INS Mormugao (Pennant D67), the second of Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited’s (MDSL) Project 15B stealth-guided missile destroyers, was commissioned into the Indian Navy on Sunday. The vessel, which has the name of a significant Goan port, was dedicated the day before Goa Liberation Day festivities.
The INS Kolkata, INS Kochi, and INS Chennai are three guided missile destroyers of the Kolkata class that were commissioned by the Indian Navy over the past ten years as part of the 15A programme. These vessels were a step up from the INS Delhi, INS Mysore, and INS Mumbai, which were part of the Delhi class.
One of the most significant Defense PSUs in the nation, MDSL, constructed all of these ships. A set of ships with comparable tonnage, functions, capabilities, and weaponry are referred to as a “class” of ship.
In January 2011, a deal for four guided missile destroyers that are more modern than those in the Kolkata class was inked. The lead ship, INS Visakhapatnam (Pennant D66), was commissioned into the Navy in November 2021 as part of Project 15B.
The keel of the Mormugao (Yard 12705) was laid in June 2015, and the late Manohar Parrikar, the then-defence minister, launched the ship in September 2016. To take advantage of series production, the Visakhapatnam class has essentially preserved the hull form, propulsion equipment, many platform components, and significant weaponry and sensors from the Kolkata class.
However, it includes more advanced stealth characteristics and automation. The warships are challenging to spot because to the sleeker hull design and the radar-transparent deck fittings.
On December 15, 2021, Y12705 (now INS Mormugao) finished basin testing. On December 19, 2021, Goa celebrated 60 years of independence from Portuguese control, and that day, Y12705 made her first sea sortie. About 75% of the ship is made of local materials.
Destroyers are a kind of warships that can accompany larger ships in a fleet or a carrier combat group, also known as a carrier strike group, due to their high speed, manoeuvrability, and extended endurance.
Modern destroyers defend fleets and carrier battle groups from close-range surface, air, and subsurface attacks. They are quick, svelte, and hard to spot. In addition to anti-surface operations, guided missile destroyers can engage in anti-aircraft and anti-submarine warfare.
Guided missile destroyers are essential tools in a variety of naval operations, mostly offensive, due to their speed, manoeuvrability, and striking capabilities.
Along with a few additional features, the Visakhapatnam class integrates user input from the Kolkata class. Modern stealth technology guarantees that it has the radar footprint of a very small ship, and a high indigenous component provides it a competitive advantage.
The Visakhapatnam class is one of the Indian Navy’s most technologically advanced ships, according to officials, and can function as an autonomous offensive platform even when not a part of a major formation. The Visakhapatnam class is a valuable tool in contemporary “network centric warfare” thanks to its cutting-edge sensors and communication capabilities.
Source: The Hindu
