The ''Sukanya''-class patrol vessels are large, offshore patrol craft in active service with the
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the maritime branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy. As a blue-water navy, it operates sig ...
. Three lead ships were built by Korea Tacoma, now part of
Hanjin Group
The Hanjin Group () is a South Korean chaebol. The group has various industries covered from transportation and airlines to hotels, tourism, and airport businesses, and one of the largest chaebols in Korea. The group includes Korean Air (KAL), ...
. Vessels of the ''Sukanya'' class are named after notable women from Indian epics.
Description
The ''Sukanya'' class have large hulls, although they are lightly armed since they are utilized primarily for offshore patrol of India's
exclusive economic zone. However, they are capable of being heavily armed and upgraded to light frigates should the need arise. Two vessels of the class, and have been used as test beds for installation of the
Dhanush ship-based ballistic missile launch system. This includes the stabilization platform for enabling the ships to launch the missiles in stormy conditions.
was sold to
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
and renamed . She was the former
flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the fi ...
of the
Sri Lanka Navy and obtained several remarkable naval victories against the naval branch (
Sea Tigers) of the
Tamil Tiger
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE; ta, தமிழீழ விடுதலைப் புலிகள், translit=Tamiḻīḻa viṭutalaip pulikaḷ, si, දෙමළ ඊළාම් විමුක්ති කොටි, t ...
rebels.
Ships of the class
Operators
*- Total 7 ships constructed in this class. One ship sold to Sri Lanka navy. 6 ships remain in active service.
* – 1 ship purchased from Indian navy.
See also
*
List of active Indian Navy ships
*
List of Sri Lanka Navy equipment
Ships
The Sri Lankan Naval fleet consists of around fifty combat vessels, support ships and inshore patrol craft. This is a list of the current Sri Lankan Navy ships as of 2022:
Equipment
;Shipboard weapon systems
* Gabriel anti-ship ...
References
{{Ship classes of the Indian Navy
Patrol ship classes