Pondicherry-class minesweeper

The Pondicherry class are a class of minesweepers built for the Indian Navy by the Soviet Union. They are modified versions of the Natya-class minesweeper. The vessels were acquired in two batches. The first were purchased from 1977 to 1980 and the second from 1986 to 1988. Technically, the second batch is referred to as the Karwar class but are physically identical to the first batch with the exception of additional surface-to-air missiles. As minesweepers, they are large and heavily armed. They can serve a dual purpose as an anti-submarine warfare escort. Their hulls are constructed of U3 low magnetic signature steel.

INS Kozhikode
Class overview
Name	Pondicherry class
Operators	Indian Navy
Succeeded by	Future Indian minehunter class
Subclasses	Karwar class
In commission	1978-2019
Completed	12
Retired	12
General characteristics
Type	Minesweeper
Displacement	877 long tons (891 t) full load
Length	61 m (200 ft 2 in)
Beam	10.2 m (33 ft 6 in)
Draft	2.7 m (8 ft 10 in)
Propulsion	2 × M-503B diesels, 2 shafts, 5,000 bhp (3,700 kW)
Speed	16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Range	4,000 nmi (7,400 km) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) 3,000 nmi (5,600 km) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement	10 officers, 72 enlisted
Sensors and processing systems	Sonar: MG-69/79 High frequency, hull mounted, active mine detection Radar: Don 2 I-band air/surface 2 × Square Head - High Pole B IFF MR-104 Drum Tilt H/I-band fire control
Electronic warfare & decoys	Minesweeping: AT-2 acoustic sweep GKT-2 contact sweep TEM-3 magnetic sweep
Armament	4 × 30 mm (2×2) guns 4 × 25 mm (2×2) AA 2 × RBU 1200 5-tubed ASW rocket 10 mines M67–M72 also have 2 × SA-N-5 SAM, 16 Grail missiles

M61–M66 were based at Mumbai formed the 19 Mine Countermeasures Squadron (MCMS) and were decommissioned by the March 2015.^[1] M67–M72 are based at Visakhapatnam and form the 21 Mine Countermeasures Squadron (MCMS).^[2]

INS Konkan suffered minor fire accident in Vizag dry dock on 4 December 2013. She was operational by January 2014.^[3] INS Kozhikode was the last ship in the series to be decommissioned on 13 April 2019.^[4]

Ships

Name	Pennant	Commissioned	Decommissioned	Status	Homeport
Flight I : Pondicherry class
Pondicherry	M 61	2 February 1978	5 October 2007	Decommissioned	Mumbai
Porbander	M 62	19 December 1977	Decommissioned 2007
Bedi	M 63	27 April 1979	22 September 2009[1]
Bhavnagar	M 64	27 April 1979	26 December 2009[5]
Alleppey	M 65	10 June 1980	13 March 2015[6]
Ratnagiri	M 66	10 June 1980	22 May 2012[7]
Flight II : Karwar class[8][9]
Karwar	M 67	14 July 1986	9 May 2017[10]	Decommissioned	Visakhapatnam[8]
Cannanore	M 68	17 December 1987	23 March 2018[11]
Cuddalore	M 69	29 October 1987	23 March 2018[11]
Kakinada	M 70	23 December 1986	9 May 2017[10]
Kozhikode	M 71	19 December 1988	13 April 2019[4]
Konkan	M 72	8 October 1988	23 March 2018[11]

See also

• List of Indian Navy ships