Kochi, Jun 8 (PTI) India's latest warship 'INS Kabra' was today commissioned at Naval Base here by Vice Admiral K N Sushil, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command.

Speaking on the occasion, the Vice Admiral stressed the importance of relatively smaller ships like Fast Attack Crafts for a blue water navy, pointing that these were essential inventory for low intensity conflicts and anti-piracy operations.

The ship is named after an island in Andaman and Nicobar archipelago.

Rear Admiral K C Shekhar, Chairman and Managing Director, Garden Reach Ship Builders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, said INS Kabra was a cost effective and fuel efficient platform.

INS Kabra is the eighth of a series built at GRSE.

With a top speed of over 35 knots and manoeuvrability offered by her water-jet propulsion, the ship was ideally suited for high-speed interdiction of fast-moving targets and useful in search and rescue operations, he said.