Project Seabird: INS Kadamba

Why in news ?

Recently, the Defence Minister visited the Karwar Naval Base in Karnataka to review the ongoing infrastructure development under Phase-II of ‘Project Seabird’.

About:

Project Seabird-Phase II:

• Project Seabird involves construction of a naval base over an area of 11,169 acres.
• Phase I comprised construction of a deep-sea harbour, breakwaters dredging, a township, a naval hospital, a dockyard uplift centre and a ship lift. It was completed in 2005.
• Phase-II of Project Seabird was cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Security in 2012. It envisages expanding facilities to house additional warships and set up a new Naval Air Station, among other plans.
• INS Kadamba is currently the third-largest Indian naval base, and is expected to become the largest naval base in the eastern hemisphere after completion of expansion Phase II.
• The Navy’s lone aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya is based at Karwar. The base also has the country’s first sealift facility, a unique “shiplift” and transfer system for docking and undocking ships and submarines.
• The project involves several technical and environmental challenges.