INDIA. Mumbai: Indian Naval Ship (INS) Mormugao (D-67), the second warship of the P15B class of stealth guided-missile destroyers, was commissioned in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai on Sunday.
On his arrival, Singh was presented with a guard of honor. The Commanding Officer, Captain Kapil Bhatia, then read out the Ship’s Commissioning Warrant.
The Naval Ensign was hoisted onboard for the first time, and the Commissioning Pennant broke (unfurled) on the main mast while the Naval Band played the national anthem. Singh unveiled the Commissioning Plaque, dedicating the ship to the nation’s service.
The event marked the formal induction of the second of the four ‘Visakhapatnam’ class destroyers, indigenously designed by the Indian Navy’s in-house organization Warship Design Bureau and constructed by the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai.
In his address, Singh described INS Mormugao as one of the most powerful indigenously-built warships, which will significantly enhance the country’s maritime capabilities and secure national interests.
“She is one of the world’s most technologically-advanced missile carriers. With over 75% indigenous content, it is a testimony to India’s excellence in designing and developing warships. The warship will meet the present and future needs of our country and our friendly countries across the globe,” he said.
“We are now among the top five economies of the world. According to a report by investment firm Morgan Stanley, we will be among the top three economies in the next five years,” Singh said.
He also paid glowing tributes to former Defence Minister late Manohar Parrikar, who hailed from Goa and had launched INS Mormugao in 2016.
Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar, in his speech, stated that the commissioning of INS Mormugao is indicative of the large strides India has taken in warship design and building capability over the last decade.
He added that the warship is a true illustration of the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make in India’ initiatives. It reinforces the Navy’s commitment to supporting India’s transformation into a global ship-building hub.
INS Mormugao
Measuring 163m in length and 17m in breadth with a displacement of 7,400 tonnes, INS Mormugao is packed with sophisticated state-of-the-art weapons and sensors such as Surface-to-Surface Missiles and Surface-to-Air Missiles.
The ship is fitted with a modern Surveillance Radar which provides target data to the gunnery weapon systems.
Its Anti-Submarine Warfare capabilities are provided by indigenously-developed Rocket Launchers, Torpedo Launchers, and ASW helicopters.
Named after the historic port city of Goa on the west coast, the ship is equipped to fight under Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical warfare conditions. INS Mormugao has a complement of about 300 personnel.
History
The ship was launched on September 17, 2016, and commenced sea trials on December 19, 2021, coinciding with 60 years of Goa Liberation.
The commissioning on December 18 is significant as it was the same date in 1961 when Operation Vijay was launched to liberate Goa from Portuguese rule.
Goa Governor PS Sreedharan Pillai, Goa CM Dr. Pramod Sawant, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command Vice Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh and CMD, MDL Vice Admiral Narayan Prasad (Retd) also attended the commissioning function.
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