Mumbai : The Indian Navy on Monday launched its first entirely indigenous warship, the Indian Naval Ship (INS) Visakhapatnam, at the Mazagaon Dockyard Limited on Monday morning. The ship is the first among the four guided missile stealth destroyers which are a part of the Project 15 Bravo (15B).
The Project 15B-class ship glided out of the Slip Way number 2 in MDL after Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R K Dhowan’s wife Minu pressed its launch trigger.
The ship is a product of the combined efforts of the Director General Naval Design-Ship Service Group (DND-SSG) and the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO). Dhowan, during a press conference held after the launch of the ship, said that over 90 per cent indigenization has been achieved in the building of the ship.
“Everything, except the propulsion shafting system and the gas turbines, have been made using Russian technology,” Dhowan said. Another important feature about the ship is that for the first time the hull has been made of steel, and that too was completely produced in India itself. With a displacement of 73,000 tonnes, INS Visakhapatnam spans 163 metres in length and 17.4 metres at the beam. It will be propelled by four gas turbines to achieve a speed of over 30 knots. New designs have also been incorporated in the ship to improve its survivability, stealth and maneuverability.
Its enhanced stealth features have been achieved by shaping its hull in a particular way and through the use of radar transparent deck fittings, which will make it difficult for other ships to detect INS Visakhapatnam. In addition, an array of advanced weapons and sensors, including a vertically launched missile system for long distance engagement of shore and sea-based targets, has also been fitted on to the ship.
The current year has become a watershed for the MDL which undocked the first Scorpene submarine under the P75 project a few weeks ago, and has completed the first 15B-class ship before schedule. The MDL has now achieved its highest ever Value of Production (VoP) of Rs 3,500 crore – an increase of 22 per cent from 2014. The MDL will soon be delivering two 15A-class Destroyers, Kochi and Chennai. In addition, the first indigenous submarine, Kalvari, will also be delivered in September next year.
