India Launches Indigenous Destroyer

Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

PROGRAMS
NEW DELHI — India on April 1 launched its third indigenous naval destroyer, INS Chennai – built under the code name Project 15 Alpha — which will be commissioned into the navy in August 2013.
The ship will have stealth features, an advanced action information system and a comprehensive auxiliary control system.
The 163-meter-long ship is propelled by four gas turbines and is designed to reach speeds above 30 kt. It will be fitted with 16 torpedoes and supersonic BrahMos surface-to-surface missiles that enable it to engage shore-based and naval surface targets at longer range.
The ship’s air defense capability is designed to counter airborne threats and anti-ship cruise missiles. It will revolve around the vertical launch, long-range surface to-air missile system being co-developed by the Indian government’s Defense Research and Development Organization.
The warship also is equipped with an indigenous sonar and electronic warfare suite. Indigenously developed twin-tube torpedo launchers and rocket launchers will add
punch to the ship’s anti-submarine capability. The destroyer will integrate new features and involve design changes for a more advanced weapons platform compared to the earlier Project 15 ships, the Indian Navy says.
Mazagon Dock Ltd (MDL) of Mumbai, one of the leading shipbuilding and offshore fabrication yards in India, used a pontoon assisted launching method to launch the vessel with Baltisky Zavod of St. Petersburg, Russia.
Pontoons are welded to the hull to increase buoyancy and overcome limitations on the launch weight and tidal constraints. This method will be the future of
the Indian naval launching process at MDL, providing flexibility in the selection of launching dates. “Also, as we progress toward a modular building concept, it will
be possible to launch ships of a much higher weight,” the navy says.
At the launch, Defense Minister A.K Antony focused on the need for a well-protected coastline.
“Protecting our coastline is important” after the Mumbai terrorist attacks of November 2008, Antony said. “We must defend it against all possibilities. We
need to build more warships for the navy and coast guard indigenously. Our defense shipyards must be able to fulfill our requirements on time and keep up quality,” he added.
- Neelam Mathews (mathews.neelam@gmail.com)