Makar Class

The Makar at sea. Image © Indian NavyThe Makar at sea. Image © Indian NavyINS Meen. Image © Indian Navy

Vessel Type: Survey Ship.

Names & Pennant Numbers with commission dates:
INS Meen J33
INS Mesh J34

Pennant Numbers with commission dates:
Makar J31 (31 January 1984) - decommissioned on 04 April 2005
Mithun J32 (31 March 1984) - decommissioned on 31 March 2007

Displacement: 210 tons full load.

Dimensions: Length - 37.5 metres
................Beam - 12.8 metres
................Draft - 3.3 metres

Maximum Speed: 12 knots.

Maximum Range: 1500 miles at 12 knots.

Complement: 36 (incl. 4 officers).

Radar: Navigation; One Decca 1629 radar at I-band frequency.

Weapons: One Bofors 40mm/60 gun.

Comments: These vessels have similar hulls to the depleted SDB Mk.2 Class but with much smaller engines. The vessels are based at Kochi and Chennai. Like her sister ships, the Makar was initially inducted as a survey vessel and she did numerous surveys for the Indian Navy and the Hydrographic Department of India till 1993. Following the Indian Navy's decision to increase its presence in the Palk Bay, following LTTE activities off Tamil Nadu coast, the role of Makar was changed from survey to local defence and its base port shifted from Kochi to Chennai. Under the changed role, the ship was deployed for the first time in the Palk Bay on 02 January 1994 and thereafter she was involved in innumerable exercises and operations. As per an article in The Hindu, the Makar was decommissioned on 04 April 2005 at Chennai.

As per an article in The Hindu, the Mithun was decommissioned from the Indian Navy on 31 March 2007 at Chennai. In her 23 years of service to the Indian Navy, the vessel clocked 111,442 hours covering 72,390 nautical miles. The Mithun was originally designed for carrying out survey activities and was initially based at Kochi. From October 1993, she became a patrol vessel and its base was shifted to Chennai. Since then, it had been continuously deployed at Palk Bay and adjoining areas. She contributed immensely to safeguarding the country's territorial waters in the region. She also took part in the tsunami relief operations in December 2004 and was deployed off the coastal towns of Kalpakkam and Mahabalipuram, both south of Chennai.