INS Jalashwa | UPSC

HEADLINES:

Operation Samudra Setu – INS Jalashwa Arrives at Tuticorin with Indian Citizens Embarked from Sri Lanka

WHY IN NEWS:

INS Jalashwa, deployed by the Indian Navy for “Operation Samudra Setu”, entered Tuticorin harbour on 02 June 2020 with 685 Indian nationals evacuated from Colombo, Sri Lanka.

MINISTRY? :-Ministry of Defence

SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3:Defence : INS Jalashwa

LEARNING:

For PRELIMS we have gathered all the important facts and specifications relevant to INS Jalashwa

ISSUE:

Embarkation of Indian nationals was facilitated by the Indian Mission in Sri Lanka.

INS Jalashwa would now be proceeding to Maldives for repatriation of approximate 700 Indian nationals as of 05 June 2020.

INS JALASHWA SPECIFICATIONS :

NAMING

INS Jalashwa (Sanskrit/Hindi: Hippopotamus) is an amphibious transport dock currently in service with the Indian Navy.

COMMISSIONING

Formerly USS Trenton, she was procured from the United States by India for a total of US$90 million in 2005.
She was commissioned on 22 June 2007.

COMMAND

INS Jalashwa is the only Indian naval ship to be acquired from the United States.

She is based in Visakhapatnam under the Eastern Naval Command.

FEATURES

Jalashwa features a well deck, which can house up to four LCM-8 mechanised landing craft that can be launched by flooding the well deck and lowering the hinged gate aft of the ship.
She also has a flight deck for helicopter operations from which up to six medium helicopters can operate simultaneously.

The deck can also be used to operate vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft like the Sea Harrier, in special circumstances.

She is also capable of embarking over 1,000 troops.
The ship is fully equipped with extensive medical facilities including four operation theatres, a 12-bed ward, a laboratory and a dental centre.

IASbhai WINDUP:

BACKGROUND

She was laid down at Seattle, Washington on 08 August 1966 by the Lockheed Shipbuilding & Construction Company.
She was launched on 03 August 1968 and was commissioned on 06 March 1971.
After nearly 36 years of service with the US Navy, she was transferred to the Indian Navy on 17 January 2007 and was commissioned on 22 June 2007.

SUGGESTED READING : http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/NAVY/Ships/Active/167-ins-jalashwa.html

SOURCES:THE HINDU & PIB | INS Jalashwa UPSC |INS Jalashwa UPSC

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