The ''Sukanya''-class patrol vessels are large, offshore patrol craft in active service with the
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy (IN) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Navy, maritime and Amphibious warfare, amphibious branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of the Naval Staff (India), Chief ...
. Three lead ships were built by Korea Tacoma, now part of
Hanjin Group. Vessels of the ''Sukanya'' class are named after notable women from Indian epics.
Description
The ''Sukanya'' class have large hulls, although they are lightly armed since they are utilized primarily for offshore patrol of India's
exclusive economic zone
An exclusive economic zone (EEZ), as prescribed by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is an area of the sea in which a sovereign state has exclusive rights regarding the exploration and use of marine natural resource, reso ...
. However, they are capable of being heavily armed and upgraded to light frigates should the need arise. Two vessels of the class, and have been used as test beds for installation of the
Dhanush ship-based ballistic missile launch system. This includes the stabilization platform for enabling the ships to launch the missiles in stormy conditions.
was sold to
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...
and renamed . She was the former
flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of navy, naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically ...
of the
Sri Lanka Navy
The Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) (; ) is the navy, naval arm of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces and is classed as the country's most vital defence force due to its island geography. It is responsible for the maritime defence of the Sri Lankan nation and its ...
and obtained several remarkable naval victories against the naval branch (
Sea Tigers) of the
Tamil Tiger
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE; , ; also known as the Tamil Tigers) was a Tamil militant organization, that was based in the northern and eastern Sri Lanka. The LTTE fought to create an independent Tamil state called Tamil Eelam ...
rebels.
Ships of the class
Operators
*- Total 7 ships constructed in this class. One ship sold to Sri Lanka navy. 6 ships remain in active service.
* – 1 ship purchased from Indian navy.
Gallery
See also
*
List of active Indian Navy ships
The Indian Navy (IN), which is the naval warfare branch of the Indian Armed Forces, has approximately 135+ warships on active commission.
By forethought, the IN's Maritime Capability Perspective Plan (MCPP) for the period 2012–2027 had set ...
*
List of Sri Lanka Navy equipment
References
{{Ship classes of the Indian Navy
Patrol ship classes