INS Jalashwa

INS Jalashwa (L41) is an amphibious transport dock currently in service with the Indian Navy. Formerly the USS|Trenton|LPD-14|6, it was procured by India for USD 48 million. It entered service in 2007, becoming the second largest ship of the Indian Navy (after the Aircraft Carrier INS "Viraat"). INS "Jalashwa" joined the Eastern Fleet (under the Eastern Naval Command) of the Indian Navy upon its arrival at Visakhapatnam naval base on 12th September 2007.

The need for increased amphibious landing capability was felt by the Indian Navy in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, when rescue and humanitarian efforts by th Navy were hampered due to inadequacy of amphibious ships. In early 2006, there were numerous press reportsFact|date=March 2008 that the Indian Navy was negotiating with the United States for the purchase of this vessel. These reports later turned out to be true when the Indian government announced it would purchase retired Austin class LPD USS|Trenton|LPD-14|6 for Rs 2.18 billion ($ 48.44 million). The US Government later revealed it had asked their Indian counterparts to keep this agreement under wraps as they felt it would alarm Non-Proliferation Activists and threaten the passage of the Indo-US Nuclear Deal. [cite news
url = http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1049265
date = 2006-08-25
title = India to buy $50 million ship from US
accessdate = 2007-01-05
publisher = DNA India]

The Indian Navy took possession of the ship on 17 January 2007 in Norfolk, Virginia after signing the transfer agreement by Commodore P. Murugesan, Naval Attaché, Embassy of India, Washington DC and the Rear Admiral Garry E. Hall of US Navy. [cite news
url = http://www.news.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=27342
date = 2007-01-18
title = U.S. Navy Decoms Trenton, Transfers to Indian Navy
accessdate = 2007-01-17
publisher = U.S Navy] . The Indian Navy has renamed the USS "Trenton" as the INS "Jalashwa" (river horse, or hippopotamus) and plans to keep it at Norfolk Naval Base for refitting until May 2007. [cite news
url = http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Navy_takes_charge_of_US_ship_Trenton/articleshow/1262037.cms
date = 2007-01-18
title = Indian Navy takes charge of US ship Trenton
accessdate = 2007-01-18
publisher = Times of India] Six UH-3 Sea King maritime utility transport helicopters, bought for $39 million [ [http://www.topnews.in/accidental-fire-killed-five-injured-several-ins-jalashwa-218004 Accidental Fire Killed Five, Injured Several On INS Jalashwa] ] will be operated from the ship. [cite news
url = http://www.shephard.co.uk/Rotorhub/IndustryNews.aspx?Action=745115149&ID=8e93afed-527d-474c-9312-cda24fba63ed
date =
title = Indian navy buys six former US Navy Sea King helicopters
accessdate = 2007-01-05
publisher = Rotorhub] Sea Harrier aircraft can be operated from the deck of the ship. [ [http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=31220 INS Jalashwa Joins the Eastern Fleet] ] The ship is based at Visakhapatnam under the Eastern Naval Command. Captain BS Ahluwalia is the commissioning Commanded Officer. The ship was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 22 June 2007 at the Naval Station Norfolk, in United States. The ship was commissioned by Indian Ambassador to the United States Shri Ronan Sen. This is the first and only transfer of Naval ship from the United States to India.

The sister ship USS|Nashville|LPD-13 was also offered to India. [ [http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/India_US_likely_to_ink_military_logistics_support_agreement/articleshow/2203609.cms India, US likely to ink military logistics support agreement] ]

Accident

On February 1 2008, five Indian Navy personnel were killed, and three others critically injured due to inhaling poisonous hydrogen sulphide (H2S) gas aboard INS Jalashwa. The mishap occurred during an exercise in the Bay of Bengal, between Vishakapatnam and the Andaman Islands. [Hindustan Times, 1 February 2008, " [http://www.hindustantimes.com/storypage/storypage.aspx?id=9fe0bba0-6efe-4fd0-9510-178d639cd1f4&MatchID1=4662&TeamID1=5&TeamID2=2&MatchType1=1&SeriesID1=1173&PrimaryID=4662&Headline=5+killed+in+accident+on+INS+Jalashwa Five die in accident on troop carrier INS Jalashwa] ". IANS report.] [ [http://www.kalingatimes.com/national_news/news1/20080202-INS-Jalashwa.htm Poison gas caused five to die on troop carrier INS Jalashwa.] ] The ship headed to Port Blair, where the injured were provided medical treatment. The critically injured seamen, including Lt. Cdr. Shwet Gupta and Lt. Ruchir Prasad had to be airlifted at sea. Lt. Cdr. Shwet Gupta, an alumnus of Chail Military School, passed away on 9 February 2008 at R&R hospital, Delhi, bringing the total number killed in the incident to 6. [ [http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=30207 Indian Navy Commissions INS Jalashwa at Naval Station Norfolk] ]

References

External links

* [http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/USS_Trenton_becomes_INS_Jalashva/articleshow/1287538.cms USS Trenton becomes INS Jalashva]
* [http://www.ricsiec.org/pictures/main.php?g2_itemId=207 INS Jalashva Commissioning Ceremony Pictures]