Visakhapatnam-class destroyer

Class overview
Name:	Visakhapatnam class
Builders:	Mazagon Dock Limited
Operators:	Indian Navy
Preceded by:	Kolkata class
In commission:	2016
Building:	2
Planned:	4
General characteristics
Type:	Stealth guided missile destroyer
Displacement:	7,400 t (7,300 long tons; 8,200 short tons)[1]
Length:	163 m (535 ft)
Beam:	17.4 m (57 ft)
Draft:	6.5 m (21 ft) Combined gas and gas system: Twin Zorya M36E gas turbine plants with 4 × DT-59 reversible gas turbines and 2 × RG-54 gearboxes 2 × Bergen/GRSE KVM-diesel engines, 9,900 hp (7,400 kW) each 4 × 1 MWe Wärtsilä WCM-1000 generator sets driving Cummins KTA50G3 engines and Kirloskar 1 MV AC generators
Speed:	In excess of 30 knots (56 km/h)
Range:	4,000 nautical miles (7,400 km; 4,600 mi) at 14 knots (26 km/h; 16 mph)[2]
Crew:	300 (50 officers and 250 sailors)
Sensors and processing systems:	IAI EL/M-2248 MF-STAR S-band AESA multi-function radar Thales LW-08 D-band air search radar BEL HUMSA-NG bow sonar BEL Nagin active towed array sonar
Electronic warfare and decoys:	Elbit Systems Deseaver MK II counter-measures systems and defensive aids suite
Armament:	Anti-air missiles: 4 × 8-cell VLS, for a total of 32 Barak 8 missiles (Range: 0.5 km (0.31 mi) to 70 km (43 mi) Anti-ship/Land-attack missiles: 2 × 8-cell UVLM for 16 BrahMos anti-ship and land-attack missiles Guns: 1 × 127 mm gun Oto Melara SRGM 4 × AK-630 CIWS Anti-submarine warfare: 4 × 533 mm Torpedo tubes 2 × RBU-6000 anti-submarine rocket launchers
Aircraft carried:	2 × Sea King or HAL Dhruv helicopters
Aviation facilities:	Flight deck Dual Enclosed hangar for a combination of 2 Seaking, Chetak or HAL Dhruv helicopters

The Visakhapatnam class (Project 15B) is a class of stealth guided missile destroyers currently being built for the Indian Navy. Based on the Kolkata-class design, the Visakhapatnam class will be an extensively improved version. Ordered in 2011, the first ship is expected to be completed in 2018.^[3][4] Project 15B destroyers will feature enhanced stealth characteristics as well as incorporate state of the art weaponry and sensors including the long range range Barak 8 surface-to-air missile.

Design and construction

In January 2011, the Cabinet Committee on Security gave approval for a follow-on order of four more destroyers under Project 15B. Project 15B will retain the same hull as 15A Kolkata-class destroyers, but there will be significant changes in the superstructure that will improve the ships stealth characteristics, it will incorporate a flush deck, include better acoustic signature and infrared signature reduction systems and more sophisticated weaponry such as: Nirbhay land-attack cruise missiles, supersonic anti-ship BrahMos and Barak 8-ER SAMs.^[5] They will also be capable of operating two helicopters simultaneously. Russia's Baltic Shipyard has been contracted to provide four sets of line shafts by 2017. Saint Petersburg's Northern Design Bureau was consulted during the design phase.^[6][7]

The Indian Navy has reported the ships will have a displacement of 7,300 tons (or 7,400 tonnes),^[1] however, other sources have stated 8,000 tonnes.^[6][7]

The total cost of the project is expected to be 300 billion (US$5 billion). Build-time for Project 15B is expected to be shorter than the Kolkata class, as no major re-designing was be done and would require only the time of ship building. Due to this, each warship is expected to save US$1 billion in costs. The design was finalized and the first destroyer, INS Visakhapatnam was launched on 20 April 2015 and is expected to join the Indian Navy by 2018, and the follow on ships being delivered biennial (Every 2 Years).^[3][4]

The P15-B stealth destroyers have been designed by Indian Navy's in-house unit Directorate of Naval Design. The ship's air defence capability, designed to counter the threat of enemy aircraft and anti-ship cruise missiles, will revolve around the vertical launch and long range supersonic surface-to-surface, air missile system. The system enables the ship to engage shore based and naval surface targets at long range, making it a lethal platform for strike against enemy targets. Four 30 mm rapid-fire guns will provide the ship with close-in-defence capability, while an MR gun will enable her to provide effective naval gunfire support. Indigenously developed twin tube torpedo launchers and rocket launchers will add punch to the ship's, anti-submarine warfare capability.^{[8][9][10][11][12]}

Project 15B Vs Project 15A

The key difference between the Project 15A Kolkata-class destroyer and the Visakhapatnam-class destroyer are not much since they both share the same [[hull {watercraft)|hull]] design. Its however in the internal fitments that separates the 2 destroyer class.^[13]

1. The Visakhapatnam class will be armed with a 127 mm main gun while the Kolkata class are armed with 76mm Super Rapid Gun Mount (SRGM). Both classes share the AK-630 close-in anti-missile gun system.^[13]
2. The sonar of the Visakhapatnam class will be bow mounted and will feature a revised bridge layout.^[13]
3. The design of the mast, which features the main radar has been revised. The Visakhapatnam class will have a full-fledged Total Atmosphere Control System (TAC) to provide its crew greater protection in a nuclear, chemical or biological warfare scenario.^[14][13]
4. The new Visakhapatnam class also features a rail-less helicopter traversing system to secure the helicopter they carry in heavy sea conditions.^[13]
5. Central to the Visakhapatnam class is a network-centric layout. They are equipped with a Ship Data Network (SDN), an Automatic Power Management System and a Combat Management System. Essentially, all information critical for the operation of the warships during all operations is available to key officers through the SDN which the Navy describes as a data information highway.^[13]
6. The Project 15B Visakhapatnam-class destroyers maintain the same hull and propulsion package as the Project 15A Kolkata class. But Russia firm Northern Design Bureau, has been enlisted as design consultant to reduce the size of design's superstructure.^[4]

Ships in class

The four ships of the Project 15B being built at MDL, Mumbai have been designed indigenously by the Directorate of Naval Design, Delhi. With a displacement of 7,300 tons (or 7,400 tonnes), each ship will be span 163 meters in length and 17.4 meters at the beam and will be propelled by four gas turbines to achieve speed in excess of 30 knots. The P15B destroyers incorporate new design concepts for improved survivability, sea keeping, stealth and maneuverability. Enhanced stealth features have been achieved through shaping of hull and use of radar transparent deck fittings which make these ships difficult to detect. These ships will be equipped to carry and operate two multiple role helicopters. These ships are also packed with an array of state of the art weapons and sensors, including vertically launched missile system for long distance engagement of shore and sea-based targets.^[1]

See also

• Future of the Indian Navy
• Project 17A-class frigate - A planned frigate class of the Indian Navy.
• Naval Science and Technological Laboratory

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Visakhapatnam class destroyer.

• Kolkata-class destroyer - Bharat Rakshak
• Aegis Vessels of the World - Kolkata-class - details on the specifications of the ship and recent images of INS Kolkata at sea.

Ship classes of the Indian Navy Aircraft carriers Majestic Viraat (Centaur) Vikramaditya (Kiev) Vikrant* Destroyers Rajput Delhi Kolkata* Visakhapatnam* Frigates Godavari Brahmaputra Talwar Shivalik Project 17A* Corvettes Veer Abhay Khukri Kora Kamorta* Abhay class replacement* Conventional submarines Kalvari (1967) + Vela + Sindhughosh Shishumar Kalvari* Project 75I* Nuclear submarines Attack submarine Charlie + Akula-II Indian SSN* Ballistic missile submarine Arihant** Arihant follow-on** Amphibious warfare ships Kumbhir Magar Shardul Jalashwa Patrol craft Seaward Sukanya Super Dvora Mk II Trinkat Bangaram Car Nicobar Saryu Makar Minesweeper Pondicherry Replenishment ship Deepak Komandarm Fedko Aditya Ambika Tugboats Anand Anjan Arga Balram Bhim Gaj Madan Singh Ferries GSL Manoram Shalimar* Barges Poshak Vipul* Modest* Corporated* Hooghly* Training Tir ABG-class Cadet Training Ship * Under construction/procurement ** SSBN List of active Indian Navy ships Submarines of the Indian Navy List of ships of the Indian Navy