Cam Ranh Bay

About Cam ranh bay:

• Location: Cam Ranh Bay is a deep-water bay located in Khánh Hòa Province, Vietnam, on the South China Sea.
• Size: It is approximately 20 miles (32 km) long from north to south and up to 10 miles (16 km) wide.
• Depth: The bay is up to 164 feet (50 m) deep, making it one of the deepest natural harbours in Southeast Asia.
• Facilities: The port has two main piers, one for general cargo and one for oil tankers. It also has a number of other facilities, including a repair yard, a fuel depot, and a container terminal.
• It is a major refuelling and repair station for ships in the South China Sea.
• Historical Significance:
  • During the colonial era, it was controlled by the Champa Kingdom and later became part of the Vietnamese territories.
  • In the 19th century, the French established a major military presence in the bay.
  • During the Vietnam War, Cam Ranh Bay gained significant importance as a strategic military base for both the United States and South Vietnam. The United States constructed extensive facilities, including an airbase and a deep-water port, to support its military activities during the war.
  • Following the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, Cam Ranh Bay came under the control of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
  • The Soviet Union subsequently leased the former American facilities and established a major naval base there.
  • The Soviet Navy maintained a presence in Cam Ranh Bay throughout the Cold War until the early 2000s.

Key facts about INS Kirpan:

• It is an indigenously-built in-service missile Corvette.
• It is a Khukri class missile corvette commissioned into the Navy on January 12, 1991.
• Features:
  • It has a displacing capacity of close to 1,400 tonnes.
  • It is capable of a speed of more than 25 knots.
  • The Khukri class are equipped with Diesel Engines assembled in India.
  • The ship is fitted with a medium-range gun, 30 mm close-range guns, chaff launchers, and surface-to-surface missiles.
  • It performs a wide variety of roles, including coastal and offshore patrol, coastal security, surface warfare, anti-piracy, and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations.

Q1) What is a bay?

A bay is a body of water that is partially enclosed by land but open to the larger surrounding area, typically connected to the ocean or a large lake. It is a type of coastal landform characterized by its curved shape and its protection from the open sea by the surrounding landmass. Bays can vary greatly in size, ranging from small, sheltered coves to large, expansive bays.

Source: India set to handover missile corvette at Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam’s legendary port in South China Sea

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