Deepak-class fleet tanker

For other ships with the same name, see Deepak-class oiler.

INS Shakti en-route to Qingdao, China.
Class overview
Builders	Fincantieri
Operators	Indian Navy
Preceded by	Aditya class
Succeeded by	HSL class
In commission	2011-present
Planned	2
Completed	2
Active	2
General characteristics
Type	Replenishment Fleet Tanker
Displacement	27,500 tons full load
Length	175 m (574 ft)
Beam	25 m (82 ft)
Draught	9.1 m (30 ft)
Propulsion	10,000 kw diesel engine
Speed	20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Range	12,000 miles (19,000 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement	248[1]
Armament	4 × AK-630[2]
Aircraft carried	Sea King or HAL Chetak
Aviation facilities	Flight Deck for helicopter operations

The Deepak class is a class of fleet replenishment tankers of the Indian Navy built by Fincantieri. Two ships were ordered and the first one joined the fleet on 21 January 2011, while the second joined on 1 October 2011.[3]

History

INS Deepak construction programme by Muggiano Shipyard of Fincantieri, involved three different shipyards of Fincantieri, Italy, in a challenging time frame of two years. The ship is in double hull configuration which provides greater safety against accidental oil spillages in accordance with latest MARPOL regulations.

Costs and offset clause

Fincantieri announced in October 2008 that it won an order to build a fleet tanker, with an option for another, against competitive bidding from leading international players, especially from Russia and Korea. The contract, worth about 139 million euro includes a second vessel under an option clause which was signed in March 2009. According to an interview published in Defenseworld.net in May 2009, senior BEL executives stated that as part of the offsets for the first fleet tanker, Fincantieri, in 2008, placed an order worth 14.3 million euros for the supply of Composite Communication System, Versatile Communication System, ESM System, Electric Opto Fire Control System and their integration on board the fleet tanker. Bharat Electronics (BEL) will implement this order in 2009.

Ships of the class

Name	Pennant	Homeport	Launched	Commissioned
INS Deepak	A50	Karwar	12 February 2010	21 January 2011[4]
INS Shakti	A57	Visakhapatnam	11 October 2010	1 October 2011[5]

On 12 February 2010, the first ship of the class INS Deepak was launched. The CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General) reported that substandard steel was chosen which helped Fincantieri to bag the contract quoting lower cost.[6] On 21 January 2011, INS Deepak was commissioned in a ceremony at the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai by the Defence Minister of India.[7]

INS Shakti is the second Deepak-class fleet tanker. It was launched on 11 October 2010 and commissioned on 1 October 2011.[4][8][9]

Gallery

Images of Deepak-class ships at sea

• 
  INS Viraat approaches the fleet tanker INS Deepak for Replenishment at sea.
• 
  The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) and the Indian Navy replenishment oiler INS Shakti (A57) conduct a refueling-at-sea exercise
• 
  Yoga onboard INS Shakti (A57)
• 
  INS Deepak (A50) Replenishment oiler of Indian Navy near Mumbai coast.
• 
  INS Shakti entering Sattahip, Thailand

See also

• Aditya-class auxiliary ship
• Komandarm Fedko class oiler
• HSL-class fleet support ship

References

1. Bharat-Rakshak.com Fleet Tanker
2. "Indian Navy strengthens far-reaching capability". Sify. 21 January 2011. Archived from the original on 25 January 2011. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
3. "First Fleet Tanker For Indian Navy Launched At Muggiano". 12 February 2010. Archived from the original on 17 March 2012. Retrieved 14 February 2010.
4. INS Shakti inducted into the Indian navy
5. Shakti for Indian Navy launched at Sestri Ponenete (Genova)
6. CAG pokes finger at inferior steel in navy tankers
7. 2 new fleet tankers to boost naval presence
8. Fleet tanker INS Shakti inducted into Indian Navy
9. "INS Shakti to be commissioned today". Archived from the original on 22 December 2011. Retrieved 5 August 2012.

External links

• Video