Aditya Class

Image © Mrityunjoy MazumdarImage © Mrityunjoy MazumdarA rough sketch of the INS Aditya. Image © Ian Sturton

Vessel Type: Replenishment & Repair Ship.

Name & Pennant Number with commission date:
INS Aditya A59 (03 April 2000)

Structure: A modified Bremer-Vulkan Deepak Class design with a different compartment layout and more accommodation. The accommodation and bridge superstructure are towards the stern with the helicopter platform right aft.  Fitted with six 70-person GRP lifeboats to SOLAS standards that feature internal release system. The vessel features an eight-bed sickbay.

Displacement: 24,612 tons full load.

Dimensions: Length -172 metres.
................Beam - 23 metres.
................Draft - 7.5 metres.

Measurement: 17,000 dwt.

Main Machinery: Two ECR MAN B&W 16V 40/45 diesel engines with 23,972 hp sustained and 1 shaft. The engines were assembled by the Taratola unit of GRSE (Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers). Also has three 500 kW generators and two 1500 kW power take-off shaft generators.

Maximum Speed: 20 knots.

Maximum Range: 10,000 miles at 16 knots.

Complement: 191 + 6 aircrew (incl. 3 pilots from No.321 Squadron).

Cargo Capacity: 2250 m3 water.
......................2170 m3 ammunition & stores.
......................14,200 m3 diesel and avcat (aviation kerosene).

The ship can carry 12,000 tons of liquid cargo, comprising LSHSD, FFO, AVCAT, distilled & fresh water and 5000 tons of solid cargo. Features a Hallapa deck and Canadian Hepburn RAS (Replenishment At Sea) equipment. Also has a 2 ton heavy jackstay and a 20 ton crane.

Radar: Navigation; Not Known.

Weapons: A shoulder-held Igla-M (SA-N-10) SAM launcher is carried on board with 24 missiles. The missile has a range of 5 km with a 2 kg HE warhead and uses infra-red (IR) homing for guidance. The vessel is also fitted with a trio of 2A42 30mm Medak guns, which are mounted on BMP-2 turrets, adapted for naval use.

Helicopters: One HAL Chetak (from No.321 Sqn) or Sea King Mk.42B.

Comments: Ordered in July 1987 to a Bremer-Vulcan design, GRSE Yard Number 3008. INS Aditya is a fully air-conditioned and lengthened version of the original Deepak Class, but with a multipurpose workshop and with four RAS (Replenishment At Sea) stations alongside. Building progress was very slow and the vessel was plagued by propulsion problems, during her sea trials in September 1999. The aim of the commissioning crew is to carry out 201 unreps a year and as of 17 February 2001, she had achieved 189 unreps and 5 dockets and so it looks like she will set a new standard for number of unreps in the Indian Navy. The vessel is based at Vizag and Her motto is Sustenance for Victory and Beyond. Her commissioning crew included:

• Commanding Officer (CO) - Captain Vimal Narayan
• Executive Officer (XO) - Commander K C M Giri
• Engineering Officer (EO) - Commander Vivek Chawla
• Electrical Officer (LO) - Commander S D Murthy
• Logistics Officer - Lieutenant Commander R Bhatnagar
• Medical Officer - Surgical Lieutenant Commander V V Prabhakar
• DLO - Lieutenant Commander K C P Reddy
• SEO - Lieutenant Commander B P Singh
• GO & NBCDO - Lieutenant Commander Gaurav Tankha
• BO - Lieutenant Commander P C Dwivedi
• NO - Lieutenant Commander Manish Sharma
• SCO - Lieutenant Nishant Kumar
• SWO - Lieutenant M K Biswas
• REO - Lieutenant Nagesh Moorthy
• WKO - Lieutenant Hrishikesh Atre
• WKO - Lieutenant Himadri Bose