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Updated November 21st, 2021 at 09:47 IST

Rajnath Singh to commission India’s first indigenous destroyer, INS Visakhapatnam today

Defence Min Rajnath Singh will be at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai to commission INS Visakhapatnam today. The ship is the first destroyer ship of Project 15B.

Reported by: Vishnu V V
Rajnath Singh
Image: PTI/REPUBLIC WORLD | Image:self
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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will formally commission INS Visakhapatnam into the Indian Navy today, November 21. The Union minister will be at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai to commission INS Visakhapatnam, which is the first stealth-guided missile destroyer ship of Project 15B. The commissioning of the Visakhapatnam comes as a significant milestone for the Indian Navy as it demonstrates the indigenous capability to build complex combat platforms. The destroyer, once commissioned is set to increase the Navy’s capacity and firepower to battle threats by a margin.

The Defence Minister will be the guest of honour at the commissioning event. Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh will be the Chief Guest for the event. Ahead of the launch, the Defence Minister's office took to their official Twitter handle to confirm the same. "She is vigilant, She is valiant, She shall always be victorious! India’s first indigenous P15 Bravo destroyer ‘Visakhapatnam’ ready for commissioning. Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh to attend the ceremony in Mumbai today," the minister's office tweeted along with an introduction video of the destroyer. 

Constructed using indigenous steel DMR 249A, INS Visakhapatnam is amongst the largest destroyers constructed in India with an overall length of 163m and displacement of over 7,400 tons. The commissioning of the destroyer ship also finds significance in terms of the country’s feat in self-sufficiency. Almost three-quarters of the ship’s contents have been made in India, contributing towards the country’s AtmaNirbhar Bharat initiative. Equipped with an array of weapons and sensors, the ship is one of the biggest machinery to rollout of Indian docks in a while.

Visakhapatnam's state-of-the-art features

Built by Mumbai-based Mazagon Dock Limited, the missile destroyer measures 163 metres in length, 17 metres in width, and has a displacement of 7400 tonnes. Touted as one of the most powerful warships ever built in India, the ship is equipped with numerous state-of-the-art weapons and has a significant indigenous content of approximately 75 per cent.

The high level of indigenisation of the ship is being considered as one of its many important features, which would increase the Indian Navy's mobility, reach, and flexibility in international waters. According to the Ministry of Defence, Visakhapatnam will also contribute towards India's 'Aatmanirbhar' mission and is a potent platform capable of undertaking multifarious tasks and missions spanning the full spectrum of maritime warfare. 

Capable of racing at 30 knots, the ship boasts of an array of weapons & sensors, which include supersonic surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles, medium and short-range guns, anti-submarine rockets, advanced electronic warfare, Super Rapid Gun Mount, Foldable Hangar Doors, Helo Traversing System, Close-in Weapon System, and Bow mounted SONAR. In addition to this, the ship is also capable of handling Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical (NBC) warfare scenarios and its anti-submarine warfare capabilities are powered by rocket launchers, torpedo launchers, and ASW helicopters designed in-house. 

Image: PTI

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Published November 21st, 2021 at 09:47 IST

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