INS Sumedha rescues stranded vessel near the Somali coast

New Delhi: INS Sumedha, assigned to carry out Anti Piracy Patrol in the Gulf of Aden, rescued the crew of 'dhow' Al-Hamid that had 13 Indians on board on Monday. An Indian Navy helicopter launched from the deck of INS Sumedha assessed the situation first and found that the wooden vessel was drifting near the coast of Somalia. A dhow is a traditional vessel that is made up of wood.

Sumedha to the rescue

A boarding team along with a naval technical team reached the vessel and found that Al-Hamid had suffered a broken main engine shaft, which was not be repaired at sea. The wooden vessel was then towed to safety away from the Somali coast infamous for its notorious pirates.

"Sumedha is the third ship of the indigenous Naval Offshore Patrol Vessel (NOPV) Project to be inducted into the Indian Navy. The ship has been designed and built by Goa Shipyard Limited"

"Meanwhile, the owner of the dhow Al-Hamid has sent another vessel for towing the dhow to port for repairs. Before departure, Indian Naval Ship Sumedha provided fresh water and medical supplies to the crew of the dhow," said an official release.

INS Sumedha's indigenous design

Sumedha is the third ship of the indigenous Naval Offshore Patrol Vessel (NOPV) Project to be inducted into the Indian Navy. The ship has been designed and built by Goa Shipyard Limited. The design of the ship aptly demonstrates the immense potential of the country's indigenous design and shipbuilding capability.

The ship is propelled by two diesel engines which are the largest engines of their type to be inducted in the Indian Navy; enabling the ship to achieve high speeds. The entire propulsion and power management of the ship are controlled electronically by means of a remote control system which also incorporates the 'Automatic Power Management System'. The ship is equipped with a fully integrated LAN system onboard along with a CCTV management system ensuring optimal utilization of onboard equipment.