Having inducted successfully Delhi-class and Kolkata-class destroyer ships, the Indian Navy is now working of “next generation destroyers” which are expected to give an edge to the three-dimensional blue-water force.
Confirming this, Vice Admiral Girish luthra, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command (WNC), said on Friday: “We are now planning and conceptualising next generation destroyers which would be new in design and more potent”.
During his interactions with media persons on board the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, Vice Admiral luthra said that the Navy top brass would take up the proposal with the Government of India in due course of time.
“These (the next-generation destroyers) will have additional features than the Project 15, Project 15 A and Project 15 B,” Vice Admiral luthra said.
The Project 15 and Project 15 A class of ships have been commissioned. While the Project 15 involved Delhi-class destroyers INS Delhi, INS Mysore and INS Mumbai, the Project 15 A include the Kolkata-class destroyers INS Kolkata, INS Kochi and INS Chennai.
Two Project 15 B class of destroyers – better known as the Visakhapatnam-class class ships — two are under production now. They are: Visakhapatnam and Mormugao. While the first one is expected to be commissioned in 2018, the next in the series is expected in 2020. The two others planned in the series are Paradip and Porbunder.