Big boost to maritime power as Indian Navy all set to commission guided-missile destroyer – details here
In a big boost to maritime power, the Indian Navy is all set to commission an indigenously developed P15B stealth guided-missile destroyer ship in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai on November 21.
The destroyer, Visakhapatnam, has been indigenously designed by the Indian Navy’s in-house organisation, the Directorate of Naval Design and constructed by Mazagon Dock Limited.
“We are ready for INS Visakhapatnam’s commissioning on November 21 (Sunday). Our indigenous content is the highest today. After commissioning, we will continue with a few more trials and will be one with the fleet,” ANI quoted Captain Birendra Singh Bains, Commanding Officer (designate) of INS Visakhapatnam as saying.
Captain Bains further stated that they have improved onboard machinery and other technical aspects of the ship in a bid to make it more effective and stealthy. “We have improved our onboard machinery, various auxiliaries, weapon systems, and sensors; our guns and torpedoes are fired,” he said.
P15B stealth guided-missile destroyer
The Project 15B warships are also known as Visakhapatnam-class ships.
The Project 15B ships are a follow-on of the Kolkata-class destroyers (Project 15A) and also known as the Visakhapatnam-class destroyers.
According to information by Defence Ministry, Project 15B features overall indigenous content of nearly 75 per cent. With a full load displacement of 7,400t, each 163m-long Project 15B ship features advanced technology and is designed to cruise at a maximum speed of 30k.
The destroyers will be equipped with indigenous weapons, including BEL’s medium-range surface-to-air missiles, BrahMos surface-to-surface missiles, and Larsen & Toubro’s indigenous torpedo tube launchers and anti-submarine indigenous rocket launchers, according to the MoD.
