INS Gaj (2002)

INS Gaj is an offshore tugboat built by Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Visakhapatnam for the Indian Navy. It operated under the navy's Eastern Naval Command.^[1][2][3]

INS Gaj A51 at sea.
History
India
Name	Gaj
Namesake	Elephant
Builder	Hindustan Shipyard
Commissioned	10 October 2002
Identification	IMO number: 9232333
Status	Active
General characteristics
Displacement	560 long tons (570 t) standard
Length	34 m (111 ft 7 in) o/a
Beam	10 m (32 ft 10 in)
Depth	5 m (16 ft 5 in)
Propulsion	2 × Wärtsilä diesel engines, 1,421 hp (1,060 kW)
Speed	12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement	22

Description

Gaj is powered by twin Wartsila diesel engines having a power of 1421 hp (1,060 kW). The propulsion is provided by two Volth Schneider propellers which allows for a 360 degree turn on the spot. The rated bollard pull is 25 tonnes. The ship can achieve a speed in excess of 12 knots with an endurance of ten days. It is fitted with a six-tonne hydraulic deck crane and fire fighting equipment, and is also fitted with diving and salvage equipment. It has a complement of 22 sailors.^[1][2][3][4]

Commissioning

It was commissioned on 10 October 2002 in Eastern Naval Command (ENC) by the Commander-in-Chief, Vice-Admiral Raman Puri. The ship has been named after the previous Gaj class tugboat INS Gaj (with the pennant number A-51) built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers, Kolkata commissioned in September 1973.^[2][3]

Gallery

Related Images

• 
  INS Gaj (A51) spouting water cannon.
• 
  INS Gaj (A51) tugging INS Krishna (F46).
• 
  INS Gaj (A51) at sea.

See also

• Tugboats of the Indian Navy