The first Super Dvora Mark II, the T-80, is to be commissioned at the naval dockyard by Vice Admiral Madhvendra Singh on Wednesday morning. The craft which arrived from Israel last week, is the product of an Indo-Israeli defence deal.

The acquisition of the Dvora epitomises the importance given to the limited counter-insurgency role being undertaken by the Indian Navy off the western and southern coasts of the country.

Besides the fly-by-wire controlled machinery and propulsion systems, the boat is fitted with a unique `articulating surface drive' (ASD) propulsion system, which steers the propeller and makes it capable of shallow wateroperations.

A deal to supply four Super Dvora XFAC's was concluded with Ramta Shipyard, a division of the state-owned Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI), was concluded in Israel in late 1996 by an Indian delegation headed by Goa Shipyard CMD Rear Admiral B R Menon.

The first two boats are to be delivered by IAI and the remaining two are to be assembled at the GSL in Goa. A second Dvora is under construction at Goa and is to join the navy later this year.

The XFAC is battle proven and can be used for day-night coastal surveillance and reconnaissance, co-ordination of sea-air Search and Rescue (SAR) operations, beach insertion and extraction of commando forces and high speed interception of small, manoeverable craft over territorial waters.

The 21-metre-long Dvora is an improvement of the Israeli Dabur class coastal patrol craft and displaces 54 tonnes. It packs a mean punch with two hydraulically stabilised 20 mm Oerlikon guns, two 7.62 light machine guns.

It can also be fitted with surface-to-surfacemissiles, depth charges, torpedoes or rocket launchers. It has a range of 1200 nautical miles at 17 knots.