INS Visakhapatnam, Indian Navy's first stealth guided missile destroyer Visakhapatnam commissioned

New Delhi, Nov 21: Indigenously-built stealth guided missile destroyer Visakhapatnam, packed with an array of missiles and anti-submarine rockets, was inducted into the Indian Navy on Sunday.

The induction ceremony, was held at the Western Naval Command, attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and top naval commanders.

'Visakhapatnam' is equipped with lethal weaapons and sensors, including supersonic surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles, medium and short-range guns, anti-submarine rockets and advanced electronic warfare and communication suits, officials said.

The ship has the capability of embarking two integrated helicopters and boasts of a very high level of automation with sophisticated digital networks, combat management systems and integrated platform management systems, they said.

It is the first stealth guided-missile destroyer of the Rs 35,000 crore Project 15B under which a total of four warships are being built.

The next ship is set to be commissioned in 2023 while the other two are planned to be inducted by 2025.

The warship has been designed by the Indian Navy's in-house organisation, the Directorate of Naval Design, and constructed by Mazagon Dock Limited. The majestic ship measures 163 metres in length, 17 metres in breadth with a displacement of 7,400 tonnes.

"It can rightfully be regarded as one of the most potent warships to have been constructed in India," said an official.

The ship, propelled by four powerful gas turbines, is capable of achieving speeds in excess of 30 knots. It is fitted with a modern surveillance radar that provides target data to the gunnery weapon systems of the ship, the official said.

The ship's anti-submarine warfare capabilities are provided by the indigenously developed rocket launchers, torpedo launchers and anti-submarine warfare helicopters. The ship is also equipped to fight under nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) warfare conditions, the official said.

"The commissioning of Visakhapatnam will reaffirm India's presence amongst an elite group of nations with capability to design and build advanced warships," Vice Admiral Satish Namdeo Ghormade, the Vice Chief of Naval Staff, said on Tuesday.