INS Pondicherry (M61)

INS Pondicherry (M61) was a Pondicherry class minesweeper in service with the Indian Navy, built by the Sredne-Nevskiy Shipyard at Saint Petersburg in Russia. She was the lead ship of this class. Pondicherry served the Indian Navy from 1978 to 2007. She was named after Puducherry, a union territory of India which at the time was known as Pondicherry.

History
India
Name	INS Pondicherry
Namesake	Pondicherry
Commissioned	2 February 1978
Decommissioned	5 October 2007
Status	Out of service
General characteristics
Class and type	Pondicherry class minesweeper
Displacement	804 tons full load
Propulsion	2 diesel engines; 2 shafts, cp props, 5,000 hp
Speed	16 knots (30 km/h)
Range	3,000 mi (4,800 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h)
Complement	82 (incl. 10 officers)
Sensors and processing systems	Air/Surface; 1 x Don 2 radar at I-band frequency IFF; 2 x (NATO: Square Head - High Pole B) radars Sonar; MG-69/79, hull mounted which has active mine detection, with high frequency
Armament	4 × 30 mm guns, 4 × 25 mm guns, 2 × RBU-1200 5-tubed fixed mortars, Fitted to carry 10 mines

On 15 February 1989 Pondicherry was painted white and used as the Presidential yacht for the Fleet Review by President R. Venkataraman. She reverted to her normal role and colour on completion. She was based at Mumbai.

References

• Pondicheery (Natya 1) class at Bharat-Rakshak. Retrieved on 2009-04-29.