INS Cheetah, Guldar and Kumbhir stalwart ships were decommissioned

Source: This post has been created based on article “INS Cheetah, Guldar and Kumbhir were decommissioned after 40 years of glorious service” published in “PIB” on 13th January 2024.

Why in news?

Recently, INS Cheetah, Guldar and Kumbhir were decommissioned from the service. They were decommissioned after 40 years of service. The decommissioning event was conducted at Port Blair in a traditional ceremony.

What are these ships?

1) Built at: Gdynia Shipyard, Poland.

2) They are Polnocny class Landing Ships.

Note: The Polnocny class ships are amphibious warfare vessels.

3)The INS Cheetah joined the Indian Navy in 1984, followed by Guldar in 1985, and Kumbhir in 1986.

4) They were initially stationed in mainland India before establishing their permanent base in the Andaman and Nicobar Command.

What was significance of these ships?

1) Over the years, these ships traversed a staggering 17 lakh nautical miles, spending over 12,300 days at sea.

2) They served as the backbone of amphibious operations in the region, conducting over 1300 beaching operations to land troops ashore and secure the islands.

3) The ships played a crucial role in numerous maritime security missions and humanitarian assistance efforts.

4) They participated in Operation Aman during the IPKF operations in Sri Lanka and Operation Tasha, a joint venture with the Indian Coast Guard to curb smuggling and illegal immigration.

5) They also provided critical relief in the aftermath of the 1997 cyclone in Sri Lanka and the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.

What is amphibian operation?

1) Amphibious operations are characterized by attacks launched from the sea by naval and landing forces against hostile shores.

2) The primary approach is the amphibious assault, utilized to initiate land-based combat operations, seize strategic naval or air bases, or deny the enemy use of a specific site or area.

UPSC syllabus: Internal security