Navy to launch 6,500-tonne stealth destroyer tomorrow

The Navy is all set to launch a stealth destroyer capable of carrying nuclear warheads here tomorrow.

The 6,500-tonne warship, INS Kochi, was indigenously built by Mumbai-based Mazagon Dock Ltd and designed by the Directorate of Naval Design. It will add to the existing Delhi class fleet comprising INS Delhi, INS Mysore and INS Mumbai, according to a press release.

In keeping with the tradition, the warship will be launched by Madhulika Verma, the wife of Naval chief Admiral Nirmal Verma.

INS Kochi has advanced stealth features that make it less vulnerable to detection by enemy radar. Its weapons system include the nuclear capable supersonic BrahMos surface-to-surface missile and long range surface-to-air missiles, the release said.

It also has a multi-function radar system for acquiring data on surface and air targets. The ship will also be fitted with indigenously built twin-tube torpedo launchers and anti-submarine rocket launchers. The maximum speed of the ship is above 30 knots, the release said.

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 constraints and permits launching of heavier vessels.