The Visakhapatnam class is a class of stealthguided missile destroyers currently under construction for the Indian Navy. The class comprises four ships - Visakhapatnam, Mormugao, Imphal and Porbandar all of which are being built by the Mazagon Dock Limited in India, and will be the largest destroyers to be operated by the Indian Navy. The destroyers are an improved version of the and will feature enhanced stealth characteristics. The first ship is expected to enter service in 2021.
Development
In January 2011, the Cabinet Committee on Security approved for a follow-on class of the earlier Project 15AKolkata-class destroyers. The aim of the follow-on class was to retain the same hull as the earlier class but incorporate significant changes in the superstructure and improve the ship's stealth characteristics. A total of four destroyers were ordered under Project 15B with a total cost of. However, the overall cost is around which includes a weapons and sensor package cleared in January 2020.
Construction
Construction for the class began in 2013 and the keel of the first ship was laid in October 2013. The build time for the class is expected to be shorter than the Kolkata class, as no major re-designing involved. Due to this, each warship is expected to save US$1 billion in costs. The first ship was launched on 20 April 2015 and is expected to join the Indian Navy by 2021, with the follow on ships being delivered annually.
Design and description
The Visakhapatnam class shares similar dimensions to the previous Kolkata class, however it incorporates a flush deck, a better acoustic signature and infrared signature reduction systems. The class has a displacement of 7,400 tonnes. It has been designed by Indian Navy's in-house unit Directorate of Naval Design. Saint Petersburg's Northern Design Bureau was consulted during the design phase to reduce the size of design's superstructure. Russia's Baltic Shipyard was contracted to provide four sets of line shafts while the Zorya gas turbines of the ship were sourced in Ukraine.L&T has been contracted to provide Integrated Platform Management System, Automated Power Management System, main switchboard, degaussing system and DA local control panels. According to the Indian Navy, 65 percent of the class will be indigenously sourced, including eleven of its weapon and sensor systems. The class have a length of 163 m, a beam of 17.4 m and a draught of 6.5 m and a maximum speed of over 30 knots. Aviation facilities include an enclosed deck and is capable of operating two helicopters simultaneously. The class will be fitted with the Nirbhayland-attack cruise missile, 8-16 supersonic BrahMos anti-ship and land-attack missiles and 32 Barak 8-ER SAMs. All the missiles will be fitted into a Universal Vertical Launcher Module. Four AK-630 close-in weapon systems will provide the ship with close-in-defence capability. Twin tube torpedo launchers and RBU-6000 Smerch-2 rocket launchers will provide anti-submarine warfare capability. The primary radar sensor of the class is the EL/M-2248 MF-STAR multi-mission AESA. It is also equipped with Thales LW-08long range volume search radar. Each ship of the class will have a complement of 50 officers and 250 sailors.
There is little difference in the external appearance of Project 15A Kolkata class and the Project 15B Visakhapatnam as they share the same hull design. However, they differ in internal fitments that separates the two destroyer classes.
