Visakhapatnam, the lead ship of the class.
Visakhapatnam, the lead ship of the class. 
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Stealth Guided-Missile Destroyer INS Visakhapatnam To Be Inducted Into Indian Navy On Sunday

BySwarajya Staff

Indigenously-built stealth guided missile destroyer Visakhapatnam, packed with an array of missiles and anti-submarine rockets, will be inducted into the Indian Navy on Sunday.

The induction ceremony, to be held at the Western Naval Command, will be attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and top naval commanders, officials said.

'Visakhapatnam' is equipped with lethal weapons and sensors, including supersonic surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles, medium and short-range guns, anti-submarine rockets and advanced electronic warfare and communication suits, officials said.

The ship has the capability of embarking two integrated helicopters and boasts of a very high level of automation with sophisticated digital networks, combat management systems and integrated platform management systems, they said.

It is the first stealth guided-missile destroyer of the Rs 35,000 crore Project 15B under which a total of four warships are being built. The next ship is set to be commissioned in 2023 while the other two are planned to be inducted by 2025.

The warship has been designed by the Indian Navy's in-house organisation, the Directorate of Naval Design, and constructed by Mazagon Dock Limited. The majestic ship measures 163 metres in length, 17 metres in breadth with a displacement of 7,400 tonnes.

'It can rightfully be regarded as one of the most potent warships to have been constructed in India,' said an official.

The ship's anti-submarine warfare capabilities are provided by the indigenously developed rocket launchers, torpedo launchers and anti-submarine warfare helicopters. The ship is also equipped to fight under nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) warfare conditions, the official said.

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 commissioning of Visakhapatnam will reaffirm India's presence amongst an elite group of nations with capability to design and build advanced warships,' Vice Admiral Satish Namdeo Ghormade, the Vice Chief of Naval Staff, said on Tuesday.

With PTI Inputs