Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral RK Dhowan on Tuesday heaped praise on the Directorate of Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) and the industry for contributing relentlessly towards achieving the Indian Navy’s dream of transforming itself from a “Buyers Navy” to a “Builders Navy”.
Speaking at a magnificent ceremony by the Mazagaon Dock limited (MDl) to launch the First ship of Project - 15B, Guided Missile Destroyer, christened ‘Visakhapatnam’, Admiral Dhowan also lauded the contributions made by MDl in meeting the growing requirements of the Navy. He was laso also commended the efforts put in by DGND (SSG) and his team in the design of the state of the art warships.
Admiral Dhowan commended the efforts put in by the Director General of Naval Design (SSG) and his team in the design of the state-of- the-art warships. In keeping with the nautical traditions, the ship was launched by Mrs Minu Dhowan, wife of The Chief of the Naval Staff. After an invocation to the Gods was recited, she broke a coconut on ship’s bow, named the ship and wished the ship and “crew to be”, good luck.
To be propelled by four gas turbines, the new vessel has been designed to achieve a speed of over 30 knots at a displacement of approx 7,300 tonnes. This indigenously designed stealth destroyer will have state-of-the-art weapons, sensors, an advance Action Information System, in Integrated Platform Management system, sophisticated Power Distribution System and a host of other advancedfeatures.