Car Nicobar - class patrol vessel The " Car Nicobar " class of high - speed offshore patrol vessels are built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers ( GRSE ) for the Indian Navy . The vessels are designed as a cost - effective platform for patrol , anti - piracy and rescue operations in India ' s Exclusive Economic Zone . The class and its vessels are named for Indian islands . They are the first water jet propelled vessels of the Indian Navy . Design . The " Car Nicobar " class vessels were designed and built by GRSE . Production of the class was fast - tracked after the 2008 Mumbai attacks . The vessels feature improved habitability with fully air - conditioned modular accommodation , on board reverse osmosis plant for desalination , and a sewage treatment plant . The vessels are each powered by three HamiltonJet HM811 water jets , coupled with MTU 16V 4000 M90 engines , delivering a combined 8160 KW of power . An aluminium super - structure reduces weight and is designed to reduce radar cross - section . As patrol vessels , they are lightly armed . They carry various sensors , including the Furuno navigation radar and sonar . Armament on board includes a 30mm CRN - 91 automatic cannon with an electronic day - night fire control system of Ordnance Factory Board ( OFB ) and Bharat Electronics Limited ( BEL ) origin . The vessels also mount two 12 . 7mm heavy machine gun s ( HMG ) and multiple medium machine guns , besides carrying shoulder - launched Igla surface - to - air missile s to combat aerial threats . The first two vessels commissioned were initially restricted to speeds up to due to deficiency in the gearboxes , which was later rectified by KPCL . INS " Kabra " the eighth in the class has a top speed of more than . The improved manoeuvrability and speed allows these vessels to have high - speed interdiction of fast - moving targets . Operations . INS " Car Nicobar " and INS " Chetlat " are based in Chennai under India ' s Eastern Naval Command . INS " Cankarso " and INS " Kondul " are based in Goa under the Western Naval Command . INS " Kalpeni " is based in Kochi under the Southern Naval Command . Operation Island Watch . In January 2011 , as a part of " Operation Island Watch " , " INS Cankarso " and " INS Kalpeni " were deployed on anti - piracy patrol to the west of the Lakshadweep archipelago . On 28 January , " Cankarso " responded to a " Mayday " call from a container ship . Upon reaching the site , she saw Somali pirate skiff s being hoisted aboard a hijacked Thai fishing trawler , " Prantalay 14 " , which was being used as a pirate mother ship . " INS Cankarso " ordered the pirated ship to stop for inspection . The pirates on board fired on " Cankarso " as they tried to flee west towards Somalia . " Cankarso " returned the fire , which hit some of the fuel drums stored on " Prantalay 14 " ' s deck for refuelling the skiffs . The mother ship was set ablaze and sank , even as " Kalpeni " and an Indian Coast Guard patrol vessel , " ICGS Sankalp " , reached the site . 15 pirates were arrested , and the 20 crew of the fishing trawler were all rescued unharmed . In another operation on 13 March 2011 , an Indian Navy patrol aircraft spotted the Mozambique - registered fishing vessel , " Vega 5 " , when responding to a merchant ship reporting a pirate attack . Beira - based " Vega 5 " , owned by Spanish company Pescamar Lda , had been captured on 27 December 2010 by pirates who were demanding USD 1 . 8 million in ransom . " INS Kalpeni " intercepted the pirated ship about off Kochi on India ' s west coast . A fire broke out on the vessel when " Kalpeni " returned fired after being fired upon by the pirates . 61 pirates were rescued and arrested after they jumped into the Arabian Sea to escape the fire . The crew of " Kalpeni " put out the fire on board the " Vega 5 " , rescued her 13 crew members and escorted her to Mumbai . Rocket - propelled grenade s and over 80 assault rifle s were recovered from the pirates .