The Indian Navy has commissioned the new indigenous WaterJet fast attack craft (FAC), INS Kalpeni, at the Southern Naval Command.

INS Kalpeni, propelled by three powerful water jets, can cruise at speeds in excess of 35kt and will bolster the navy’s capabilities in coastal surveillance, search and destruction of fast-moving targets.

The ship is armed with a 30mm CRN-91 gun with an optronic pedestal sight in addition to 11 machine guns of various types and shoulder-fired IGLA surface-to-air missiles (SAM) to thwart aerial threats.

INS Kalpeni is the seventh of ten new-generation Car Nicobar Class FACs designed and built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, according to the Hindu.

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