The three ships - the battle-ship INS Rajput and missile corvettes INS Kirpan and INS Kulish - arrived on Friday on one of the regular visits by India's Eastern Fleet.

While Indian ships pay regular visits, often to the west coast of the country due to its proximity, it is the first time that a destroyer in the Kashin II Class Guided Missile Destroyer category has arrived in Bangkok.

Prior to their arrival, INS Rajput, Kirpan and Kulish were in Danang, Vietnam.

"We are pleased, honoured and proud to be here," said Rear Admiral DK Joshi, Flag Officer Commanding of India's Eastern Fleet.

"The relationship between the Royal Thai Navy and the Indian Navy has been growing constantly over the years," he said, adding that last year in May the two signed an agreement on coordinated maritime patrols.

They conducted their first joint patrol in September.

Being the pride of the Indian Navy, the Russian- designed INS Rajput was commissioned on May 4, 1980.

Serving the country for more than 26 years, the battleship has been deployed on count-

less missions all over the world, said Commander Captain AK Mahadeven.

Bearing the same name as a battleship that sunk a Pakistani submarine in 1971 but which is now out of service, the new INS Rajput has never been to "war".

However, it has engaged in several tense situations as well as training exercises, said Mahadeven.

However, there will be no joint exercise with the Thai Navy during this visit.

Besides being combat-ready, INS Rajput is also capable of providing humanitarian assistance, said Joshi. It was involved in the tsunami relief assistance last year. Last month when the earthquake hit Java, INS Rajput was the first warship of any nation to arrive in Indonesia and provide relief supplies to the victims, he said.

"We also left behind two complete medical teams to continue working there until last Thursday," he added.

Measuring 146.2-metres long and almost 30-metres high, INS Rajput is in the third-largest category of ships that the Indian Navy possesses. It has eight storeys in total, four of which are above water.

The ship is powered by four high-performance gas turbines, and can achieve a speed of 30 knots.

When deployed on a mission, INS Rajput carries some 130 tonnes of fresh water. The reverse-osmosis water plant on the ship is capable of generating up to 20 tonnes of fresh water from the sea, said Mahadeven.

"Personal consumption and machinery need about 22 to 25 tonnes of water per day. So we can last for 10 to 12 days without replenishment," he said.

INS Rajput also carries fresh and dried foods that can easily feed the entire 400-man crew for up to two weeks, he added.

Visitors are more than welcome on board, said Mahadeven. They can walk from the stem to the stern of all three ships. Once they reach the ship, they will be coordinated into groups led by officials.

At each station there will also be other officials explaining and answering questions, said Joshi.

The highlight of a visit is probably the "BrahMos" long-range missiles, which were jointly developed by India and Russia.

"It is one of a kind, and only INS Rajput is equipped with this technology," said Mahadeven.

Travelling at twice the speed of sound, BrahMos missiles can either sink another battleship or attack targets on land, he said.

INS Rajput carries four such missiles.

The radar sensor on board also has a very high capability with coverage of 25 kilometres, said Lieutenant Sandip Saha.

The battleship also has one Kamov 28 helicopter, torpedoes, and a mid-range gun on board.

Sopaporn Kurz

The Nation