PM to commission naval warship INS Kolkata

New Delhi, Aug 7: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will commission the country's largest indigenously-built warship INS Kolkata in Mumbai on August 16.

The Prime Minister is also likely to visit the Siachen Glacier on August 21 during a tour to inaugurate a power transmission line in Leh and Kargil districts of Jammu and Kashmir, sources said.

The Prime Minister has given his consent for commissioning the warship on August 16 to induct the largest indigenously-built warship which is constructed by the Mazagon Dockyards Limited and has been designed by the Navy's design bureau, defence officials said.

The 6,800-tonne warship, which is over three years behind schedule, will showcase a giant leap in shipbuilding technology in the country, they said.

INS Kolkata will be a part of the Kolkata Class destroyers of the Indian Navy which will include follow-on ships by the name of INS Kochi and INS Chennai respectively.

The keel of the warship was laid down in September 2003 and the ship was launched in 2006. Its original commissioning was planned in 2010 but due to several project delays, it will now happen in 2014.

As part of her pre-commissioning weapon trials at sea, INS Kolkata test-fired a BrahMos missile off the coast of Karwar.

India is also building an over 40,000-tonne indigenous aircraft carrier christened INS Vikrant but it will take another three-four years before it gets inducted into the Navy.

During his likely visit to Siachen, the Prime Minister is expected to be accompanied by Army Chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag.

PTI