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INS Visakhapatnam – a Stealth Guided Missile Destroyer – commissioned into Indian Navy in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai
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Indigenously developed missile destroyer packed with state-of-the-art weapons & sensors with modern surveillance radars
INS Visakhapatnam, a P15B stealth guided missile destroyer, was commissioned into the Indian Navy in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai on November 21, 2021.The event marks the formal induction of the first of the four ‘Visakhapatnam’ class destroyers, indigenously designed by the Indian Navy’s in-house organisation Directorate of Naval Design and constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai.
Defence Minister termed INS Visakhapatnam as a symbol of the growing maritime prowess of the country and a major milestone in achieving Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Make in India, Make for the World’. He added that the ship is a reminder of ancient and medieval India’s maritime power, shipbuilding skills and glorious history. Rajnath Singh exuded confidence that the state-of-the-art ship, equipped with latest systems and weapons, will strengthen the maritime security and protect the interests of the Nation. He defined the ship as one of the most technologically advanced guided missile destroyers in the world which will cater to the present & future requirements of the Armed Forces and the Nation as a whole.
Rajnath Singh appreciated the self-reliance efforts of the Indian Navy, terming Navy’s order of 39 of the 41 ships and submarines from Indian shipyards as a testament to their commitment towards achieving ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’. He described the development of Indigenous Aircraft Carrier ‘INS Vikrant’ as an important milestone in their path to achieve ‘Aatmanirbharta’
The minister emphasized on the need to keep the Indo-Pacific region open, safe and secure, terming it as the primary objective of the Indian Navy. He asserted that India’s interests are directly linked with the Indian Ocean and the region is crucial for the world economy. “Challenges such as piracy, terrorism, illegal smuggling of arms and narcotics, human trafficking, illegal fishing and damage to the environment are equally responsible for affecting the maritime domain. He lauded the Indian Navy for taking forward the Prime Minister’s vision of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) with the spirit of friendship, openness, dialogue, and co-existence with the neighbours.
INS Visakhapatnam measures 163m in length, 17m in breadth with a displacement of 7,400 tonnes and can rightfully be regarded as one of the most potent warships to have been constructed in India. The ship is packed with sophisticated state-of-the-art weapons and sensors such as Surface-to-Surface missile and Surface-to-Air missiles. The anti-submarine warfare capabilities are provided by the indigenously developed rocket launchers, torpedo launchers and ASW helicopters. The ship is equipped to fight under Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) warfare conditions.
The ship has a total complement of about 315 personnel. It will be under the command of Captain Birendra Singh Bains, a Navigation & Direction specialist.
Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh, Member of Parliament Arvind Sawant, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command Vice Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chairman & Managing Director, Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited Vice Admiral Narayan Prasad (Retd) and other senior civil & military officials of Ministry of Defence were present during the commissioning ceremony.
