Missile destroyer Visakhapatnam to be commissioned on November 21

The stealth guided missile destroyer Visakhapatnam - the first in the series of Project 15B - would be commissioned next Sunday., November 21.

A total of four vessels - Visakhapatnam, Mormugao, Imphal and Porbandar - are to be made by the MDL.

The ship is a potent platform capable of undertaking a variety of tasks and missions, spanning the full spectrum of maritime warfare.

Built by the Mumbai-based Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL), the ship - Yard 12704 - was delivered to the Indian Navy on October 28.

The state-of-the-art warship will be commissioned on November 21. Earlier, the MDL had delivered the Delhi-class and Kolkata-class destroyers.

The ship is constructed using indigenous steel DMR 249A and is amongst the largest destroyers constructed in India, with an overall length of 164 metres and a displacement of over 7500 tonnes.

It is armed with supersonic Surface-to-Surface ‘Brahmos’ missiles and ‘Barak-8’ Long Range Surface to Air Missiles.

Towards undersea warfare capability, the destroyer is fitted with indigenously developed anti-submarine weapons and sensors, prominently the Hull mounted Sonar Humsa NG, Heavy weight Torpedo Tube Launchers and Rocket Launchers.

Significantly, more versatile than the previous destroyer and frigates in Naval inventory, the Visakhapatnam’s all round capability against enemy submarines, surface warships, anti-ship missiles and fighter aircraft will enable it to operate without a bevy of supporting vessels, and also function as the flagship of a Naval task force.

The ship can accommodate a crew of 312 persons, has an endurance of 4,000 nautical miles and can carry out a typical 42 days mission with extended mission time in out of area operation.

The ship is equipped with two helicopters onboard to further extend its reach. The ship is propelled by a powerful Combined Gas and Gas Propulsion Plant (COGAG), consisting of four reversible Gas Turbines, which enables her to achieve a speed of over 30 knots (approx 55 kmph).

The Ship boasts a very high level of automation with sophisticated digital networks such as Gigabyte Ethernet-based Ship Data Network (GESDN), Combat Management System (CMS), Automatic Power Management System (APMS) and Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS).

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