilometer per hour in full throttle. The call sign of Kabra is Tango 76.
The ships perform patrolling to secure the coastline of the country by working in close association with the fishermen. “We keep in touch with fishermen who inform us if they find anything abnormal. Being a lengthy coastline, it is impossible for forces including the Navy and Coast Guard alone therefore they seek help from fishing boats. Merchant vessels also give us inputs on piracy and other threats,” the captain added.
Navy Day is commemorated in memory of the Karachi war held in 1971, on December 4 every year. The ships will visit Vizhinjam port in Thiruvananthapuram and Beypore in Kozhikkode as part of the celebration. INS Kalpeni will visit Vizhinjam and INS Kabra will dock at Beypore on November 25.
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