Navy inducts auxiliary craft Pradayak

KOCHI: The Navy today inducted an auxiliary craft, ' Pradayak', capable of carrying 400 tonnes of fuel and 100 tonnes of aviation fuel.

'Pradayak', part of the fleet of auxiliaries of the Naval ship repair yard here, can also carry 50 tonnes each of provisions and fresh water.

The vessel is named after a ship which was decommissioned in 2007.

Rear Admiral S Madhusudanan, Superintendent of Naval Ship Repair Yard (NSRY), who was the chief guest at the induction ceremony, expressed optimism that the barge would enable faster turnaround of warships at Kochi.

He complimented the The Shalimar World Limited of Howrah, a 125 year-old company and presently wholly owned by the West Bengal government, for delivering the vessel in seven months, a defence press release said.

Somdev Chatterjee, managing director of Shalimar Shipyard said, executing projects for the Indian Navy was a matter of great pride.

Three more auxiliaries - a tug, a ferry craft and a fuel barge - are scheduled to join the Naval yard in the near future, the release added.