SOURCE: AFI
The Indian Navy’s anti-submarine warfare (ASW) prowess receives a significant boost from two indigenously built corvettes – INS Kavaratti and INS Kiltan. But behind these “crowning jewels” lies a crucial piece of Swedish innovation: Saab’s advanced carbon fiber superstructure technology.
Saab’s expertise comes into play with the integration of a carbon fiber composite superstructure onto the vessels’ metallic main hulls.
This ingenious design offers a two-pronged benefit which is that Carbon fiber’s provides exceptional strength-to-weight ratio translates to a significant reduction in the corvettes’ overall weight. A lighter vessel translates to improved agility, maneuverability, and fuel efficiency – critical factors during combat operations.
Second being is that the inherent properties of carbon fiber make it less reflective to radar compared to traditional metallic structures. This translates to a lowered radar signature, making the INS Kavaratti and INS Kiltan more difficult to detect by enemy radar systems, enhancing their stealth capabilities.
By incorporating Saab’s carbon fiber technology, company claims INS Kavaratti and INS Kiltan come with improved agility, fuel efficiency, and stealth provided by the carbon fiber superstructures empower the corvettes to operate with greater tactical flexibility and remain undetected for extended periods.
Carbon fiber’s inherent corrosion resistance translates to lower lifecycle maintenance requirements for the superstructures, reducing operational costs over time.