'INS Astravahini', an
indigenously built Torpedo launch and recovery vessel (TLRV), was
decommissioned here on Thursday after almost 31 years in service.The vessel was
decommissioned at a ceremony presided over by Commodore K A Bopanna, Naval
Officer-in-Charge (Andhra Pradesh Division) at the Ship Building Centre. The
vessel had immensely contributed in the trials of indigenous torpedoes developed
by Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL An auxiliary vessel of TLRV
class, the ship was commissioned on November 5, 1984 at Visakhapatnam, the
headquarters of Eastern Naval Command. It was only one of its class and was
extensively used by the NSTL as a test platform to launch and recover
experimental torpedoes for their induction into the Indian Navy. In her long
service the ship had enhanced and played important role in indigenous torpedo
induction. The only one of its class, the ship was extensively used by NSTL as
a test platform to launch and recover experimental torpedoes prior to their
induction into the Navy.
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