India's First P15B Stealth Guided Missile Destroyer Visakhapatnam Delivered To Indian Navy

Y 12704 (Visakhapatnam), the lead ship of Project 15B stealth guided missile destroyers being built at Mazgaon Docks Limited (MDL), was delivered to the Indian Navy on 28 Oct 21. The contract for four ships of Project 15B, as the Visakhapatnam class ships are known, was signed on 28 January 2011. This project is based on the Kolkata class (Project 15A) destroyers commissioned in the last decade which was co-designed with Russia's Northern Design Bureau. 

Visakhapatnam is Designed by Directorate of Naval Design, Indian Navy’s in-house design organisation and and built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd, Mumbai.  

The overall indigenous content of the project is approx. 75% and achieves a great deal of technological up gradation. Barring the Gas turbine and the Gas Turbine Generator which are coming from abroad, P15B marks the important milestone in building first complex stealth Destroyer.  

Commenting on the technological improvement on P-15B, Biju George, Director (Shipbuilding), Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited pointed out the design elements: “This is fully indigenously designed and constructed here.” He further added: "Import is reduced drastically in terms of major component."

The four ships are christened after major cities from all four corners of the country as Visakhapatnam, Mormugao, Imphal and Surat.

The keel of Visakhapatnam was laid in October 2013 and the ship was launched in April 2015. The design has largely maintained the hull form, propulsion machinery, many platform equipment and major weapons & sensors as the Kolkata class to benefit from series production. 

The 163 metres long warship has a full load displacement of 7400 tonnes and maximum speed of 30 knots. Apart from myriad indigenous equipment in the ‘Float’ and ‘Move’ categories, the destroyer is also installed with major indigenous weapons which include: 

• (a)Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missiles (BEL, Bangalore).
• (b)BrahMos Surface-to-Surface Missiles (BrahMos Aerospace, New Delhi).
• (c)Indigenous Torpedo Tube Launchers (Larsen & Toubro, Mumbai).
• (d)Anti-Submarine Indigenous Rocket Launchers (Larsen & Toubro, Mumbai).

Adding firepower, that the warship is also  loaded with a 76mm Super Rapid Gun Mount  which is developed by BHEL, Haridwar. It is to be noted that this is not based on the technology- transfer  but developed by BHEL as the officials involved clarified on this.

According to the Navy's spokesperson, the delivery of Visakhapatnam is an affirmation of the impetus being given by the Government of India and the Indian Navy towards ‘Aatma Nirbhar Bharat’ as part of 75 years of Indian Independence. He added: The induction of the destroyer, despite the COVID challenges, is a tribute to the collaborative efforts of large number of stakeholders and would enhance the maritime prowess of the country in the Indian Ocean Region. 

Destroyer 'Visakhapatnam' will be commissioned on 18 November.