November 21 will be a red-letter day for India's "Make in India" initiative, especially in defence manufacturing. The country's third indigenously-designed and built missile destroyer INS Chennai will be commissioned, giving a fillip to its capabilities in building naval vessels.
The INS Chennai will not only bolster the Western Naval Command's ability to launch guided missiles but also enable launch of anti-submarine, anti-air and anti-surface operations.
The INS Chennai is the last of the three ships to be built under Project 15A, with the other two being the INS Kolkata and the INS Kochi, reports IANS.
The INS Kolkata was the first to be commissioned, in 2014.
Maufactured by the Mumbai-based Mazagaon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd., the INS Chennai belongs to the Kolkata-class of destroyers and will be placed under the operational and administrative control of the Western Naval Command after additional sea trials of the ship-borne systems.
In line with other modern naval ships, the INS Chennai features high level of automation with sophisticated digital networks that include TM-based integrated ship data network, combat management systems, automatic power management system and auxiliary control system.
The INS Chennai is expected to sail with the Sanskrit motto 'Shatro Sanharaka', meaning Vanquisher of Enemies.
INS Chennai at a glance
Length: 164 meters long
Speed: Top speed of over 30 knots (around 55km) per hour
Displacement: Over 7,500 tons
Weapons: Supersonic BrahMos cruise missile, Barak-8' long range surface to air missiles (LRSAM), indigenously developed anti-submarine weapons. It also features close-in weapon system and marine artillery gun.
Decoys: 'Kavach' chaff decoy system, against enemy torpedoes and indigenously developed Mareech' torpedo decoy system.
Systems: Sensors include Hull Mounted Sonar 'HUMSA-NG', Heavyweight Torpedo Tube Launchers, Rocket Launchers and towed array sonar capability.
Engine: The vessel is powered by a powerful combined gas and propulsion plant with four reversible gas turbines.
Aircraft it can carry: The ship can carry two multi-role helicopters, which is mostly expected to be a Sea King and an HAL Dhruv.
