Kora-class corvette

INS Kulish (P63) during Exercise Malabar 2012
Class overview
Name: Kora class
Builders: GRSE
Operators:  Indian Navy
Preceded by: Khukri class
Succeeded by: Kamorta class
Cost: ₹2.4 billion (US$35 million)
Building: 1 (for Mauritius)
Completed: 5
Active: 5
General characteristics
Type: Guided missile corvette
Displacement:
  • Standard: 1350 tonnes
  • Full load: 1500 tonnes
Length: 91.1 m (299 ft)
Beam: 10.5 m (34 ft)
Draught: 4.5 m (15 ft)
Propulsion: 2 diesel engines
Speed: 25 kn (46 km/h; 29 mph)
Range: 4,000 mi (6,400 km) at 16 kn (30 km/h; 18 mph)
Complement: approx. 134
Armament:
Aircraft carried: 1 HAL Dhruv or HAL Chetak

Kora-class corvettes are 1,350-ton guided missile corvettes, in active service with the Indian Navy.[1] Four vessels were built at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) and outfitted at Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL).

Design

The primary role of the Kora class is as surface combatants. They are armed with four quad-launchers for 3M-24 anti-ship missiles (Russian: Kh-35 Uran, NATO: SS-N-25 Switchblade).[2] The 3M-24E missile is guided by homing active radar and can carry 145 kg (320 lb) a warhead to a range of 130 km (81 mi) at Mach 0.9 speed. They are powered by two diesel engines.[3] A HAL Chetak or HAL Dhruv helicopter can operate from the vessel. They also have anti-air shoulder-launched missiles (Strela-2M (Nato code name: SA-N-5 Grail)).The Strela-2M has a range of 4.2 km (2.6 mi) and a speed of Mach 1.75. INS Kulish is equipped with two Igla surface-to-air missile launchers.

The corvettes are armed with a 76 mm (3.0 in) Ak-176 dual-purpose gun and two 30 mm (1.2 in) AK-630 CIWS. The Ak-176 can fire at the rate of 120 rounds-per-minute (RPM) to a range of 15.5 km (9.6 mi), while the AK-630 can fire 3,000RPM to a range of 2 km (1.2 mi). INS Kirch and INS Kulish are fitted with a 76 mm (3.0 in) Otobreda super rapid gun firing 120RPM.

The sensor suite includes a MR-352 Pozitiv-E (Cross Dome) air or surface search radar, Bharat 1245 navigation radar and BEL Rani navigation radar. The MR-352 radar can track targets within a range of 130 km (81 mi). Fire control is provided by Garpun-Bal and MR-123 radars. The Garpun-Bal radar combines active and passive channels and in the active target designation mode, it operates in X-band (I/J-band) and can handle up to 150 targets at ranges between 35 km (22 mi) - 45 km (28 mi), although it is possible to obtain ranges of more than 180 km (110 mi) in wave-guide propagation conditions.

The corvettes are fitted with the Ajanta P Mk II Electronic Support Measures system. There are four PK-10 chaff launchers and two towed torpedo decoys to deceive incoming anti-ship missiles and torpedoes. PK-10 is a 10 tube 120 mm (4.7 in) barrage chaff launcher that can fire 80 rounds at a time.

The Kora class is powered by two diesel engines driving two controllable pitch propellers through two shafts. Each engine is rated at 7,100 horsepower (5,300 kW). Four diesel alternators rated at 350kW are provided for power generation. The propulsion system provides a top speed of 25 kn (46 km/h; 29 mph), an average speed of 16 kn (30 km/h; 18 mph) and a maximum range of 4,000 nmi (7,400 km; 4,600 mi).

Each ship cost approximately ₹2.4 billion (US$35 million).

History

The Kora-class corvettes were designed by India's Naval design bureau under Project 25A, as a replacement for the Russian-designed Petya II-class corvettes of the Indian Navy. The first two were ordered in April 1990 and latter two in October 1994. The class was to be outfitted with the Trishul SAM, but following the cancellation of the Trishul project, a shoulder-launched SAM was adopted.

INS Kora undertook a goodwill visit to Singapore in mid-2001. The corvette participated in the Republic of Singapore Navy Day celebrations followed by the International Maritime Defence Exhibition (IMDEX) Asia 2001. The participation of INS Kora in the International Maritime Defence Exhibition was a showcase of the Indian shipbuilding industry and its indigenous efforts.

Export

In 2012, it was reported that Mauritius had ordered 2 vessels based on this class from the Garden Reach Shipbuilders. This will be the first export of warships by an Indian shipyard.[4]

Ships of this class

 Name   Pennant   Builder   Homeport   Commissioned   Status 
India
Kora P61 GRSE Visakhapatnam 10 August 1998 Active
Kirch P62 GRSE Visakhapatnam 22 January 2001 Active
Kulish P63 GRSE Visakhapatnam 20 August 2001 Active
Karmuk P64 GRSE Visakhapatnam 4 February 2004 Active
Mauritius
Barracuda GRSE Mauritius 2 August 2013 Active

See also

References

  1. ↑ Indian Naval Ships-Corvettes-Khukri Class
  2. ↑ "Project 25A Kora Class". globalsecurity.org. 9 July 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  3. ↑ "Kora (Type 25A) Class". Bharat-Rakshak.com. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  4. ↑ "Surface Force: An Indian First". Strategy Page. 30 April 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2012.
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