New Delhi On Saturday in an official statement The Navy said it received its first P15B stealth guided-missile destroyer from Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders.
The construction and delivery of this ship — named “Visakhapatnam” — is another testament of impetus given by the government and the Navy to the indigenous warship construction programmes, it said.
A guided-missile destroyer has the capability to launch guided anti-aircraft missiles from its deck.
“Visakhapatnam – first of the indigenous P15B stealth guided-missile destroyers being built at Mazagon Dock, Mumbai delivered to Indian Navy on October 28, 2021,” the Indian Navy said on Twitter.
“Induction of the destroyer will not only enhance combat readiness of Indian Navy but will also be a major leap forward towards our quest for Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India),” it added.
Notably, the contract for four ships of Project 15B, as the Visakhapatnam class ships are known, was signed on 28 January 2011. This project is a follow-on of the Kolkata class (Project 15A) destroyers commissioned in the last decade.
Designed by the Directorate of Naval Design, Indian Navy’s in-house design organisation, and built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd, Mumbai, the four ships are christened after major cities from all four corners of the country, such as Visakhapatnam, Mormugao, Imphal and Surat.
As per the statement by the Ministry of Defence, the 163 metres long warship has a full load displacement of 7400 tonnes and maximum speed of 30 knots. The overall indigenous content of the project is approx. 75 per cent.
Apart from myriad indigenous equipment in the ‘Float’ and ‘Move’ categories, the destroyer is also installed with major indigenous weapons which include: –
- Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missiles (BEL, Bangalore).
- BrahMos Surface-to-Surface Missiles (BrahMos Aerospace, New Delhi).
- Indigenous Torpedo Tube Launchers (Larsen & Toubro, Mumbai).
- Anti-Submarine Indigenous Rocket Launchers (Larsen & Toubro, Mumbai).
- 76mm Super Rapid Gun Mount (BHEL, Haridwar).
The delivery of Visakhapatnam is an affirmation of the impetus being given by the government of India and the Indian Navy towards ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ as part of 75 years of Indian Independence.
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