TSAMTO, December 20. On December 18, the Ministry of Defense of India announced the ceremony of the adoption of the second URO-class destroyer "Visakhapatnam" ("Project-15B"), (D67) "Mormugao", which took place at the shipyard in Mumbai.
The event was attended by Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh.
The destroyer "Mormugao" was built at the enterprise of the shipbuilding company Mazagon Docks Limited (MDL) in Mumbai according to a project developed by the Directorate of Design of the Indian Navy (Directorate of Naval Design – DND). The ship was handed over to the Indian Navy on November 24, 2021 (almost 3 months earlier than the deadline specified in the contract). Its tests began on December 19, 2021. As planned, the destroyer will become part of the fleet of the Western Command of the Indian Navy.
As stated, the volume of national content in the design of the ship is about 75%. The officials who spoke during the ceremony drew attention to the great successes achieved by India in the design and construction of warships over the past decade, as well as the commitment of the country's authorities to support efforts to turn India into a global shipbuilding center.
As reported by TSAMTO, the Security Committee of the Government of India approved the construction of four inconspicuous destroyers under the "Project-15B" program in December 2010. The contract for their supply to the Indian Navy was signed on January 28, 2011. The cost of the order was 293.4 billion ind. rupees ($4.89 billion).
The launch ceremony of the lead ship of the series, named "Visakhapatnam", took place on April 20, 2015. The destroyer was transferred to the Indian Navy on October 28, 2021 and entered the fleet in November 2021.
The laying of the keel of the second destroyer of the series, Mormugao, took place in June 2015, the launching ceremony was held on September 17, 2016.
The third ship of the series, Imphal, was launched on April 20, 2019, and the fourth, Surat, was launched on May 17, 2022. It is planned that Imfal will be put into service in 2023. The project is planned to be fully completed by 2024.
The Visakhapatnam-class destroyers are a development of the Project-15A destroyer squadron, the first of which, the Calcutta, was put into service in August 2014. The key differences between the new ship and the Project-15A destroyers are the transfer of the GAS to the bow; the design of the mast on which the main radar is located has been modified in order to reduce radar visibility. Other changes include an improved hull for low visibility and a trackless system for towing the helicopter to the hangar.
The length of the destroyer "Project-15B" is 163.9 m, the maximum width is 17.7 m, displacement is 7,400 tons. The COGAG-type power plant with four DT-59 gas turbine engines allows you to reach speeds of more than 30 knots. The range is 4,500 nautical miles at a speed of 18 knots. The crew of the ship is 360 people, including 50 officers.
The destroyer is equipped with a multifunctional radar EL/M-2248 E/F-band of the Israeli company Elta, an air control radar RAWL-02 Mk.3 (LW08) D-band, Terma's SCANTER 6002 I-band radar, HUMSA-NG GAS. The ship is armed with a 76-mm Super Rapid Oto Melara AU, four 30-mm AK-630M ZAK, a PU with 16 Brahmos anti-ship cruise missiles of Russian-Indian design, 32 Barak-8/Barak-ER missiles, RBU-6000 Smerch-2, 4 torpedo tubes with 533 mm torpedoes. Two "Sicking" helicopters can be placed on board.
