India arms with INS Imphal for sea domination amid Indo Pacific play

By Our Special Correspondent

New Delhi, December 26: Commissioning INS Imphal into the Indian Navy, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the warship is “a symbol of India’s growing maritime power and it will strengthen it further. It will bolster our principle of ‘Jalmev Yasya, Balmev Tasya’ (One Who Controls the Sea is All Powerful) in the Indo-Pacific region.”

INS Imphal, a Project 15B stealth guided missile destroyer, was commissioned into the Indian Navy on Tuesday at the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai. It marked the formal induction of the third of four indigenous ‘Visakhapatnam’ class destroyers, being designed by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau and constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai.

Singh said on the occasion: “INS Imphal is a symbol of India’s growing maritime power and it will strengthen it further. It will bolster our principle of ‘Jalmev Yasya, Balmev Tasya’ (One Who Controls the Sea is All Powerful) in the Indo-Pacific region.”

A PIB statement by the Indian Navy said that the “ship measures 163m in length, 17m in breadth with a displacement of 7,400 tonnes and is amongst the most potent warships built in India. It is propelled by four powerful Gas Turbines, in a Combined Gas & Gas configuration, and is capable of speeds in excess of 30 knots.”

The induction of the warship has come amid reports of China rapidly ramping up its fleet of warships for domination of the Indo Pacific and beyond. India being a member country of Quad is in the spotlight of the western allies to raise its naval strength as a counter weight to China.  

Underlining the commitment of India to secure the maritime interests, Singh said in the backdrop of the recent suspected drone attack on Merchant Vessel (MV) Chem Pluto in the Arabian Sea and the attack on ‘MV Sai Baba’ in the Red Sea that “India’s growing economic and strategic power has filled some forces with jealousy and hatred. The Government of India has taken the attacks very seriously and the Navy has increased its surveillance. The perpetrators of these attacks will soon be brought to justice and strict action will be taken against them.”

He also underlined that “India plays the role of a Net Security Provider in the entire Indian Ocean Region. We will ensure that maritime trade in this region touches greater heights. For this, together with our friendly countries, we will keep the sea lanes secure.”

Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar stated that INS Imphal will not only tackle physical threats that emanate from the seas, but will also demonstrate the strength of an integrated country. He said: “INS Imphal will deter the various designs that try to harm national unity. It will breathe fire upon the enemy and demonstrate unflinching resolve in the face of adversity.”

INS Imphal has the unique distinction of being the first warship to be named after a city in the North-east. The PIB said in a media statement that “the keel of INS Imphal was laid on May 19, 2017 and the ship was launched on April 20, 2019. The ship sailed for her maiden sea sortie on April 28, 2023, and underwent comprehensive trials in harbour & at sea, with its delivery on October 20, 2023 marking a record time frame of less than six months. The time taken to build INS Imphal and undergo trials has been the shortest for any indigenous destroyer. The ship successfully completed the first-ever test-firing of extended range Brahmos missile prior to its commissioning, making it ‘weapon-ready’.”

The ship has a total complement of about 315 personnel, and is commanded by Captain KK Choudhury, a Gunnery and Missiles specialist. It will augment the Navy’s mobility, reach and flexibility in safeguarding the nation’s maritime security and interests.

The media statement also stated: “INS Imphal has enhanced stealth features resulting in a reduced Radar Cross Section, achieved through efficient shaping of hull, full beam superstructure design, plated masts and use of radar transparent material on exposed decks. It is armed with sophisticated state-of-the-art weapons and sensors, including Surface-to-Surface Missiles, Surface-to-Air Missiles, Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) rocket launchers & Torpedo launchers, ASW helicopters, radars, sonar and Electronic Warfare systems. The ship is equipped to fight under Nuclear, Biological and Chemical warfare conditions.”

The Chief of the Naval Staff exuded confidence that the fourth Project 15B stealth guided missile destroyer ‘Surat’ will be commissioned in 2024. Prior to the commissioning of INS Imphal, two destroyers of the same class INS Visakhapatnam and INS Mormugao were commissioned into the Navy in 2021 & 2022 respectively.

Admiral R Hari Kumar pointed out that to counter piracy & drone attacks on merchant shipping, the Indian Navy has deployed four destroyers of Project 15B & 15A class deployed. He added that the P8I Aircraft, Dorniers, Sea Guardians, Helicopters & Coast Guard Ships have all been deployed jointly to counter these threats.

A unique feature of this ship is the high level of indigenization of about 75%, with Singh saying: “Brahmos Aerospace installed Brahmos missile on the ship. Torpedo tube launchers are of Larsen & Toubro (L&T). Rapid Gun Mount has been installed by Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), and Medium Range missiles by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL). In addition, many start-ups and MSMEs are involved in its construction.”

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