uss trenton
September 5, 2007
From: Mrityunjay Bose
Huge warship Trenton sails in today
MUMBAI: A giant-sized US-origin amphibious ship INS Jalashva – earlier USS Trenton – arrives in this island city quietly today adding to the blue-water capabilities of the Indian Navy. Jalashva in Sanskrit means sea horse – and the huge amphibious transport dock displaces nearly 16,500-tonnes and possess multiple capabilities.
She touches Mumbai, the homeport to Western Naval Command (WNC) ships and submarines, in the next few days; she would sail for the Vishakhapatnam, headquarters of Eastern Naval Command (ENC).
"INS Jalashva is arriving on September 6, however, it would be a very low-key event, in view of the controversies involving the ongoing Indo-US naval exercises," a senior official of the WNC, the sword arm of the Indian Navy, told 'The Herald', on the eve of her arrival to this island city.
"We are not planning any grand event – because of the present circumstances," the officer said, however, said that senior officials of the WNC would receive the ship off the Mumbai harbour as she sails into the Indian waters. "This is for the first time a US ship had been transferred to the Indian Navy," the official said.
The Leftist allies of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh are protesting against the multilateral exercises (which include India and United States) – taking forward the protests against the proposed civilian nuclear deal between the two countries. The exercises are being held in Bay of Bengal.
Also it is now clear that it would not be home-ported in Mumbai or INS Kadamba, the new state-of-the-art base at Karwar. "Instead of the western sea-board which overlooks the Arabian Sea, she would be based in Vizag because of the growing importance of Bay of Bengal," the officer said.
The Indian Navy took possession of the ship on January 17 last in Norfol, Virginia after signing the transfer agreement by Commodore P Murugesan, Naval Attache, Embassy of India, Washington DC and the Rear Admiral Garry E Hall of US Navy. The ship was commissioned by Indian Ambassador to United States Ronen Sen, into the Indian Navy on June 22 at the Naval Station Norfolk.
INS Jalashva, the Austin-class landing platform, now becomes the second largest ship in the Indian Navy after INS Viraat, the 24,000-tonne aircraft carrier. Besides the ship, the Navy would also get US-origin 4H-53 helicopters. The 35-year-old is a vital element of sea control. It can carry nearly 1,400 marines besides its own complement of over 450. Six H-3 Sea King maritime utility transport helicopters will be operated from the ship.
(This report was first published in The Maharashtra Herald, Pune)
From: Mrityunjay Bose
Huge warship Trenton sails in today
MUMBAI: A giant-sized US-origin amphibious ship INS Jalashva – earlier USS Trenton – arrives in this island city quietly today adding to the blue-water capabilities of the Indian Navy. Jalashva in Sanskrit means sea horse – and the huge amphibious transport dock displaces nearly 16,500-tonnes and possess multiple capabilities.
She touches Mumbai, the homeport to Western Naval Command (WNC) ships and submarines, in the next few days; she would sail for the Vishakhapatnam, headquarters of Eastern Naval Command (ENC).
"INS Jalashva is arriving on September 6, however, it would be a very low-key event, in view of the controversies involving the ongoing Indo-US naval exercises," a senior official of the WNC, the sword arm of the Indian Navy, told 'The Herald', on the eve of her arrival to this island city.
"We are not planning any grand event – because of the present circumstances," the officer said, however, said that senior officials of the WNC would receive the ship off the Mumbai harbour as she sails into the Indian waters. "This is for the first time a US ship had been transferred to the Indian Navy," the official said.
The Leftist allies of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh are protesting against the multilateral exercises (which include India and United States) – taking forward the protests against the proposed civilian nuclear deal between the two countries. The exercises are being held in Bay of Bengal.
Also it is now clear that it would not be home-ported in Mumbai or INS Kadamba, the new state-of-the-art base at Karwar. "Instead of the western sea-board which overlooks the Arabian Sea, she would be based in Vizag because of the growing importance of Bay of Bengal," the officer said.
The Indian Navy took possession of the ship on January 17 last in Norfol, Virginia after signing the transfer agreement by Commodore P Murugesan, Naval Attache, Embassy of India, Washington DC and the Rear Admiral Garry E Hall of US Navy. The ship was commissioned by Indian Ambassador to United States Ronen Sen, into the Indian Navy on June 22 at the Naval Station Norfolk.
INS Jalashva, the Austin-class landing platform, now becomes the second largest ship in the Indian Navy after INS Viraat, the 24,000-tonne aircraft carrier. Besides the ship, the Navy would also get US-origin 4H-53 helicopters. The 35-year-old is a vital element of sea control. It can carry nearly 1,400 marines besides its own complement of over 450. Six H-3 Sea King maritime utility transport helicopters will be operated from the ship.
(This report was first published in The Maharashtra Herald, Pune)
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