INS Cuddalore (M69)

History
India
Name	INS Cuddalore
Namesake	Cuddalore
Commissioned	29 October 1987
Decommissioned	23 March 2018
Identification	M69
General characteristics
Class and type	Pondicherry-class 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; 2 × 16 SA-N-5 SAM Grail missiles;

INS Cuddalore (M69) was a modified Natya-class minesweeper of the Pondicherry class ships that were in service with the Indian Navy.

Construction and commissioning

Cuddalore was built by the Sredne-Nevskiy Shipyard at Saint Petersburg, Russia. Except for the addition of surface-to-air missiles.^[1]^[2] Cuddalore was commissioned on 29 October 1987 at Riga (erstwhile USSR). Her commissioning commanding officer was Rear Admiral PK Nair.^[3]

Service history

Cuddalore was based at Indian Navy's Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam and was operationally under the authority of the Naval Officer-in-Charge Andhra Pradesh region. She was the senior ship of the 21st Mine Counter measures (MCM) Squadron.^[4] Cuddalore was adjudged as the "best ship" at the Eastern Naval Command (ENC)’s annual flotilla awards ceremony for the year 2015–16.^[5]

Decommissioning

Cuddalore was decommissioned on 23 March 2018 at the naval dockyard in Visakhapatnam.^[6]

References

^ "GSL gets defence ministry's nod to build 12 minesweepers". The Times of India. 1 March 2015. Retrieved 6 July 2019.
^ "Seagoing Minesweepers". Russian Ships. Archived from the original on 3 April 2013. Retrieved 31 January 2013.
^ "Navy decommissions INS Konkan, Cannanore, Cuddalore ships". Telangana Today. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
^ "INS Cuddalore celebrates 25th anniversary in ENC". news.webindia123.com. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
^ "Two ships awarded at annual Eastern Naval Command Flotilla fest". Deccan Chronicle. 25 May 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
^ "Navy decommissions 3 minesweepers". The Economic Times. 24 March 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2018.

[1] "GSL gets defence ministry's nod to build 12 minesweepers". The Times of India. 1 March 2015. Retrieved 6 July 2019.

[2] "Seagoing Minesweepers". Russian Ships. Archived from the original on 3 April 2013. Retrieved 31 January 2013.

[3] "Navy decommissions INS Konkan, Cannanore, Cuddalore ships". Telangana Today. Retrieved 15 September 2018.

[4] "INS Cuddalore celebrates 25th anniversary in ENC". news.webindia123.com. Retrieved 15 September 2018.

[5] "Two ships awarded at annual Eastern Naval Command Flotilla fest". Deccan Chronicle. 25 May 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2018.

[6] "Navy decommissions 3 minesweepers". The Economic Times. 24 March 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2018.

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