Indian Navy’s largest and heaviest INS Visakhapatanam is built by the Mazagaon Dockyard Limited
Mumbai : Indian Navy’s largest and heaviest indigenously built warship INS Visakhapatanam-class destroyer is ready to launch. Visakhapatanam (Project-15B) has followed the INS Kolkata class (Project-15A), built by the Mazagaon Dockyard Limited (MDL), with improved stealth, power packed destroyer and more advanced than Kolkata class.
This is first ship in a total of four warships of Project 15B that is likely to be named as INS Visakhapatanam during the launching ceremony scheduled for next Monday at MDL. After the completion of successful trials of harbour acceptance and sea trials which lasted for several months, the warship will be commissioned into the Indian Navy.
It will have a hull similar to that of the Kolkata-class destroyer but the superstructure will be different and it will be stealthier and equipped with infrared suppression system.
An MDL official said, “This is the first ship which is built from indigenous steel. For shipbuilding, highest quality of steel is required and normally imported from other countries. However, Visakhapatanam has been built using steel which has been produced indigenously.”
The Project 15B warships will be armed with hypersonic Brahmos cruise missiles and the Nirbhay cruise missiles. In addition, it may also have the Barak – II missile for surface to air defence.
Defence PRO, Commander Rahul Sinha, said, “Launching ceremony of the warship is scheduled on Monday by Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral RK Dhowan at Mazgaon Dockyard.”
Vishnudas Sheshrao
