News Highlights
INS Surat and Udayagiri ships launched by the Defense Minister at Mazagon Docks Limited (MDL) in Mumbai under Project 15B and ‘Project 17A’ programme respectively.
INS Surat
- INS Surat is the fourth and the last ship of the 7,400-tonne Project 15B Indian Navy Destroyers.
- After the lead vessel, INS Visakhapatnam, these are known as the Visakhapatnam class.
- Surat, Gujarat’s commercial city, has a long marine and shipbuilding heritage, and the destroyer is named after it.
- The INS Surat was created utilising the Block construction method, which includes constructing the hull in two sites and then joining them together at one hub.
INS Udayagiri
- The third ship of the Project 17A Frigates is the INS Udaygiri. It is named after the Andhra Pradesh mountain range in India.
Project-15B
- Constructing Agency – M/s Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai.
- In 2011, a contract for the building of these four ships was signed.
- These ships are among the world’s most technologically advanced guided missile destroyers, featuring cutting-edge weapon and sensor packages, extensive stealth features, and a high level of automation.
- Features
- These ships are armed with BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles as well as long-range SAMs (SAM).
- The ship is equipped with a variety of indigenous weapons systems, including medium-range Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAMs), indigenous torpedo tube launchers, indigenous anti-submarine rocket launchers, and a 76-mm super fast gun mount.
- Other destroyer build under this project – INS Visakhapatnam , INS Mormugao , INS Imphal
Project 17A
- Project launched in 2015.
- Constructing Agency – M/s Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai.
- It entails the construction of seven stealth frigates at a cost of Rs 50,000 crore.
- Features
- These frigates will be equipped with cutting-edge sensors and top-of-the-line stealth capabilities.
- Also featuring BrahMos supersonic surface-to-surface missiles.
- Torpedoes and rockets will be used to attack submarines, as well as rapid-fire cannons to destroy anti-ship missiles and a large main gun to engage ships and coastal targets.
Difference between Destroyer and Frigates
- Destroyers
- A destroyer is a quick, manoeuvrable, long-range warship designed to escort and defend larger boats in a fleet, convoy, or battle group from formidable short-range assaults.
- Destroyers were the global standard for surface combatant ships at the turn of the twenty-first century.
- The majority of destroyers have guided missile systems.
- Frigates
- A frigate is a sort of warship that has evolved in size and function over time.
- A frigate was any warship built for speed and manoeuvrability in the 17th century, with the term “frigate-built” being commonly employed.
- Frigates are utilized as anti-submarine warfare (ASW) combatants for amphibious expeditionary troops, underway replenishment groups, and merchant convoys in modern fleets.
Pic Courtesy : Business Standard
Content Source : The Hindu