On October 20, Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) has delivered the third stealth destroyer of (Visakhapatnam-class (Project 15B-class) guided missile destroyer INS Imphal (D68) to the Indian Navy. The Acceptance Document was signed by Shri Sanjeev Singhal, Chairman & Managing Director, MDL and RAdm Sanjay Sadhu, AVSM, NM, CSO (Tech) at MDL in the presence of Commanding Officer (Designate) Capt K Choudhury, MDL Directors, WOT(MB) and Navy personnel today. The ship is constructed using indigenous steel DMR 249A and is amongst the largest Destroyers constructed in India, with an overall length of 164 meters and a displacement of over 7500 tonnes. The ship is a potent platform capable of undertaking a variety of tasks and missions, spanning the full spectrum of maritime warfare. It is armed with supersonic surface-to-surface ‘Brahmos’ missiles and ‘Barak-8’ Medium Range Surface to Air Missiles. Towards undersea warfare capability the destroyer is fitted with indigenously developed anti-submarine weapons and sensors, prominently the hull-mounted sonar Humsa NG, heavy weight torpedo tube launchers and ASW rocket launchers.
Significantly more versatile than the previous classes of destroyer and frigates in naval inventory, the IMPHAL’s all-round capability against enemy submarines, surface warships, anti-ship missiles and fighter aircraft will enable it to operate independently without supporting vessels, and also to function as the flagship of a naval task force. IMPHAL has been delivered to the Indian Navy more than four months ahead of the contractual time as the most combat worthy platform to date. This reaffirms MDL’s commitment towards continuous improvement and mostly/ exceeding global benchmarks. This ship has completed all Sea Trials in 03 CSTs (Contractor’s Sea Trials) including firing of major critical weapons in the very first CST. Ship is the first amongst all P15B ships which is to be fitted with upgraded Brahmos missiles having dual role capability of long range & land attack. Further, IMPHAL is the first naval warship being commissioned with accommodation of woman officers and sailors.
The ship can accommodate a crew of 312 persons, has an endurance of 4000 nautical miles and can carry out a typical 42-day mission with extended mission time in out of area operation. The ship is equipped with two helicopters onboard to further extend its reach. The ship is propelled by a powerful Combined Gas and Gas Propulsion Plant (COGAG), consisting of four reversible gas turbines, which enables her to achieve a speed of over 30 knots (approx 55 kph). The ship boasts of a very high level of automation with sophisticated digital networks such as Gigabyte Ethernet based Ship Data Network (GESDN), Combat Management System (CMS), Automatic Power Management System (APMS) and Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS). The indigenous content in P15B class destroyers is 72% which is a notch above their predecessors P15A (59%) and P15 (42%) class destroyers, reaffirming the Government’s focus in ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ Programme along with large eco system development of sub vendors.
Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), formerly called Mazagon Dock Limited,[3] is a shipyard situated in Mazagaon, Mumbai. It manufactures warships and submarines for the Indian Navy and offshore platforms and associated support vessels for offshore oil drilling. MDL has always been at the forefront of the nation’s progressive indigenous warship and submarine building programme. With the construction of the Leander and Godavari class frigates, Khukri-class corvettes, missile boats, Delhi- and Kolkata-class destroyers, Shivalik class stealth frigates, Visakhapatanam-class destroyers, Nilgiri-class frigates ,the SSK submarines and five in number Scorpene submarine under its belt, the history of modern day MDL almost maps the history of indigenous warship and submarine building in India there by deservedly earning the soubriquet ‘Warship and Submarine Builders to the Nation’.
