Tatsat Chronicle Magazine

Indian Navy Set To Add Another Destroyer In Its Fleet

December 16, 2022
Ships of Indian Navy
Picture for representative purpose. Photo: Wiki Commons

On the eve of the Goa Liberation Day, Indian Navy is set to add another stealth guided missile destroyer, Mormugao, which will further augment its mobility, reach and flexibility towards accomplishment of its role and tasks in the Indian Ocean and beyond.

The P15B stealth guided missile destroyer will be commissioned into the Indian Navy in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, at the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai on December 18. The event marks the formal induction into the Navy of the second of the four ‘Visakhapatnam’ class destroyers, indigenously designed by the Indian Navy’s in-house organisation, Warship Design Bureau and constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai.

Named after the historic port city of Goa on the West coast, Mormugao coincidentally undertook her first sea sortie on December 19, 2021, when Goa celebrated its 60 years of liberation from the Portuguese rule.

The ship measures 163m in length, 17 m in breadth with a displacement of 7,400 tonnes and can rightfully be regarded as one of the most potent warships to have been constructed in India. The ship is propelled by four powerful Gas Turbines, in a Combined Gas and Gas (COGAG) configuration, capable of achieving speeds in excess of 30 knots. The ship has enhanced stealth features resulting in a reduced Radar Cross Section (RCS).

Mormugao is packed with sophisticated ‘state of the art’ weapons and sensors such as surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles. The ship is fitted with a modern surveillance radar which provides target data to the gunnery weapon systems of the ship. The ship’s anti-submarine warfare capabilities are provided by the indigenously developed rocket launchers, torpedo launchers and the ASW helicopters. The ship is equipped to fight under Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) warfare conditions.

A unique feature of this ship is the high level of indigenisation of approximately 75% incorporated in the production. Some of the major indigenised equipment  and system on board Mormugao include surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles, torpedo tubes and launchers, rocket launchers, Super Rapid Gun Mount besides, Combat Management System, Integrated Platform Management System, automated power management system, foldable hangar doors, Helo Traversing system, Close-in Weapon System and Bow mounted SONAR. Major OEMs as well as small MSMEs such as BEL, L&T, Godrej, Marine Electrical Brahmos, Technico, Kineco, Jeet and Jeet, Sushma Marine, Techno Process, etc.

Girja Shankar Kaura

The writer is a Delhi-based freelance journalist, who has reported and written on a wide range of subjects in an extensive career.