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Visit of Indian Naval Ship (INS) Jalashwa, a Landing Platform Dock of the Indian Navy, to ferry the COVID-19 relief material (600 medical oxygen cylinders) to India donated by the Indian community in Brunei Darussala

Posted on: May 12, 2021 | Back | Print

HIGH COMMISSION OF INDIA, BRUNEI DARUSSALAM
P.O. BOX 439, LAPANGAN TERBANG LAMA
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN BB 2339685
Telephone: 2339947 / 2339685
Fax: 2339783
E-mail: hoc.brunei@mea.gov.in
Website: www.hcindiabrunei.gov.in

 

Press Release

Visit of Indian Naval Ship (INS) Jalashwa, a Landing Platform Dock of the Indian Navy, to ferry the COVID-19 relief material (600 medical oxygen cylinders) to India
donated by the Indian community in Brunei Darussalam

INS Jalashwa (Sanskrit/Hindi: Hippopotamus, जलाश्व) is an amphibious transport dock currently in service with the Indian Navy. Formerly USS Trenton, INS Jalashwa along with six Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King helicopters were procured from the United States by India in 2005. She was commissioned on 22 June 2007. INS Jalashwa is the only Indian naval ship to be acquired from the United States. It is based in Visakhapatnam under the Eastern Naval Command. The ship was commissioned as INS Jalashwa on 22 June 2007, at Norfolk.

The need for better amphibious landing capability was felt in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, when the Navy's rescue and humanitarian efforts were hampered by inadequacy of existing amphibious ships in its fleet. In 2006, the Indian government announced it would purchase the US Navy's retired Austin-class landing platform dock USS Trenton. 

Jalashwa features a well deck, which can house up to four LCM-8 mechanised landing craft that can be launched by flooding the well deck and lowering the hinged gate aft of the ship. She also has a flight deck for helicopter operations from which up to six medium helicopters can operate simultaneously. The deck can also be used to operate vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft like the Sea Harrier, in special circumstances. She is also capable of embarking over 1,000 troops, and is fully equipped with extensive medical facilities including four operation theatres, a 12-bed ward, a laboratory and a dental centre.

With a displacement of 16,400 tonnes and 179 meters length, she is the Indian Navy’s second largest warship.    

In view of the COVID-19 pandemic in India, ships from all three Naval Commands in Mumbai, Visakhapatnam and Kochi have been deployed for shipment of liquid medical oxygen and associated medical equipment from friendly foreign countries in the Persian Gulf and southeast Asia. Earlier, INS Jalashwa was deployed by Indian navy for evacuation of Indians from Maldives and Sri Lanka on a number of occasions as part of Operation Samudra Setu.

Recently, as part of Mission Sagar - IV, Indian Naval Ship Jalashwa arrived at Port Ehoala, Madagascar on 22 March 2021 to deliver a consignment of 1,000 Metric Tonne of rice and 100,000 Hydroxychloroquine tablets in response to an appeal made by Madagascar for assistance to deal with natural calamities.

INS Jalashwa arrived at Muara Port yesterday as part of Operation Samudra Setu-II to  to ferry liquid medical oxygen and other Covid-related items from friendly foreign countries in the Persian Gulf and South-East Asia including Brunei.

On the occasion of loading of the relief material on the INS Jalashwa at the Muara Port this morning, High Commissioner HE Ajaneesh Kumar said “I am happy at the initiative taken by the Indian community in Brunei under the patronage of High Commission, to join hands and provide relief to their fellow countryman back home in India, to enable them cope up with the deadly surge of COVID cases after the second wave, since last month. You would be happy to learn that Indian community is sending 600 Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) cylinders to India to help strengthen India’s fight with COVID-19 pandemic”.

He further mentioned: “I will also take this opportunity to personally thank the government of His majesty Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan and Yang di-Pertuan of Brunei  for lending their support and according expeditious clearances to INS Jalashwa, as a result of which today we are able to ship the medical supplies to India”.

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Brunei Darussalam,  11 May 2021