Mumbai: ‘IMPHAL’, the third stealth destroyer of Project 15B Class Guided Missile Destroyer was delivered to the Indian Navy by the Mazagon Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) here today.
The ‘Acceptance Document’ was signed by Sanjeev Singhal, Chairman & Managing Director, MDL and Rear Admiral Sanjay Sadhu in the presence of Commanding Officer (Designate) Captain K K Choudhury, MDL Directors and Navy personnel today.
The Yard 12706 (IMPHAL) 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 tons.
The ship 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’ Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missiles. Towards undersea warfare capability, the Destroyer is fitted with indigenously developed anti-submarine weapons and sensors, prominently the Hull-mounted Sonar Humsa NG, Heavyweight Torpedo Tube Launchers and ASW Rocket Launchers.
Significantly more versatile than the previous classes of Destroyer and Frigates in Naval inventory, the IMPHAL’s all-round capability against enemy submarines, surface warships, anti-ship missiles and fighter aircraft will enable it to operate independently without supporting vessels, and also to function as the flagship of a Naval task force, the Ministry of Defence stated.
IMPHAL has been delivered to the Indian Navy more than four months ahead of the contractual time as the most combat-worthy platform to date. “This reaffirms MDL’s commitment towards continuous improvement and mostly/ exceeding Global benchmarks,” the Ministry stated.
This ship completed all sea trials in 3 CSTs (Contractor’s Sea Trials) including the firing of major critical weapons in the very first CST. The ship is the first amongst all P15B ships which is to be fitted with upgraded Brahmos missiles having dual role capability of Long Range and land attack. Further, IMPHAL is the first Naval Warship commissioned with the accommodation of women officers and sailors.
The ship can accommodate a crew of 312 persons, has an endurance of 4,000 Nautical Miles and can carry out a typical 42-day mission with extended mission time in out-of-area operations. 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 also 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’s focus on the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ programme along with the large ecosystem development of sub-vendors.
The first Ship of P15B (Visakhapatnam) was commissioned on November 21, 2021. The second ship (Mormugao) was commissioned on December 18, 2022. The fourth ship (Surat) was launched on 17 May 2022 and is at an advanced stage of outfitting.
MDL has always been at the forefront of the nation’s progressive indigenous warship and submarine-building programme. With the construction of the Leander and Godavari class Frigates, Khukri class Corvettes, Missile Boats, Delhi and Kolkata class Destroyers, Shivalik class Stealth Frigates, Visakhapatanam class Destroyers, Nilgiri class Frigates, the SSK submarines and five in number Scorpene submarine under its belt, the history of modern-day MDL almost maps the history of indigenous warship and submarine building in India thereby deservedly earning the soubriquet ‘Warship and Submarine Builders to the Nation’.
– global bihari bureau
