Recently, the indian Navy's Type 15B destroyer's first ship, the Visakhapatnam, was officially commissioned. The ship was designed independently by the Indian Naval Design Bureau and built by the Mumbai Mazagaon Dockyard Company and is a successor to the Type 15 Delhi-class and Type 15A Kolkata-class destroyers.
▲ Destroyer USS Visakhapatnam of the Indian Navy
Background
Previously, the Indian Navy's main destroyers had 11 of three types, including three Type 15 "Delhi" class, three Type 15A "Kolkata" class, and 5 "Rajput" class. In recent years, in order to suppress the navies of neighboring countries, prevent the navies of other major powers from entering the Indian Ocean, and maximize the control of the Indian Ocean waters, the Indian Navy has begun to fully develop ship equipment. In order to strengthen its combat capabilities in the open seas, the Indian Navy began to focus on the development of the Type 15B Visakhapatnam-class destroyers, and in January 2011 signed a contract with the Mazagaon Dockyard Company to build four. The first vessel, Visakhapatnam (D66), was laid with keels in October 2013, launched in April 2015 and commissioned in November 2021.
▲ The Indian destroyer Bangalore launched an extended range BrahMos missile
▲ Indian destroyer USS Visakhapatnam
Performance characteristics
The Vishakhapatnam class has a displacement of more than 7,400 tons, a length of 163 meters, a width of 17.4 meters and a draft of 6.5 meters. The power plant is four gas turbines with a maximum speed of 30 knots and an endurance of 4,000 nautical miles at 18 knots. The hull is designed and materialized with stealth in mind. The ship is equipped with medium-range ship-to-air missiles, anti-ship missiles, 76 mm naval guns, torpedo tubes, anti-submarine rocket launchers, anti-submarine helicopters, close defense weapon systems and other weapons.
Impact analysis
1. Improve the surface main battleship ship's ocean combat capability. In the future, the Indian Navy destroyers will be composed of the Type 15A Kolkata class and the Type 15B Visakhapatnam class, which will become the main force in the Indian Navy's ocean-going operations.
2. Promote local shipbuilding capacity and industrial construction. In recent years, India has begun to transition from importation, imitation, and independent research and development. Including the construction of the "Vikrant" aircraft carrier, the localization of the equipment on the Type 15B ship, the bidding for the construction of dock transport ships for local enterprises, and so on. These measures are aimed at promoting the construction of the indigenous ship industry and supporting facilities, and seeking industrial capabilities that match the needs of naval equipment development.
3. Be wary of the threat posed to me by Indian sea forces. India has continuously strengthened the construction of naval equipment, changed its operational thinking from "coastal defense" and "regional deterrence" to "ocean-going attack", and built a force structure and equipment system with strategic nuclear submarines and aircraft carrier formations as the core, with a view to realizing the "two-ocean strategy".
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