INS Kulish (P63)

INS Kulish (P63) during Exercise Malabar 2012
History
Name:	INS Kulish
Builder:	Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers
Laid down:	4 October 1995
Launched:	19 August 1997
Commissioned:	20 August 2001
Identification:	Pennant number: P63
Status:	in active service
Badge:
General characteristics
Class and type:	Kora-class corvette
Displacement:	1,400 tons full load
Length:	91.1 m (299 ft)
Beam:	10.5 m (34 ft)
Draught:	4.5 m (15 ft)
Propulsion:	2 diesel motors with 14,400 hp 2 shafts
Speed:	25 knots (46 km/h)
Range:	4,000 mi (6,400 km) at 16 knots (30 km/h)
Complement:	134 (incl 14 officers)
Sensors and processing systems:	1 × MR 352 Pozitiv-E radar Bharat 1245 navigation radar Bharat Vympel IPN-10 combat data system
Armament:	16 × Kh-35 Uran-E SSM 2 × Strela-2M (SA-N-5) SAM 1 × 76.2mm AK–176M gun 2 × 30mm AK-630 guns
Aircraft carried:	1 HAL Chetak or HAL Dhruv helicopter

INS Kulish is a Kora-class corvette, currently in active service with the Indian Navy. She was ordered in October 1994 and was laid in October 1995. She was launched in August 1997 and was commissioned on 20 August 2001.

Kulish is the third of the four Kora-class corvettes designed under Project25A. She is armed with the P-15 Termit anti-ship missiles and Strela-2 anti-air missiles.

The word Kulish is of sanskrit origin and translates to thunderbolt. It is the name of a mythological weapon of Lord Indra.

INS Kulish is primarily designed as a surface combatant. It is armed with four quad launchers for sixteen Kh-35 Uran-E anti-ship missiles with a range of 130km. The anti-air defence is provided by two mobile shoulder based Strela-2 SAM systems. It is fitted with a Otobreda 76mm main gun while two AK-630 30mm guns act as CIWS. In addition, the ship carries one HAL Chetak or HAL Dhruv helicopter.

The Naval Design Bureau under Project 25A designed the Kora-class corvettes. INS Kulish along with INS Karmuk were ordered in October 1994 by the Indian Navy. Her keel was laid in October 1995 and she was launched in August 1997 before being commissioned on 20 August 2001 by the then Governor of West Bengal, Viren J. Shah at Kolkata.

During the commissioning ceremony, the Governor of West Bengal stressed the need for development of indigenous defence equipment.The Flag Officer Commander-in-Chief of the navy's Eastern Naval Command John C. DeSilva said "INS Kulish, suited for picket duties, would act as an effective sentinel in the Eastern Command in the Indian Maritime zone".