Indian Navy receives first P15B guided-missile destroyer

The first P15B stealth guided-missile destroyer was delivered to the Indian Navy by the Mumbai-based Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) on October 28.

The construction and delivery of this ship -- named "Visakhapatnam" -- is a significant development that is the testimony of India’s warship construction programmes, an official statement said on Saturday.

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

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

According to the statement, it is a potent platform capable of undertaking a variety of tasks and missions, spanning the full spectrum of maritime warfare.

It is armed with supersonic Surface-to-Surface ‘Brahmos’ missiles and ‘Barak-8’ Long Range Surface to Air Missiles. Towards undersea warfare capability, ship 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 bevvy 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 of 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).

The indigenous content in P15B Class destroyers is 72% which is a notch above their predecessors P15A (59%) and P15 (42%) Class Destroyers, reaffirming the Government focus in Make in India programme.

Check out latest videos from DH: