INS Chennai and INS Kesari

INS Chennai and INS Kesari Latest News

Indian Navy ships INS Chennai and INS Kesari successfully carried out manoeuvring exercises and Visit, Board, Search & Seizure (VBSS) drills during the sea phase of Africa India Key Maritime Engagement (AIKEYME) 2025.

About INS Chennai

• It is the third and last ship of the Kolkata-class stealth-guided missile destroyers (Project 15A) of the Indian Navy.
  • The first two ships to be manufactured under Project 15A were INS Kolkata and INS Kochi.
• INS Chennai was constructed by the Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) at Mumbai.
• It was commissioned into the Indian Navy on November 21, 2016.
• It is placed under the operational and administrative control of the Western Naval Command.

INS Chennai Features

• It is 164 metres long and weighs over 7,500 tonnes. 
• It sails at a top speed of over 30 knots (around 55 km) per hour.
• It is powered by four reversible gas turbine engines.
• It can carry 350 to 400 people.
• It is armed with supersonic surface-to-surface BrahMos missiles and Barak-8Long Rang Surface-to-Air missiles.
• It is fitted with the chaff decoy system ‘Kavach’ for defence against enemy missiles.
• For protection from enemy torpedoes, the ship has been equipped with the torpedo decoy system ‘Mareech’. 
• Both ‘Kavach’ and ‘Mareech’ have been developed in India.
• The ship is designed to carry and operate up to two multi-role combat helicopters.
• The multi-mission ship is highly suited for expeditionary and surface strikes.
• The ship is equipped to fight under nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) warfare conditions.
• It is fitted with a modern Surveillance Radar, which provides target data to the gunnery weapon systems of the ship.

About INS Kesari

• INS Kesari (L15) is a Shardul Class Landing Ship Tank (LST) of the Indian Navy.
• The ship was built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata.
• It was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 5 April 2008.
• The ship is capable of carrying troops, tanks, armored vehicles, and other military equipment.
• It is designed to support amphibious operations and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) missions.

INS Chennai and INS Kesari FAQs

Q1. Which shipyard constructed the INS Chennai?

Ans. Mazagon Dock Limited

Q2. When was INS Chennai commissioned into the Indian Navy?

Ans. November 21, 2016

Q3. Where was INS Kesari built?

Ans. Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata

Source: TRIBUNE