On November 24, 2022, the second ship of the Project 15B stealth guided-missile destroyer, namely Y 12705 (Mormugao), was delivered to the Indian Navy (IN) by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL).
- The acceptance document for the acquisition was signed by Vice Admiral (Retd) Narayan Prasad, Chairman and Managing Director of MDL, in the presence of Commanding Officer (Designate) Captain Kapit Bhatia and personnel from the Navy and MDL.
About Y 12705 (Mormugao):
Built at MDL Mumbai (Maharashtra), it was designed by the Warship Design Bureau, the IN’s in-house organization. Its keel was laid in June 2015 and the ship was launched on September 17, 2016 with the following features:
- Length– 164 meters
- Width– 17 meters
- Displacement– 7,400 tonnes
- Maximum Speed– 30 knots
- Endurance– 4000 Nautical Mile
Key Points:
i.It can accommodate 312 persons, and can carry out a typical 42 days mission with extended mission time in out-of-area operations.
ii.The ship is equipped with two helicopters onboard.
iii.It is propelled by a powerful Combined Gas and Gas Propulsion Plant (COGAG), consisting of four reversible Gas Turbines.
iv.It contains approx. 75% indigenous content , and includes the following major indigenous weapons:
- Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missiles Bharat Electronics Limited- BEL, Bengaluru, Karnataka)
- BrahMos Surface-to-Surface Missiles (BrahMos Aerospace, New Delhi, Delhi)
- Indigenous Torpedo Tube Launchers (Larsen & Toubro-L&T, Mumbai)
- Anti-Submarine Indigenous Rocket Launchers (L&T, Mumbai)
- 76mm Super Rapid Gun Mount (Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited- BHEL, Haridwar, Uttarakhand)
Background:
The contract for four ships of Project 15B was signed on January 28, 2011, a follow-on of the Kolkata class (Project 15A) destroyers. The indigenous content in Project 15B class destroyers is 72%, which includes domestically produced steel DMR 249A. All are being built at MDL.
- The four ships of the Project are christened after major cities from all four corners of the country, viz. Visakhapatnam, Mormugao, Imphal and Surat.
- INS Visakhapatnam has already been commissioned into the Indian Navy on November 21, 2021.
- The third ship (Imphal) was launched in April 2019 and is at an advanced stage of outfitting, while the fourth ship (Surat) was launched on May 17, 2022.
Recent Related News:
i.In September 2022, The Indian Navy launched two indigenously designed and built Diving Support Vessels (DSVs) – Nistar and Nipun in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh(AP). The first-of-its kind vessels were built by Hindustan Shipyard Limited.
ii.On October 14, 2022, the Indian Naval Ship (INS) Arihant, India’s first indigenous nuclear Ballistic Missile Submarine (SSBN-Submersible Ship Ballistic Missile Nuclear), successfully launched a nuclear capable Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM), affirming India’s second strike nuclear capability.
About Indian Navy:
Chief of Naval Staff (CNS)– Admiral Radhakrishnan Hari Kumar
Founded– January 26, 1950
Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi
