Indian Navy’s new warship INS Mormugao is set to significantly strengthen the defence capability and enhance the maritime prowess in the Indian Ocean Region.
The P15B stealth guided-missile destroyer INS Mormugao was commissioned by the Indian Navy in Mumbai on Sunday. INS Mormugao was commissioned in the presence of Secretary of Defense Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) Her General Anil Chauhan, Admiral R. Hari Kumar and other senior officials.
She is 163 meters long and 17 meters wide, with a maximum payload of 7400 tons and a maximum speed of 30 knots. In addition to a number of unique pieces of equipment in the Float and Move categories, Destroyers are also equipped with the required unique weapons described below. The total indigenous content of the project is approximately 75%.
The destroyer was designed by the Warship Design Bureau (formerly the Navy Design Bureau). The Indian Navy’s internal body responsible for designing warships and includes several warships, including the Arihant-class submarine (India’s first domestically produced nuclear power plant). Missile submarine, INS Vikrant – India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier and Kolkata-class destroyer.
‘Mormugao’, a P15B stealth guided missile destroyer, is ready to be commissioned into the Indian Navy.
I shall be in Mumbai today, 18th December, to attend the Commissioning Ceremony. Looking forward to it.@indiannavy pic.twitter.com/kp6shpfrWk
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) December 18, 2022
The goal of this project is to develop a series of destroyers comparable to the Kolkata-class destroyers, with only minor modifications and incremental changes to minimize development time and associated costs.
Armament
For its anti-surface warfare (ASuW) capabilities, the class features sixteen Brahmos anti-ship cruise missiles, capable of speeds of up to Mach 3. Additionally, the vessels of the class are equipped with one OTO Melara 76 mm naval gun.
As part of its anti-air warfare (AAW) capabilities, the class features thirty-two Barak 8ER surface-to-air missiles, with sixteen missiles present in four “2 x 4” VLS configurations – with two placed at the bow and two placed aft. The Barak 8ER, also classified as the LR-SAM, is an “extended-range” variant of the original Barak 8 – designed to neutralize various aerial threats, including fighter aircraft, helicopters, anti-ship missiles, cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV); the new variant is expected to feature a range of about 150 km.
For its anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities, the class features two twin torpedo launchers, designed to launch heavyweight torpedoes – such as the Varunastra heavyweight torpedo, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO). The class also features two RBU-6000 (RPK-8) anti-submarine rocket launchers, capable of firing ASW projectiles to depths of up to 1,000 m (3,300 ft).
Sensors
Radar
This class includes the active phased array radar IAI EL/M-2248 MF-STAR S, which is the main radar unit. The EL/M-2248 is a multifunctional phased array radar system with 360° azimuth, with the ability to track air and surface targets – at a range of more than 450 km (280 mi).
In addition, the class included Thales LW-08 (BEL RAWL-02) as its secondary radar set.[29] The LW-08 is a long-range, solid-state, two-way, D-band surveillance radar that provides targeting capabilities against air and surface threats.[29] It is capable of operating in electronic clutter, is equipped with equipment with a range of 270 km (170 miles), with the ability to track both cruise missiles and fighter aircraft.
Sonar
This class is equipped with the BEL HUMSA-NG sonar, a hull-mounted “active and passive” integrated sonar system developed by DRDO.[29] HUMSA-NG is capable of detecting, classifying and tracking underwater targets in both active and passive modes, with the ability to simultaneously track 8 targets.[29] The destroyers are also equipped with BEL Nagin active towed array sona
Electronic Warfare
In terms of electronic warfare (EW) capabilities, the destroyers are equipped with the DRDL Shakthi EW suite, which is designed to provide Indian warships with an electronic defense against anti-ship radars and missiles. modern. Designed to enhance the Indian Navy’s electronic intelligence capabilities, Shakthi is equipped with Broadband Electronic Support Measures (ESM) and Electronic Countermeasures (ECM), to intercept, type and jam conventional and modern radars. In addition, the suite is equipped with built-in radar fingerprint reading and data logging functions for post-mission analysis and evaluation.