Defense Minister of India Rajnath Singh in Mumbai, formally commissioned the maritime war vessel INS Visakhapatnam, the first ever complete stealth-guided missile destroyer ship comes under the Project 15B, of the Indian Navy at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai.
The event was held at the Navak dockyard in Mumbai and had Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh preceded as the Guest of Honour.
Key features of INS Visakhapatnam
The sea vessel is said to be capable of performing multifarious tasks and complete missions in the full spectrum of maritime warfare. The missile destroyer is the latest addition to the maritime force of India and is reportedly equipped with many weapons and high sensors, which includes supersonic sensors, surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles, it also includes combat medium and short-range guns.
The INS Visakhapatnam is also entirely constructed using indigenous DMR 249A steel and is one of the largest destroyers manufactured on Indian soil. It stands at an outstanding overall length of 163 mts and has a displacement of more than 7,400 tons.
The vessel also boasts of a powerful gas-and-gas propulsion which helps it, achieve a speed of over 30 knots. It is also said to house the capability of embarking two integrated helicopters on board.
During the event the defense minister referred to the INS Visakhapatnam as a reminder of India’s maritime strength, shipbuilding skills, and defense history, and called the ship the most technologically advanced stealth guided missile destroyer in the world.
The commissioning event marked the formal induction of the first of the upcoming four ‘Visakhapatnam’ class missile destroyers, into the Indian Navy.
A Message to China
Addressing the commissioning ceremony of INS Visakhapatnam, Defense Minister of India Rajnath Singh took a subtle dig at China and said that ‘some irresponsible nations’ are coming up with unrealistic and wrong definitions of the UN Convention on the maritime regulation.
He emphasized on the need to keep the Indo-Pacific region open for trade, safe and secure, and called it the current primary objective of the Indian Navy.
Back in January the people’s republic of China notified new law of the sea on vessels that will be carrying radioactive materials, bulk oil, chemicals or other supplies to report the details of the cargo- such as the name, the current position, call sign, the next port of call and estimated time of arrival in Chinese waters.
These rules created increased tension between China and other countries. Reportedly the rules were also placed on the disputed areas of South China Sea and the Taiwan straits. Following the announcement, The United States and its allies have been conducting naval expedition in opposition to the new rules in the maritime areas of China.
Talking about the said laws Mr. Rajnath said territorial waters, exclusive economic zones, and the principle of “good order at sea” have been set forth in UNCLOS, which was adopted in 1982 and that “some irresponsible nations” are suddenly coming up with “new and inappropriate interpretations” of the Unted Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) due to their “hegemonic tendencies”
UNCLOS is official legal framework applicable to any movement, transaction and activities on the maritime routes in the sea. Its major role being that of countering illicit activities.
