BNS Turag

Sister ship BNS Sangu
History
Bangladesh
NameTurag
NamesakeTurag River
BuilderHall, Russell & Company, Aberdeen
Yard number975
Launched1 June 1977
Acquired2004
Commissioned3 October 2004
HomeportKhulna
IdentificationPennant number: P 714
Statusin active service
General characteristics
Class and typeIsland-class patrol vessel
Displacement1,260 tons (full load)
Length59.5 m (195 ft)
Beam11 m (36 ft)
Draught4.5 m (15 ft)
Propulsion2 × Ruston 12RKC diesels; 5,640 hp (4,210 kW) sustained; 1 × shaft; cp prop
Speed16.5 knots (30.6 km/h)
Range7,000 nautical miles (13,000 km; 8,100 mi) at 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement39
Sensors and
processing systems
  • Surface Search and Navigation: Kelvin Hughes Type 1006 radar; I-band
  • Combat Data Systems: Racal CANE DEA-1 action data automation
Armament

BNS Turag is an Island-class offshore patrol vessel of the Bangladesh Navy. She has been serving in the Bangladesh Navy since 2004.

Construction and service

Built by Hall, Russell & Company, she was modelled on the ocean-going trawlers FPV Jura (1973) and FPV Westra (1974). She was launched on 1 June 1977.[1] She was commissioned to Royal Navy as HMS Lindisfarne (P300) on 3 March 1978.[2]

Royal Navy

On 27 March 1980, the Accommodation platform Alexander L. Kielland capsized in the Ekofisk oil field in the North Sea, killing 123. Lindisfarne took part in the search for survivors following the accident, steaming 180 miles to reach the site of the accident. Lindisfarne found no survivors, but helped to ferry bodies found by other search vessels to the main production rig.[3][4]

On 29 January 2004, she was sold to the Bangladesh Navy.[5]

Bangladesh

BNS Turag reached Mongla Naval Base in May 2004 after an 8,000 mile journey from the UK. The ship made brief stopovers at Tangier port in Morocco, Port Said in Egypt, Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, Port of Salalah in Oman and Port of Colombo in Sri Lanka as goodwill visits as well as to replenish rations, fuel and provisions.[6] The ship was commissioned on 3 October 2004[7] under the command of the Commodore Commanding Khulna (COMKHUL). About 100 personnel serve on board her.

BNS Turag took part in 7th International Maritime Defence Exhibition (IMDEX) Asia-2009 in Singapore and Weapon Multinational Exercise in South China Sea in May 2009. She also visited port of Penang, Malaysia in a goodwill visit.[8]

On 10 September 2018, fishing trawler Swadhin-3 sank near Mongla port after a collision with a commercial vessel. 12 fishermen were on board the fishing trawler. BNS Turag responded quickly to rescue 9 fishermen alive.[9]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Lindisfarne". Aberdeen Built Ships. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 20 February 2010.
  2. ^ Jeremy Olver. "Island Class Offshore Patrol Vessels". Royal Navy Postwar. Archived from the original on 25 March 2010. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
  3. ^ "Lindesfarne's saddest 36 hours". Navy News. May 1980. p. 40. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
  4. ^ Alexander L. Kielland accident (Report). OSTI 5308521.
  5. ^ "Farewell to the Island Class". Navy News. 29 January 2004. Archived from the original on 1 February 2004. Retrieved 21 February 2010.
  6. ^ "Two more BNS ships arrive at Mongla". The Daily Star. UNB. 6 May 2004. Archived from the original on 17 April 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  7. ^ "Modern ships to replace old ones". The Daily Star. UNB. 4 October 2004. Archived from the original on 27 October 2022. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  8. ^ "Navy ship Turag returns". The Daily Star. 28 May 2009. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  9. ^ "Trawler capsize in Bay of Bengal, 3 missing". UNB. 10 September 2018. Archived from the original on 15 October 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2019.

Bibliography

  • Richardson, Ian (February 2022). "Island Class Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV)". Marine News Supplement: Warships. 76 (2): S118–S124. ISSN 0966-6958.