INS Airavat | Indian Army | Indian Air Force | Indian Aviation Core | Indian Defence Forces
INS Airavat is the third Shardul-class amphibious warfare vessel of the Indian Navy . INS Airavat was built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers in Kolkata at Yard 3016. She began sea trials in July 2008 after completing basin trials in May. She was commissioned at the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam on 19 May 2009, by the Chief of Naval Staff , Admiral Suresh Mehta. She is named for the mount of god Indra, the elephant Airavata, as mentioned in the Rigveda. Safety features aboard the Airavat include an anti-roll flume stabilization system, smoke curtains to impede spreading of smoke and toxic gases in case of fire, as well as battle damage control systems. Fully loaded, she can operate independently at high seas for up to 45 days. While primarily designed for amphibious assault operations, Airavat's missions also include humanitarian assistance & disaster relief (HADR) during natural disasters, including tsunamis, cyclones and earthquakes. She has a fully fu...