Indian Navy Saves Its Massively Damaged Guided Missile Frigate Betwa

New Delhi (Sputnik) — India has saved its most spirited ship that tipped over at a Mumbai dockyard last December. Defense sources say that INS Betwa, a guided missile frigate, is back on even keel. The Indian Navy hopes that the ship will be operational by 2018. The Indian Navy has spent approximately three million dollar in the process. Winner of the Indian Navy's "most spirited ship" award for the year 2016 had tipped over on December 5 during undocking evolution and it was suspected that the dock-block mechanism had failed. The accident had left two sailors dead and 14 injured.

"The ship was made upright on Tuesday night and is now floating on even keel. The condition is good. There is some water inside which is being pumped out," Navy Spokesperson Capt DK Sharma said. The ship would now be moved to a nearby dock either Hughes or Duncan.

US-based Resolve Marine Group had been contracted by the Indian Navy to bring the ship to level position as it lacked crane big enough to lift the big ship. Resolve Marine Group had also salvaged the Indian Navy submarine Sindhurakshak that sank in the Mumbai Naval Dockyard on August 14, 2013. However, the submarine has not been able to perform its operations at full capability till date.

The 126.5-meter highly-prized 3,850-ton guided missile frigate Betwa had been commissioned in 2004. INS Betwa can sail with a speed of 27 knots and is armed with anti-ship and surface-to-air missiles and torpedoes.