Indian Navy To Get Second Project 15B Guided Missile Destroyer This Week

The Indian Navy’s second guided missile destroyer will be launched in Mumbai this Saturday.

The Project 15B ship christened 'Mormugao' being built by the Mazgoan Shipyard will also outsource work for 10 blocks to involve private ship building yard in the program.

Vice admiral GS Pabby, controller warship production and acquisition, said that in last one year the Indian navy has inducted five ships, which includes three warships, Pabby said this is the first time the naval forces have built so many ships of a class, -- 10 ships of 15, A and B class - and this process has helped in indigenisation.

In 2011, the government had sanctioned four 15B ships at the cost of Rs 29,700 crores (US $4.4 billion).

The first ship of the project, guided-missile destroyer ‘Visakhapatnam’, was launched on April 20 last year.

During launching ceremony the hull of the ship which is constructed on dry area is floated on water for the first time. It is a milestone event for any vessel.

“The last six years can be called the golden years of Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders. Since 2010, the yard has delivered one major warship platform to Indian Navy almost every year.”

“Commencing with the stealth frigate INS Shivalik, delivered in 2010, the yard dedicated to the nation INS Satpura and INS Sahyadri in the same class.”

MDL is also constructing six Scorpene class submarines for the Indian Navy under a transfer of technology from DCNS of France. The first boat in this class, Kalvari, will be commissioned into the fleet soon. The launch of the second boat is slated later this year.

The yard is now ready with the augmented facility created recently for a second line of submarines.