The Hindu : Navy to acquire fleet of fast attack craft

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Nov 30, 2003

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Navy to acquire fleet of fast attack craft

By Anil Kumar Sastry

PANAJI NOV. 29. The Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition, Vice-Admiral P. Jaitly, has said the Navy plans to acquire a fleet of Extra Fast Attack Craft (XFAC) with Israeli technology to strengthen surveillance along the coast.

Vice-Admiral Jaitly was speaking after launching the XFAC built by the Goa Ship Yard Ltd. (GSL) at a function at Vasco on Thursday. Nirupama Jaitly, wife of the Vice-Admiral, launched the craft, the third in the series of vessels built by the GSL. He said India's vast coastline had placed enormous responsibility on the Navy with an EEZ encompassing over 2.2 million sq. km. The XFACs are being deployed to protect these zones, he added.

Rear Admiral (retd.), Sampath Pillai, Chairman and Managing Director of GSL, lauded the GSL employees for delivering the vessel six months ahead of schedule. He hoped that keeping in view the strong commitment of the employees, the Navy would place orders for two more XFACs to be built by the GSL. The XFAC is designed for putting to sea in the shortest possible time for day-night coastal surveillance and reconnaissance, coordinated sea-air search and rescue operations, beach insertion/extraction of commando forces and high-speed interception of small, manoeuvrable intruder craft over territorial waters.

It is the smallest with a displacement of 60 tonnes and would be the fastest combatant in the Navy. It has the most modern structural, hydrodynamic and propulsion features. Two MTU engines which drive two `articulated surface drive `and' surface piercing propellers propel the vessel. This combination enables the craft to achieve its maximum sustained speed under normal weather conditions. It can also be fitted with surface-to-surface missiles when required.

The craft is designed to carry state-of-the-art electro-optic detection system and armament enabling it to accurately destroy small high-speed crafts and engage in light shore defence. The vessel is fitted with MK-20 Naval Stabilized Gun System with 20mm cannon. The ASD propulsion system option provides the craft with excellent shallow water capability, including beaching, exceptional manoeuvring and survivability.

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