INS Imphal | Capabilities, Strategic Significance of Visakhapatnam Class of Destroyers

What’s in Today’s Article?

• Why in the News?
• About Project 15B
• About INS Imphal
• Significance of INS Imphal

Why in News?

• INS Imphal (Pennant D68), the third of four warships of Project 15B that together form the Visakhapatnam class stealth-guided missile destroyers, has been commissioned into the Indian Navy on 26^th

About Project 15B

• Between 2014 and 2016, the Indian Navy commissioned three guided missile destroyers of Kolkata class under a project codenamed ‘15A’.
• The Visakhapatnam-class destroyers, also classified as the P-15 Bravo class, or simply P-15B, is a class of guided-missile destroyers currently being built for the Indian Navy.
  • The Destroyers come next only to an Aircraft Carrier (INS Vikramaditya) in terms of their reach and endurance.
  • The Visakhapatnam class is an upgraded derivative of its predecessor, the Kolkata class, with improved features of stealth, automation and ordnance.
• A total of four ships are being built by Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL), under the Make in India
  • These four ships are Visakhapatnam, Mormugao, Imphal, Surat.
• The first vessel of the class, INS Visakhapatnam was commissioned in November 2021. The second ship INS Mormugao in December 2022.

About INS Imphal

• These ships are equipped with BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles and long-range Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAM).
• The ship has several indigenous weapons systems like medium range Surface-to-Air Missile (SAMs), indigenous torpedo tube launchers, anti-submarine indigenous rocket launchers and 76-mm super rapid gun mount.
• The class also has a total atmospheric control system (TACS) that offers protection to the crew from chemical, biological and nuclear threats.
• It can operate two multi-role helicopters, including Sea King or HAL Dhruv.

Significance of INS Imphal

• The ship measures 163m in length, and 17m in breadth with a displacement of 7,400 tonnes and is amongst the most potent warships built in India.
• Technically, destroyers are a category of warships that have high speed, maneuverability and longer endurance.
• They are designed to be part of naval formations like a fleet or a carrier battle group also known as carrier strike group.
• The modern destroyers that are swift, sleek and difficult to detect, primarily protect the fleets and carrier battle groups from the short-range attackers from surface, air and sub-surface.
• The guided-missile destroyers are the destroyers that are armed with guided missiles for anti-aircraft warfare, anti-surface operations and anti-submarine warfare.
• Because of the speed, maneuverability and striking capability, the guided missile destroyers are a key asset in various types of naval operations, mainly offensive.
• Being a follow-on of the Kolkata class, the Visakhapatnam class incorporates not just the feedback and suggestions from the Navy but also several new features.
• The state-of-the-art stealth feature makes Visakhapatnam class have the radar signature of a very small ship. A very high indigenous component gives this platform a strategic edge.

Q1) What is a Scorpene Class Submarine?

The Scorpene submarines are conventional attack subs, meaning that they are designed to target and sink adversary naval vessels. Capable of launching a large array of torpedoes and missiles, they are also equipped with a range of surveillance and intelligence-gathering mechanisms.

Q2) Which is India’s first Scorpene Class Submarine?

 INS Kalvari is the first Scorpene class submarine in India. It is one of the six Scorpene class submarines currently in service with the Indian Navy.

Source: INS Imphal commissioned today: Its capabilities, and the strategic significance of Visakhapatnam class of destroyers  | MINT