Vishakhapatnam Class Destroyers: The Indian Navy received its first P15B stealth guided-missile destroyer built at Mazgaon Docks Limited (MDL) on October 28, said a statement issued by the Ministry of Defence on Sunday.
“Y 12704 (Visakhapatnam), the lead ship of Project 15B stealth guided-missile destroyers being built at Mazgaon Docks Limited (MDL), was delivered to the Indian Navy on October 21, 2021. The contract for four ships of Project 15B, as the Visakhapatnam class ships are known, was signed on 28 January 2011,” the MoD said.
This project is a follow-on of the Kolkata class (Project 15A) destroyers commissioned in the last decade.
Designed by Directorate of Naval Design, Indian Navy’s in-house design organisation, and built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai, the four ships are named after major Indian cities from all four corners of the country such as Visakhapatnam, Mormugao, Imphal and Surat.
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The keel of Visakhapatnam was laid in October 2013 and the ship was launched in April 2015. The design has largely maintained the hull form, propulsion machinery, many platform equipment and major weapons & sensors as the Kolkata class to benefit from series production.
Indian Navy’s Visakhapatnam class destroyer
The 163 metres long warship has a full load displacement of 7,400 tonnes and maximum speed of 30 knots. The overall indigenous content of the project is approximately 75 per cent.
Apart from several 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).
INS Visakhapatnam handing over ceremony.
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The Indian Navy said that the induction of the destroyer will not only enhance combat readiness but will also be a major step towards Aatmanirbhar Bharat (a self-reliant India in defence).
A spokesperson for Indian Navy said the warship was yet another testament of impetus given by Govt of India and the Navy towards the indigenous warship construction programme.
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“Visakhapatnam, the first of the indigenous P15B stealth Guided Missile destroyers being built at Mazagon Dock in Mumbai delivered to Indian Navy on 28 October 2021,” he said in a tweet.
The official said induction of the destroyer will not only enhance the combat readiness of the Indian Navy but will also be a major leap forward towards our quest for a self-reliant India.
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