New destroyer Visakhapatnam all set for launch into sea

New Delhi: Indian Navy's new destroyer, Visakhapatnam, with enhanced capability to operate in nuclear, biological and chemical atmosphere. It is set to be launched on April 20 in Mumbai.

The ship is the first of the four follow-up order of the Kolkata class warships and will give a major flip to India's maritime capabilities when it is inducted in 2018.

Launch of the ship means that it is being put into the sea. The total cost of the project is little over Rs 29,600 Crores.

"Kolkata Class did not have a full-fledged Total Atmosphere Control System (TAC). The TAC system provides you with the capability of operating in a fall-out region, be it a nuclear, chemical or biological almost endlessly...Because the complete air being taken inside is through nuclear, biological and chemical filters except in the machinery compartment," Rear Admiral A K Saxena, Director General (Naval Design) told reporters here.

Those entering the machinery compartment in a fall-out region will have to wear specialised masks to protect themselves.

The ship, named Visakhapatnam (Project 15 B), a stealth destroyer, is 65 percent indigenous and has a number of weapon systems which have been made at home.

At 7,300 tonnes, Visakhapatnam will be the largest destroyer commissioned by the Indian Navy and will be equipped with the Israeli Multi Function Surveillance Threat Alert Radar (MF-STAR).

This will provide targeting information to 32 Barak 8 long-range surface to air missiles onboard the warship, that is being co-developed by India with Israel.

The Barak 8 missile is being integrated in to the Navy's new destroyer, INS Kolkata and will be test-fired by October, Navy officials said.

The ship will also be carrying 8 BrahMos missiles.

Project 15 and Project 15-B will share the same hull-design and Ukrainian-built Zorya gas turbines.

Navy officials said the Visakhapatnam is likely to be inducted in the Indian Navy by 2018.

INS Vikramaditya to get air defence system India's largest warship INS Vikaramaditya will finally get its own air defence system, courtesy another ship that may be decommissioned soon. The Navy plans to transfer an Israeli Barak missile system from a Godavari-class ship to the aircraft carrier that was bought from the Russians.

This will be a shot in the arm for the over Rs 15,000- crore aircraft carrier that has been without a defence system, since it joined the Indian Navy in November 16, 2013.

"We have a plan to install a system from one of our ships, which perhaps may be decommissioned at a subsequent stage. The system is operational and we have certain plans," Vice-Admiral A V Subhedar, Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition told reporters here.

The aircraft carrier does not have any self-defence weapons on board, barring a chaff and flare system. An escort group of warships had been sent to Russia to bring the carrier to India.

The new installation will take place during the ongoing 'short refit' that is been carried out on the carrier at Karwar.

Interestingly, it does not even have a close-in weapon system (CIWS) to shoot down incoming air attacks at very close range.

Sources said a CIWS, again from a Godavari-class ship, will also be installed on it during the ongoing refit. Vikramaditya, a floating airfield, has an overall length of about 284 metres and a maximum beam of about 60 metres, stretching as much as three football fields put together.

Standing about 20 storeys tall from the keel to the highest point, the ship has a total of 22 decks and carries 1,600 personnel.

Its logistics requirements include nearly a lakh of eggs, 20,000 litres of milk and 16 tonnes of rice per month. With her complete stock of provisions, she is capable of sustaining herself at sea for about 45 days.

It is a modified Kiev-class aircraft carrier, which was purchased by India from Russia for the Indian Navy in 2013.

The ship has been renamed in honour of Vikramaditya, a legendary 1st century BC emperor.

Originally built as Baku and commissioned in 1987, the carrier served with the Soviet (until the dissolution of the Soviet Union) and Russian Navies before being decommissioned in 1996, it being too expensive to operate.