Mumbai: Indian Navy's coastal defence capabilities have been bolstered with the commissioning of Israel- built fastest ship in its fleet at an impressive ceremony on October 9.

Indian Naval Fast Attack Craft (INFAC T-82), built by Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI), was commissioned by the Flag Officer Commanding in Chief Western Naval Command Vice Admiral Arun Prakash at Naval Dockyard in South Mumbai.

"With the commissioning of this craft, Indian Navy's offensive and defensive capabilities at offshore and inshore areas will receive a big boost," Prakash said on the occasion.

Explaining the features of the small craft, enduring a speed of 40 knots for 550 miles, Prakash said the vessel's night vision device could target adversary from two kms inshore.

The craft, whose motto is "Stealth and Strike", can be used in counter insurgency, anti-smuggling, search and rescue operations too.

"Keeping in view the present security scenario, two stealth frigates INS Talwar and INS Trishul were inducted recently and with the commissioning of this fastest craft, the youngest combatant of the Navy, we have got the necessary punch," the Vice Admiral said.

Indian Navy, which inducted two fast attack crafts in 1998, is indigenously building two more at Goa shipyard. "Five fast attack crafts and more to come in future," he said.

IAI general manager Nathan Galili, who was present on the occasion, said the craft was built hurriedly by the company to hand it over to Indian Navy at an earlier date.

PTI