The second of the three Project 15-A stealth destroyers was launched on Friday by Madhulika Verma, wife of Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Nirmal Verma.
The 6500-ton ship, to be named INS Kochi, is being built by Mazagon Docks Limited in Mumbai.
Designed indigenously by the Directorate of Naval Design, these are follow-on of the existing Delhi Class destroyers -- INS Delhi, INS Mysore and INS Mumbai.
The ship has advanced stealth features, which make it less vulnerable to detection by enemy radar and will be fitted with state-of-the-art weapon systems, which include the supersonic BrahMos surface-to-surface missile, the LRSAM Long Range Surface-to-Air Missiles and the MFStar multi-function
In addition, four AK-630 rapid-fire guns and a medium range gun will boost the ship's close-range defence capability.
The ships will also be fitted with indigenously developed twin-tube torpedo launchers and anti-submarine rocket launchers, the NPOL developed Humsa-NG hull-mounted sonar, and two multi-role helicopters adding punch to the ship's anti-submarine capability.
The maximum speed of the ship is above 30 knots.
The destroyer will be launched using the pontoon-assisted launch technique -- to be employed for the first time in the history of Indigenous warship building. This technique helps in overcoming slipway/draft constraints and permits launching of heavier vessels.
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