Blitz Bureau
IN a strategic move to counterbalance China’s increasing naval presence in the Indian Ocean, the Indian Navy is all set to commission two warships and a submarine.The two warships are the guided-missile destroyer INS Surat and the stealth frigate INS Nilgiri, and the diesel-electric submarine INS Vagsheer.
The INS Surat, built under Project 15B by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL), is a 7,400-tonne guided-missile destroyer designed to deliver a formidable punch. Armed with BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, Barak-8 surface-to-air missiles, and advanced antisubmarine weapons like torpedoes and rocket launchers, INS Surat is the Navy’s first AI-enabled warship.
INS Nilgiri, the first ship of the Project 17A class of stealth frigates, showcases advanced design elements like radar-transparent fittings and hull shaping to evade enemy detection.The 6,670-tonne vessel is equipped with cutting-edge weapons and sensors to address threats from enemy submarines, ships, and aircraft.
INS Vagsheer is the final Kalvari-class submarine under Project-75, built in collaboration with French naval defence companies. With advanced stealth capabilities, the 1,600-tonne dieselelectric submarine can operate in all theatres of warfare.