Kochi: Indian Naval Ship (INS) Investigator (J 15) will now be based at Kochi.
According to Southern Naval Command (SNC) officials, INS Investigator, a hydrographic survey ship, is back after completing a six-year stint with the Andaman and Nicobar Command.
On her return, she will be now placed under the Flag Officer-Commanding-in-Chief, SNC and re-based at Kochi.
It was a majestic view on Wednesday, when INS Investigator entered the Kochi Canal. She was welcomed by Rear Admiral R J Nadkarni, Chief of Staff, SNC at South Jetty.
Commanded by Commander R Abdul Rahiman, the ship has 20 officers and 200 sailors as part of the crew.
The INS Investigator is the fourth ship in the Sandhayak class and is capable of preparing marine charts and electronic maps for the Electronic Chart Display and Information System.
Commissioned into the Indian Navy January 11, 1990, the 1900-tonne ship is built at Garden Reach Ship Builders, Calcutta. It is fitted with the state-of-the-art survey equipment, including a Deep Sea Multibeam Echosounder, Single Beam Echosounders, Side Scan Sonars and modern survey software suites.
While on missions, INS Investigator carries four 9.2 meter Survey Motor Boats (SMBs) for undertaking survey in shallow waters.
“The ship also has an integral Chetak helicopter for supporting survey operations. Her primary role is to undertake hydrographic surveys for the production of navigation charts. In her secondary role, the ship can be converted into a 40-bed hospital ship during war or other contingencies,” says an SNC Spokesperson.
It has an operating theater to undertake medical emergencies during her missions. With her and her predecessors having a surveying history of about three centuries, INS Investigator is popularly called as the ‘The Legend.’
Navy says INS Investigator is the sixth in the history of Indian Hydrography to carry this illustrious name. In the last 29 years, she has carried out numerous hydrographic surveys in Indian as well as in foreign waters.
Powered by two diesel engines, the ship is fitted with a gun for self defence.
