Indian Navy welcomes 2nd Project 15B destroyer

Y 12705 (Mormugao), the second ship of Project 15B stealth guided missile destroyers being built at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), was delivered to the Indian Navy today (24 November 2022).

The contract for four ships of Project 15B was signed on 28 January 2011. This project is a follow-on of the Kolkata-class (Project 15A) destroyers commissioned in the last decade. INS Visakhapatnam, the lead ship of the class, has already been commissioned into the Indian Navy on 21 November 2021.

Designed by the Warship Design Bureau, the Indian Navy’s in-house organisation, the four ships of the project are christened after major cities from all four corners of the country, Visakhapatnam, Mormugao, Imphal and Surat.

The keel of Mormugao was laid in June 2015 and the ship was launched on 17 September 2016. The design has largely maintained the hull form, propulsion machinery, many platform equipment and major weapons and sensors as the Kolkata class to benefit from series production, according to the Indian Navy.

The ship is 163 metres long and 17 metres wide, displaces 7400 tonnes when fully loaded and has a 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. The overall indigenous content of the project is approximately 75%, the navy noted. These include:

• Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missiles (BEL, Bangalore)
• BrahMos Surface-to-Surface Missiles (BrahMos Aerospace, New Delhi)
• Indigenous Torpedo Tube Launchers (Larsen & Toubro, Mumbai)
• Anti-Submarine Indigenous Rocket Launchers (Larsen & Toubro, Mumbai)
• 76mm Super Rapid Gun Mount (BHEL, Haridwar).

The ship sailed out for its maiden sea sortie on 19 December 2021 to coincide with the Goa Liberation Day.

“The delivery of Mormugao is an affirmation of the impetus being given by the Government of India and the Indian Navy towards ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ as part of celebration of the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’. The early induction of the destroyer, almost 3 months prior to the contractual date, despite the COVID challenges, is a tribute to the collaborative efforts of large number of stake holders and would enhance the maritime prowess of the country in the Indian Ocean Region,” the navy concluded.