Abhay (FSU Pauk II)

The Abhay-class corvettes of the Indian Navy were the customised variants of the Soviet Pauk-class corvettes. The class was primarily intended for coastal patrol and anti-submarine warfare. The last ship of the class is expected to be decommissioned by 2025. The class is being replaced by Arnala and Mahe subclasses of Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW SWC). The ships formed the 23 Patrol Vessel Squadron of the Indian Navy.

Developed by the Soviet Union in the late 1970s to succeed the Poti class, the Project 1241.2 design was optimized for coastal anti-submarine warfare to counter increasingly quiet diesel-electric submarines. The Indian Navy commissioned the lead ship of this class, INS Abhay (P33), in June 1989, acquiring a total of four vessels to bolster its coastal defense capabilities. Throughout their service, these ships were actively deployed for offshore patrolling, maritime security, and anti-submarine warfare exercises along India's vast coastline. After over three decades of continuous service, INS Abhay was decommissioned in June 2022, paving the way for next-generation indigenous shallow-water combatants.