INS Imphal

INS Imphal was launched under the project of 15B and it was the third guided-missile destroyer ship that was launched under this project. The first ship under the 15B project was INS Visakhapatnam (April 2015), and the second ship that was launched under this project was named INS Mormugao (September 2016). The ship INS Imphal was named according to the memory of an Indian soldier who fought in the Battle of Imphal during World War II. It happened for the first time that an Indian Navy ship was named the same as the name of a city in Northeast India.

INS Imphal

INS Imphal was a guided-missile destroyer and the third ship of the Visakhapatnam class of the Indian Navy. The Visakhapatnam class i.e. Project 15B is a modern and developed version of the Kolkata class i.e. Project 15A. The Kolkata class and the Visakhapatnam class has similar dimension, but the Visakhapatnam class involves some notable changes like an improved version of the acoustic signature reduction system, an infrared signature reduction system, and a flash deck. There is also some technical difference between Kolkata-class and Visakhapatnam-class:

• The sonar is placed from the hull to the bow.
• A tail-less helicopter traversing system is incorporated to secure the helicopter.
• A revised bridge mast design and layout were incorporated to reduce radar cross-section.
• A network-centric layout is introduced with, an (APMS) Automatic Power Management System, a (CMS) Combat Management System, and an (SND) Ship Data Network.
• The class is armed with a 127 mm main gun.

INS Imphal was launched on 20th April 2019 and the foundation of this destroyer ship was laid down on 19th May 2017. INS Imphal was constructed at Mazagon Dock Limited (MLD), the operator of this destroyer ship was the Indian Navy and the design was made by the Indian Navy’s Director of Naval Design and is guessed to be commissioned by the year 2023. The length of this ship is 535 ft or 163 m the beam is 57 ft or 17.4m and the draft of the ship is 21 ft or 6.5 m with 3037 tonnes of weight and displaces 7300 tonnes. The Chief Naval Staff, Admiral Sunil Lanba along with Reena Lanba, his wife was present on the day when the INS Imphal touched the water for the first time at 12:20 p.m., the ceremony was organized at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders, Mumbai. Reena Lanba broke a coconut and inaugurated the INS Imphal, a third ship of the Visakhapatnam class. A Defence spokesperson, Admiral Sunil Lanba conveyed that for achieving more than 30 knots speed, the ships need to be propelled by adding four gas turbines. For improvement of the destroyer ship regarding sea keeping, improved survivability, ship maneuverability, and stealth the 15B project of warships should include new concepts of design. The INS Imphal is identified by its Pennant number D68. This warship has the capacity of 300 crew members that are divided into 50 officers and 259 sailors. The aviation facilities include a flight deck and enclosed helicopter hanger that is two multi-role helicopters can be accommodated here. The sensor and processing system in the INS Imphal includes Radars (IAI EL/M-2248 MF-STAR S-Band AESA radar, BEL RAWL-02/LW-08 L-Band air-search radar, and Terma/Tata Scanter-6002 X-Band surface-search radar); Sonar (BEL “Nagin” active towed-array sonar and BEL HUMSA-NG active/passive sonar) and Combat suit (Combat Management System [CMS]). The range of the ship is about 4,000 nautical miles i.e. 7,400 km or 4,600 mi at 18 knots i.e. 33 km/hr; 21 mph. The spokesperson, Admiral Sunil Lanba also conveyed his saying that the ships are full with an arrangement of state-of-the-art sensors and weapons, also includes multi-functional radars and missile systems launched vertically. Admiral Sunil Lanba said that he takes pride in the submarines and the warships that are launched to date are all constructed in India itself.

Conclusion

It is to be concluded that the INS Imphal is a warship constructed in India from Mazagon Dock, Mumbai and the ship was named in the recognition of the soldiers of India who fought during World War II in the Battle of Imphal. The INS Imphal was under project 15B of Visakhapatnam-class.