INS Kuthar (P46) is a Khukri-class corvette, currently in service with the Indian Navy. It was designed by Indian naval architects and built at the Mazagon Dock in Mumbai. INS Kuthar was part of Western Naval Command till 1998 later it moved to be part of Eastern Naval Command.[1] It was damaged in a mishap that occurred on 15 July 2014. The mishap occurred after the naval ship returned to its base in the Andaman and Nicobar Command in rough weather after completing a mission.[2]

INS Kuthar
History
NameINS Kuthar
Namesake"Battle axe"
BuilderMazagon Dock Limited
Laid down13 September 1986
Launched15 April 1989
Commissioned7 June 1990
Identification
Statusin active service
General characteristics
Class and typeKhukri-class corvette
Displacement1350 tons (full load)
Length91.1 metres
Beam10.5 metres
Draught4.5 metres
Propulsion
  • 2 diesel engines with 14,400hp
  • 2 shafts
Speed25 knots (50 km/h)
Range4,000 nmi (7,400 km) at 16 knots (30 km/h)
Complement79 (incl. 10 officers)
Sensors and
processing systems
  • MR 352 Pozitiv-E radar
  • Garpun-Bal radar
  • Bharat 1245 navigation radar
Armament
Aircraft carried1 helicopter (HAL Chetak)

Etymology

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The INS Kuthar is named after a kuthar, the Hindi word for a handheld battle axe.[3]

Maritime exercise

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Incidents

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  • Sub Lieutenant Tejveer Singh died on Tuesday October 11, 2016 onboard the INS Kuthar after he accidentally fired his 9mm pistol. Singh fired the round accidentally at around 1430 hours and was injured. He was then shifted to Naval Hospital INHS Kalyani in Visakhapatnam where he succumbed to his injuries.[6]
  • The Kuthar collided with the destroyer INS Ranvir in the Bay of Bengal in August 2009. The reason for the collision was found to be a rudder failure, further compounded by a flawed naval maneuver.[7]

References

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  1. ^ "Navy welcomes students aboard INS Kuthar". The Hindu. 10 November 2013.
  2. ^ "INS Kuthar damaged in mishap, navy orders probe". Livemint. 13 July 2014. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  3. ^ "Khukri Class Corvettes". Indian Navy.
  4. ^ "Eastern Naval Command exercises thrill children to the core". The Hindu. 24 November 2005. Archived from the original on 24 March 2014.
  5. ^ "First Maritime Exercise between Japan and India Set for Today". Naval Today. 19 December 2013.
  6. ^ "Indian Navy officer dies in INS Kuthar due to accidental firing". The Indian Express. 11 October 2016.
  7. ^ "Mayday: INS Sindhurakshak's destruction underlines a growing trend of naval warship losses, primarily due to human error". India Today. Retrieved 11 December 2023.