Indian Navy’s new stealth destroyer, Visakhapatnam, designed indigenously and fitted with advanced features, was launched in Mumbai on 20th April 2015.

The Kolkata-class warship, the first of P15-B stealth destroyers, was launched by Minu Dhowan, wife of chief of Naval Staff Admiral R K Dhowan, at Mazagaon Docks Ltd (MDL). 

Always Seek Knowledge:

• Vishkhapatnam is  a 163-metre-long vessel which will be propelled by four gas turbines.
• It is designed to achieve a speed of over 30 knots at a displacement of approximately 7,300 tons.
• The ship weighed approximately 3,000 tons during the launch.
• The indigenous designed stealth destroyer has following advance feature:
  • state-of-the-art weapons
  • sensors
  • an advance Action Information System
  • sophisticated Power Distribution System
  •  a host of other advanced features.
• It will be fitted with supersonic surface-to-surface missile system.
  •  The system enables the ship to engage shore- based and naval surface targets at long range, making it a platform for strike against enemy targets.
• The ship’s air defence capability, designed to counter the threat of enemy aircraft and anti-ship cruise missiles, will revolve around the vertical launch and long range surface to air missile system.
• Four 30mm rapid-fire guns will provide the ship with close-in-defence capability, while an MR gun will enable her to provide effective naval gunfire support.
•  The vessel is follow-on of P15A Kolkata-class destroyers with enhanced features.
• The vessel is expected to be commissioned in the Navy in 2018.
• The P15-B stealth destroyers have been designed by the force’s in-house unit – Directorate of Naval Design.
• The design of Project 15B destroyers is testimony of the Navy’s firm commitment towards achieving indigenisation by using high-end technology in the field of weapons,sensors, machinery and stealth.