Indian Navy receives first warship of project 15B

India Navy has got a modern war ship 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. The contract for four ships of Project 15B, as the Visakhapatnam class ships are known, was signed on 28 January 2011. This project is a follow-on of the Kolkata class (Project 15A) destroyers commissioned in the last decade. Designed by Directorate of Naval Design, Indian Navy’s in-house design organisation; and built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd, Mumbai; the four ships are christened after major cities from all four corners of the country viz. 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. The overall indigenous content of the project is approx. 75%. Apart from myriad indigenous equipment in the ‘Float’ and ‘Move’ categories, the destroyer is also installed with major indigenous weapons which include-Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missiles, BrahMos Surface-to-Surface Missiles, Indigenous Torpedo Tube Launchers, Anti-Submarine Indigenous Rocket Launchers and 76mm Super Rapid Gun Mount.

The ship is a perfect example of govt - private partnership productions.  Indigenous Torpedo Tube Launchers and  Anti-Submarine Indigenous Rocket Launchers are made by a private company while rest of the weapons have been made by the government PSUs like BHEL, BEL and Brahmos Aorospace.