The second ship of Project 15B stealth-guided missile destroyers, Y12705 (Mormugao), being built at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in the city, was handed over to the Indian Navy on 24 November.
The contract for four ships of Project 15B was signed on January 28, 2011. This project is a continuation of the Kolkata class destroyers, which were part of Project 15A and were commissioned in the previous decade. Last November, the project’s lead ship, INS Visakhapatnam, was commissioned into service.
“Designed by the Warship Design Bureau, Indian Navy’s in-house organisation, and built by MDL, the four ships of the project are christened after major cities from all four corners of the country – Visakhapatnam, Mormugao, Imphal and Surat,” the ministry of defence said in a press release.
The keel of Mormugao was laid in June 2015 and the ship was launched on September 17, 2016. The design has largely maintained the hull form, propulsion machinery, many platform equipment, and major weapons and sensors as the Kolkata class to benefit from series production.
The ship is 163 metres long and 17 metres wide, displaces 7,400 tonnes when fully loaded and has a maximum speed of 30 knots. Apart from myriad indigenous equipment in the ‘Float’ and ‘Move’ categories, the destroyer is also installed with under-mentioned major indigenous weapons. The overall indigenous content of the project is approximately 75%.
Mormugao has medium range surface-to-air missiles made by BEL, Bangalore; BrahMos surface-to-surface missiles designed and made by BrahMos Aerospace, New Delhi; indigenous torpedo tube launchers and anti-submarine indigenous rocket launchers made by Larsen and Toubro, Mumbai; and 76-mm super rapid gun mount by BHEL, Haridwar.
The ship had sailed out for her maiden sortie on December 19, 2021 to coincide with the Goa Liberation Day and the ship has now been delivered.
“The delivery of Mormugao is an affirmation of the impetus being given by the government of India and the Indian Navy towards ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ as part of celebration of the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’. The early induction of the destroyer, almost three months prior to the contractual date, despite the COVID-19 challenges, is a tribute to the collaborative efforts of a large number of stakeholders and would enhance the maritime prowess of the country in the Indian Ocean Region,’’ an Indian Navy spokesperson said.
