Naval Systems – Surface Fleet
While submarines fight silently underwater, the surface fleet projects India’s power visibly across the oceans. Among surface ships, guided-missile destroyers are the most critical fighting units.
What is a Missile Destroyer?
In naval warfare, a destroyer is a fast, heavily armed, and highly manoeuvrable warship. Its primary role is to escort larger, more vulnerable vessels (like aircraft carriers or merchant ships) in a fleet and defend them against enemy attacks. After an aircraft carrier, guided-missile destroyers are the largest and most potent warships operated by the Indian Navy.
1. Project 15A: The Kolkata-Class Destroyers
To modernize its surface fleet, the Indian Navy initiated Project 15A to build advanced stealth destroyers.
- The Ships: This class consists of three warships: INS Kolkata, INS Kochi, and INS Chennai.
- Manufacturer: All three ships were designed by the Navy’s internal design bureau and built indigenously by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai.
- Significance: These were India’s first heavily stealth-focused destroyers. Their exterior shape was specifically designed to reflect enemy radar waves away, making these massive ships appear very small on enemy radar screens.
2. Project 15B: The Visakhapatnam-Class Destroyers
To build upon the success of the Kolkata-class, the government sanctioned Project 15B. These are the next-generation stealth guided-missile destroyers. They share the same basic hull (outer body) as the Kolkata class but incorporate significant internal upgrades, better automation, and even higher stealth capabilities.
- The Four Ships: The ships under this project are named after major Indian cities from all four corners of the country. All four ships have now been successfully commissioned into the active fleet:
- INS Visakhapatnam: The lead ship of the project.
- INS Mormugao: Named after the historic port city in Goa.
- INS Imphal: The first Indian naval warship to be named after a city in the Northeast.
- INS Surat: The fourth and final ship of the class, commissioned recently in January 2025.
- High Indigenisation (Atmanirbhar Bharat): These ships are a major milestone in self-reliance. They feature approximately 75% indigenous content, meaning the majority of the steel, weapons, and sensors were manufactured within India.
3. Key Features of Modern Indian Destroyers (Project 15B)
The Visakhapatnam-class ships are floating fortresses packed with advanced technology:
- Total Atmospheric Control System (TACS): In modern warfare, threats are not just explosive. These modern warships are equipped with TACS, a system that filters the air conditioning to protect the crew from chemical, biological, or nuclear attacks.
- Network-Centric Warfare: They are equipped with highly sophisticated digital networks, such as a Combat Management System (CMS). This acts as the “brain” of the ship, allowing it to process battle data instantly and coordinate attacks simultaneously with other friendly ships and aircraft.
- Propulsion: They use a powerful engine system called COGAG (Combined Gas and Gas). This allows these massive 7,400-tonne ships to reach impressive speeds of over 30 knots (about 56 km/h).
4. Major Weapons and Firepower
Both the Kolkata-class and Visakhapatnam-class destroyers are heavily armed to fight simultaneously in all three dimensions of naval warfare: air, surface, and underwater.
- Anti-Surface Warfare (Attacking Ships): They are equipped with vertically launched BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles. These provide the destroyers with long-range strike capabilities against enemy ships and land-based targets.
- Air Defence (Attacking Aircraft): They carry the Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) system, co-developed with Israel (based on the Barak-8 missile). This creates a protective shield over the ship, shooting down incoming enemy fighter jets, drones, and anti-ship missiles.
- Anti-Submarine Warfare (Hunting Submarines): To hunt hidden enemy submarines beneath the waves, these ships carry indigenous torpedo tube launchers and anti-submarine rocket launchers. Furthermore, they feature a flight deck and a hangar that can carry two multi-role helicopters (like the ALH Dhruv or Sea King) to drop depth charges on submarines from the air.
