Stealth-guided missile destroyers built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDSL) = INS Mormugao (Pennant D67), was commissioned into the Indian Navy on Sunday (18 December).
★ This was 2nd ship as part of Project 15B.
Project 15B
● The contract for four Guided missile Destroyers ships to be
commissioned as a part of Project 15B in Indian Navy was
signed in 2011.
● By the year 2024, the Indian Navy aims to get Four Guided
missile Destroyers operational.
● Four Guided missile Destroyers of Project 15B (P 15B) are under
construction at M/s Mazagaon Dock Shipbuilders Limited,
Mumbai.
What is Stealth-guided missile destroyers
● Stealth means = moving with
extreme quietness to avoid
notice.
Guided-missile destroyers are
multi-mission surface combatants
capable of conducting:
● Anti-Air Warfare (AAW)
● Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW)
● Anti-Surface Warfare (ASuW)
● The lead ship of Project 15b, INS Visakhapatnam
(Pennant D66) was commissioned into the Navy in
November 2021.
The 4 ships of Project 15B are to be named after four
major cities of the country —
● Visakhapatnam
● Mormugao
● Imphal
● Surat
A ship class is identified by its lead ship, in this case,
INS Visakhapatnam.
Features of the P-15B Ships
● These ships are equipped with
BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles and
long-range Surface-to-Air Missiles
(SAM).
It has several indigenous weapons systems
like:
● Surface-to-surface and surface-to-air
missiles
● Indigenous torpedo tube launchers
● Anti-submarine indigenous rocket
launchers
● Torpedo launchers & anti-submarine
rocket launchers etc.
Project 15A :
● Over the last decade, the Indian
Navy has commissioned 3 guided
missile destroyers — INS Kolkata,
INS Kochi, and INS Chennai —
under the project codenamed 15A.
● The contract for four guided
missile destroyers more advanced
than those in Project 15A was
signed in January 2011 - This was
Project 15B.