INS Imphal commissioned into the Indian Navy

In a significant development for India’s maritime capabilities, the Indian Navy has commissioned the indigenously-built stealth-guided missile destroyer, INS Imphal. The commissioning ceremony was presided over by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

The ship, named after a city in the Northeastern region, is the first warship to bear a name from this region. It is equipped with state-of-the-art weapons and sensors, including surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship missiles, and torpedoes.

The ship, powered by Combined Gas and Gas (COGAG) propulsion, can achieve speeds exceeding 30 knots (56 km/hour). It has a high indigenous content of approximately 75 per cent, including BrahMos surface-to-surface missiles, medium-range surface-to-air missiles, anti-submarine indigenous rocket launchers, and a 76mm super rapid gun mount.

The ship was delivered to the Indian Navy on October 20, after completion of a comprehensive trial programme both in the harbour and at sea. Following this, the ship successfully test-fired the extended-range supersonic BrahMos missile last month, a first for any indigenous warship before commissioning.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hailed INS Imphal as a radiant symbol of India’s self-reliance in defence, a testament to the relentless pursuit of “Aatmanirbharta” by the Navy, shipyard, and all stakeholders

“INS Imphal is a symbol of India’s growing maritime power and it will strengthen it further. It will bolster our principle of ‘Jalmev Yasya, Balmev Tasya’ (One Who Controls the Sea is All Powerful) in the Indo-Pacific region,” he said.

Upon commissioning, INS Imphal will join the Western Naval Command. The commissioning ceremony marked the formal induction into the Navy of the third of the four ‘Visakhapatnam’ class destroyers, indigenously designed by the Indian Navy’s in-house organisation, Warship Design Bureau.