Missile destroyer 'Imphal' to be commissioned into Indian Navy on December 26

NEW DELHI: The third Visakhapatnam-class guided-missile destroyer, Imphal, is set to be commissioned into the Indian Navy on December 26 in Mumbai.

Ranked among the largest missile destroyers ever made, it is constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) using indegenous DMR 249A steel.

Equipped with indigenously-developed anti-submarine weapons and sensors including hull-mounted Sonar Humsa NG, heavyweight torpedo tube launchers, and ASW Rocket Launchers, the vessel aims to strengthen the regional stability in the Indian Ocean.

It is also armed with modern technology like supersonic Surface-to-Surface 'Brahmos' missiles and 'Barak-8' Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missiles, which will help it secure India's vast coastline and beyond.

"The induction of the destroyer, is a tribute to the collaborative efforts of large number of stake holders and would enhance the maritime prowess of the country in the Indian Ocean Region," a press release by the government said earlier this year.

As part of the pre-commissioning trials, the ship recently carried out successful firing of an extended range BrahMos missile.

It is a maritime tradition and a naval custom according to which many Indian Naval ships have been named after prominent cities, mountain ranges, rivers, ponds and islands.

"The Indian Navy is immensely proud of naming its latest and technologically most advanced warship after the historic city of Imphal," an Indian Navy spokesperson said last month.

"This is the first capital warship to be named after a city in the northeastern region, the approval for which was accorded by the President on April 16, 2019," the spokesperson said.
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