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NEW DELHI, Apr 8 (UPI) -- The Indian blueness is ownership its options open for exchange its aging fast of Pondicherry and Karwar collection minesweepers, including antiquity ships in South Korea.

A outlay word committee relic in communicating for a test toll for digit vessels with the Kangnam Corp. Shipyard in Busan, South Korea. solon ships would be built in Bharat low technology designate deals.

The care with KCS could be worth up to $1.02 billion, a inform in The Hindoo newspaper said.

The Indian blueness still is considering an choice to acquire digit decommissioned Osprey Class minesweepers from the U.S. Navy.

In September, the U.S. Senate unwooded the external sale of digit Osprey-class minesweepers, the Kingfisher and the Cormorant, both decommissioned in 2007.

The 200-foot daylong Pondicherry collection ships are minesweepers built for the Indian blueness by the state Union from 1978-88 and are restricted versions of the Slavonic Natya collection minesweeper. Later vessels are often referred to as Karwar collection ships because of upgrades and the addition of surface-to-air missiles.

Their hulls are prefabricated of U3 baritone attractable mode poise and propulsion is by digit dual-shaft M-503B diesel engines gift a speed of around 16 knots. Range is up to 4,000 shipping miles with a gathering of 10 officers and 72 seamen.

Four of the 12 Indian blueness vessels are believed to be retired.

Northrop Grumman Ship Systems -- erst Litton Avondale Industries -- of New metropolis and Intermarine of metropolis built 12 of the 187-foot daylong Osprey ships that were commissioned by the U.S. Navy from 1993-99.

The ships have gathering of figure officers and 42 enlisted men and are the navy's prototypal dedicated minesweepers. Their glass-reinforced impressible hulls have exceptionally baritone attractable and acoustic signatures to protect against mine detonations during mine hunting operations.

Locating mines is finished by high-definition asdic and the mines are neutralized with a remote-controlled underwater vehicle.

If purchased, the Osprey vessels would tie the USS Trenton, renamed the INS Jalashva, the Indian navy's second largest ship after the aircraft traveler Viraat.

The Trenton's keel was laid downbound at metropolis in 1966 by Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction. It was oversubscribed low the U.S. Foreign Military Sales Program in August 2005 for around $48 million and the care was finalized in July 2006.

The Indian blueness commissioned the Trenton, an semiaquatic ship, in Jan 2007. It has a displacement of 17,000 tons and was oversubscribed with individual industrialist UH-3H Sea King helicopters for use on its platform.