Guwahati: India is set to give its maritime capability a major boost with the commissioning of the indigenously-built stealth-guided missile destroyer INS Imphal on Tuesday.
The ship, equipped with BrahMos surface-to-surface missiles, is the first warship to be named after a city from the Northeastern region, and its arrival comes at a time of increasing Chinese activity in the Indian Ocean region.
The commissioning of INS Imphal is a significant milestone for India’s shipbuilding industry.
The ship is a potent and versatile platform, equipped with state-of-the-art weapons and sensors, including surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship missiles, and torpedoes.
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It boasts a high indigenous content of approximately 75%, including BrahMos missiles, medium-range surface-to-air missiles, anti-submarine indigenous rocket launchers, and a 76mm super rapid gun mount.
Measuring 164 metres in length, the ship can travel at speeds over 30 knots (56 km/hour).
It will be loaded with BrahMos missiles, medium-range surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship missiles, torpedoes and a 76mm super rapid gun mount.
The INS Imphal will also have anti-submarine warfare capabilities with Indigenous rocket launchers, torpedo launchers and anti-submarine warfare helicopters.
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The commissioning ceremony of the INS Imphal will be held on Tuesday (December 26, 2023) at the naval dockyard in Mumbai.
The ship marks the formal induction of the third of the four ‘Visakhapatnam’ class destroyers, designed by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau.
The naming of the ship after Imphal, the capital city of Manipur, is a tribute to the region’s importance in India’s national security and prosperity.
Imphal has played a significant role in India’s history, from the Anglo-Manipur War of 1891 to Netaji Subash Chandra Bose’s hoisting of the INA flag in 1944.