Chennai, the last of indigenously designed and constructed Kolkata-class guided missile destroyers, will be commissioned into the Indian Navy by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday morning,
The development will mark the completion of Project 15 A, one of the ambitious ship-building programmes undertaken by Defence shipyards and Indian Navy. The ships under this programme have been built by Mazagaon Dock Shipbuilders limited, Mumbai.
INS Kolkata, the first of the ships under Project 15 A, was commissioned on August 16 2014, while INS Kochi the second ship of the class was commissioned last year on September 30, 2015.
Following her commissioning, INS Chennai will be placed under the operational and administrative control of the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command. On completion of some additional sea trials of ship-borne systems, she will be assigned to the Western Fleet and would be based at Mumbai.
INS Chennai is among the largest destroyers constructed in India, with a length overall of 164 meters and displacement of over 7,500 tons.
The ship is a potent platform capable of undertaking a variety of tasks and missions, spanning the full spectrum of maritime warfare.
Armed with supersonic Surface to Surface ‘BrahMos’ missiles, and ‘Barak-8’ long Range Surface to Air missiles, the ship possesses formidable prowess of missile technology.
The undersea warfare capable boasts of indigenously developed anti-submarine weapons and sensors, prominently the Hull Mounted Sonar ‘HUMSA-NG’, Heavyweight Torpedo Tube launchers, Rocket launchers and Towed Arrau sonar capability.
For defence against enemy missiles, the ship is fitted with ‘Kavach’ chaff decoy system and for defece against enemy torpedoes, it is fitted with ‘Mareech’ torpedo decoy system, both developed indigenously in India. The ship is designed to carry and operate up to two multi-role helicopters.