INS Veer K 40 26 Mar 1987

                                                  INS Veer K 40 26 Mar 1987
                                                       

The Veer class corvettes meaning 'Brave' form the 22nd Killer Missile Vessel Squadron of Indian Navy. Eight vessels of this class inherit their names from the illustrious 25th Killer missile boat squadron, which attacked and sunk 2 destroyers, a minesweeper and various other support vessels off Karachi during Operation Trident and Operation Python of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.

Veer Class corvettes form the 22 Missile Vessel Squadron, at Mumbai. The hull is made of special, lightweight, MS and aluminium alloy sheets. INS Nirghat is the successor to the illustrious Osa-I Class fast attack missile boat which rained missiles on Karachi. The new vessel has preserved the red booster covers of the original P-15M AShMs that were lobbed at Karachi in December 1971.

An order for four modified Veer Class corvettes was placed in April 1997. This four-unit order was later drawn down to two units: one at Mazagon Dock Ltd, Mumbai and the other at Goa Shipyard Ltd. INS Prabal and INS Pralaya are a further modification of the Project 12418 design and may be referred to as the Mod 1241RE in Indian Navy service. One may also hear the name Molniya for these vessels, as it is the generic Russian name for the 1241 series of raketny kater (missile cutter) boats.

INS Prabal and INS Pralaya are quite different, in equipment, armament and appearance from their sister ships. Modified with Russian input, the weapons & sensor fit is similar to that of the Project 25A Class corvette, INS Kirch. Radars include a MR 352 Positiv-E radar, a Garpun Bal E and a BEL Lynx gunfire control radar. Armament comprises sixteen 3M-24E AShMs, the BHEL-assembled OTO 76mm Super Rapid Gun Mount (SRGM) along with two AK-630M CIWS gun mounts. The Lynx fire control system controls the twin AK-630M mounts and the 76mm OTO Melara gun. The radar has the following functions: a) Detection of surface and air targets, changeover to automatic tracking mode for selected targets and establishing it's coordinates and movement parameters; b) Working out data for firing, taking into account the target manoeuvring movement, movement of boat & ballistic correction. The EW suite appears incomplete - the characteristic radome of the Ajanta system is missing.

Structurally, these vessels also have an additional deeper deck, an extended operations room, and improved habitability. These changes have resulted in an added displacement of approximately 50 tons. Said to have a 65% indigenous content. INS Pralaya has a locally-built steering gear, propulsion shafts, air compressors, a reverse osmosis (distillation) plant, minor pumps, main switch boards, distribution board for power distribution, some valves/fittings, electrical fittings, etc. INS Pralaya is estimated to cost approximately Rs.350 crores. More of this class are planned though exact numbers are unknown presently. In 1990, MDL cancelled a study to equip the Indian-built units with a General Electric LM2500 gas turbines and two MTU diesels due to technical difficulties.