Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today commissioned INS Chennai, a Kolkata-class destroyer warship, into the Indian Navy’s combat fleet at the dockyard in Mumbai.
INS Chennai, the largest-ever warship to be built in India, was built at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd in Mumbai. The ship’s construction also marks the end of the Project 15A to build Kolkata-class guided missile destroyers. It will be placed under the operational and administrative control of the Western Naval Command.
“The ship is equipped with a decoy that can divert a missile attack. Nearly 60% of the ship was built at Mazagon Dock, while weapons and sensors were brought from Israel and Russia. Destroyers are second only to aircraft carriers in projecting raw combat power,” said an official.
Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Sunil Lanba, was also present on the occasion.
“The ship is designed to carry and operate up to two multi-role combat helicopters,” said vice-admiral Girish Luthra (chief of naval command western command).
The Navy plans to become a 200-warship force with around 600 aircraft and helicopters by 2027.
The ship will undergo certain additional sea trials of the ship-borne systems before being assigned to the Western Fleet and based in Mumbai.
