INS Betwa (F39) is a Brahmaputra-class guided missile frigate currently in service with the Indian Navy. The ship is named for the Betwa River.
 Betwa at anchor in 2011
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 India | |
| Name | INS Betwa |
| Namesake | Betwa River |
| Builder | Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd. (GRSE) |
| Launched | 26 February 1998 |
| Commissioned | 7 July 2004[1] |
| Identification |
|
| Status | in active service |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Brahmaputra-class guided missile frigate |
| Displacement | 3850 tons full load |
| Length | 126.4 m (414 ft 8 in) |
| Beam | 14.5 m (47 ft 7 in) |
| Draught | 4.5 m (14 ft 9 in) |
| Propulsion | Two Bhopal turbines, 30,000 hp (22,000 kW), two 550 psi boilers and two shafts |
| Speed | In excess of 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) |
| Range | 4,500 nautical miles (8,300 km; 5,200 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) |
| Complement | 440–450 (incl. 40 officers + 13 aircrew) |
| Sensors and processing systems |
|
| Electronic warfare & decoys |
|
| Armament |
|
| Aircraft carried |
|
Operations
edit
Operation Sukoon
editBetwa was a part of Task Force 54, returning from the Mediterranean, when the 2006 Israel-Lebanon Conflict broke out. As a part of Operation Sukoon, Betwa participated in the evacuation of Indian citizens from Lebanon to Cyprus.
Cyclone Tauktae Rescue Operations
editThe ship took part in search and rescue operations in the wake of Cyclone Tauktae in May 2021.[2]
Incidents
editOn 4 January 2014, the ship hit an unidentified object underwater and cracked the sonar dome, and had also seen salt water ingress into sensitive equipment.[3] [4]
On 5 December 2016, Betwa slipped off support blocks and over onto its port side when refloating and undocking inside the cruiser graving dock at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai during refit repairs, killing 2 sailors and injuring 15 others.[5] The ship's main mast was also damaged.[4][6][7]
Sources initially reported that the salvage and repair of the ship would take approximately two years.[8] Resolve Marine Engineering, a US-based firm, was contracted to salvage the flooded vessel in January 2017 for a sum of Rs. 20 Crore (200 million Indian Rupees, approximately USD 3 million at the time).[9]
On 22 February 2017, it was reported that the ship was made upright and refloated.[10] Betwa was restored to an upright position by the US salvage company by systematically flooding and pumping her compartments without using any external lifting mechanisms.[11] Three Naval Officers were court martialed and found guilty of negligence.
It was reported on 10 January 2021 that a 22 year old sailor on the ship died from a bullet injury, allegedly due to suicide.[12]
References
edit- ^ "Brahmaputra Class, Godavari Class". Indian Navy. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
- ^ "37 dead, 38 from barge off Mumbai still missing; Navy continues search". The Economic Times.
- ^ Purohit, Jugal R (24 January 2014). "What ails the Indian Navy's blue water aspirations?". India Today. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
- ^ a b "2 dead, 15 hurt as INS Betwa tips over during undocking". rediff. 5 December 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
- ^ "Indian Navy Frigate Tips Over in Graving Dock". The Maritime Executive. 6 December 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
- ^ Presley, Thomas (5 December 2016). "INS Betwa slips at Naval dockyard". Mumbai: Hindustan Times. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
- ^ "In Mega-Accident, Warship INS Betwa Flips Over, 2 Sailors Dead". NDTV. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
- ^ Som, Vishnu (6 December 2016). "Navy Plans To Salvage Rs. 600 Crore INS Betwa Which Lies On Its Side Flooded". NDTV. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
- ^ "Rs 20cr deal to lift INS Betwa". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 November 2017. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
- ^ "INS Betwa back on even keel". rediff. 22 February 2017.
- ^ "Indian Navy's Warship INS Betwa Restored To Upright Position After Capsized In Mumbai". Marine Insight. 8 March 2017. Archived from the original on 12 November 2017. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
- ^ "22-year-old Navy sailor found dead due to bullet injury in Mumbai". India Today. 10 January 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
