INS Kavaratti and INS Kiltan: With the addition of the two new, domestically constructed corvettes, INS Kavaratti and INS Kiltan, the Indian Navy has greatly enhanced its anti-submarine warfare capabilities. Carbon fiber composite superstructures, a ground-breaking innovation from Sweden’s Saab, are used in these boats.
The INS Kavaratti and the previously launched INS Kiltan both used the composite superstructures that SAAB supplied. According to SAAB, The superstructure made of carbon fiber composite material combined with the metallic main hull of the ship has better stealth characteristics and cheaper maintenance costs in addition to dramatically reducing the top weight.
Because carbon fiber naturally shields against a variety of signals, including heat, radar, acoustic, pressure, and electromagnetic, it plays a significant role in the corvette’s extraordinary stealth capabilities. The stealth characteristics make sure that the attacker can’t easily locate the ship above or below the sea. You can gain more time and employ countermeasures more effectively thanks to stealth features. Stated differently, “stealth” refers to enhanced survival.
One of the main advantages of the composite superstructure is that it requires less energy (fuel) and power to reach contractual speeds—that is, the same amount of power may be used to accomplish a faster speed. Ship designers can reduce top weight and enhance stability by using a composite superstructure, which is motivated by the growing tendency of placing sensors and armaments high up in the ship.
One of the lightest and strongest materials available to humans is a high-tech, contemporary carbon fiber laminate. The SAAB composite superstructure concept reduces structural weight by about 50% and is a low-cost, lightweight, and non-corroding substitute for steel or aluminium constructions.
Indian Garden Reach Shipbuilding and Engineering (GRSE) constructed the 109-meter, 2,500-ton ASW corvettes in the P28 Kamorta class in Kolkata. As per the Indian Defense News report, The Indian superstructures that SAAB supplied are nearly the same size as corvettes of the Visby class.
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The ship can manoeuvre incredibly well, reaching a top speed of 25 knots. “A medium-range gun, torpedo tube launchers, rocket launchers and a close-in weapon system” are among the cutting-edge armaments and sensors that the ASW stealth corvette is equipped with. These are all home-grown innovations. It can also be equipped with an anti-submarine warfare helicopter for forward presence.
The two ASWs are important contributions to the Indian Navy, and we are glad that we were involved in their development. Mats Palmberg, Chairman and Managing Director of SAAB India, states, “We are eager to continue working closely with the Indian Navy and the Indian shipyards to support its capability-building endeavours.”
The SAAB composite superstructure concept reduces structural weight by about 50% and is a low-cost, lightweight, and non-corroding substitute for steel or aluminium constructions.
