Navy inducts INS Visakhapatnam

• INS Visakhapatnam, a P15B stealth guided missile destroyer, was on Sunday commissioned into the Indian Navy at the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai.
• This marks the formal induction of the first of the four ‘Visakhapatnam’ class destroyers, indigenously designed by the Indian Navy’s in-house Directorate of Naval Design and constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders, Mumbai.

Project 15B

• It is a project to develop world class warships for Indian Navy
• Union Government in 2011 had sanctioned four 15B ships at the cost of 29,700 crore rupees to develop a class of stealth guided missile destroyers for the Indian Navy.
• The Project 15B missile destroyers are modern warships equipped with latest weapons package in continuation of lineage of the highly successful Delhi and Kolkata Class ships.

Capable of launching guided missiles from the deck

• The ship has the capability to launch guided anti-aircraft missiles from its deck.
• The induction of the destroyer into its fleet will enhance the combat preparedness of the Indian Navy.

Indigenously designed

• The contract was signed in January 2011 to manufacture Project 15B class 04 guided missile destroyers from Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) for the Indian Navy.
• The keel for the first ship named INS Visakhapatnam (D66) was laid in October 2013.
• The ship was launched in April 2015.
• The Project 15B ships retain the hull design of the Kolkata-class destroyers, but will include advanced stealth features and a higher degree of automation.
• These are indigenously designed by the Directorate of Naval Design, which will protect the sea in better ways.

Key Features

• The ship's radar, sleek hull, state-of-the-art sensor package and weapons make it one of the most technologically advanced guided missile destroyers in the world.
• The significant indigenous material used in it, the design of the warship reflects India's self-reliance in shipbuilding.
• Each vessel will be 163 meters long and 17.4 meters wide with a displacement of 7,300 tonnes.
• The ships will be manned by a team of 300 naval personnel, comprising 50 officers and 250 sailors.
• The ship has been fitted with multiple fire zones, combat damage control systems (BDCS) and power systems for emergencies.
• The onboard atmospheric control system will protect the crew from chemical, biological and nuclear hazards.

Modern Warfare Management System

• The ship will integrate a modern Warfare Management System (CMS), which will assess the threat and allocate resources based on the tactical picture and weapon package available on board.
• The Ship Data Network (SDN) will capture data from all sensors and weapons.