India receives first-in-class P15B destroyer
The first-of-class Project 15B destroyer, INS Visakhapatnam, is expected to be commissioned into the Indian Navy soon. (IN)
The Indian Navy should commission its first Visakhapatnam-class destroyer shortly after it was handed over by its shipbuilder.
The Indian Navy (IN) received its first of four 163m-long Project 15B destroyers — to be named INS Visakhapatnam (D66) — from Mazagon Docks Limited (MDL) in Mumbai on 28 October.
Its introduction has been repeatedly delayed, as Visakhapatnam was laid down in October 2013 and launched in April 2015. A drawn-out delivery process is expected to culminate later in November with a commissioning ceremony.
The IN commented: ‘Induction of the destroyer will not only enhance combat readiness, but will also be a major leap forward towards our quest for Aatmanirbhar Bharat [self-reliant India].’
Visakhapatnam was designed by the IN’s Directorate of Naval Design
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