Abhay-class

Summary

Description

The Abhay-class corvettes are a group of naval ships in the Indian Navy, modified from the Soviet-era Pauk-class corvettes. These vessels were specifically designed with coastal patrol and anti-submarine warfare capabilities in mind. The last ship of the class is slated for decommissioning by 2025.

The corvettes of the Abhay class were constructed at the Volodarski shipyard, located in the former Soviet Union. As per Project 1241 PE, the Abhay class ships have been extended in length and equipped with larger torpedo tubes, in addition to possessing enhanced electronics over their Pauk I class predecessors. The ships in this class are named in honor of the former Abhay-class seaward defense boats. An effort to modernize the Abhay class includes the integration of the Abhay sonar system, which is developed by the Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory.

The operational history of the Abhay-class includes an incident involving INS Agray in 2004, when an anti-submarine rocket malfunctioned and exploded on the ship. This event led to INS Agray being repurposed as a patrol ship and also used for the trial of electronic warfare systems. Recognizing the need to replace the aging Abhay-class vessels, the Ministry of Defence has approved the procurement of 16 new shallow water anti-submarine ships.

Among the ships of the class, INS Ajay was officially decommissioned on September 19, 2022, following 32 years of service within the Indian Navy. The Abhay-class corvettes have operated solely with the Indian Navy. With the progressive decommissioning process reaching its conclusion by the year 2025, these ships are slowly transitioning out of service, paving the way for more modern naval assets to be incorporated into India's maritime defense strategy.

Technical specifications