Today, the largest surface combatants of the Indian Navy are the Kolkata-class destroyers,
also known as Project 15A-class. The Project 15A-class and their successor, the Visakhapatnam-class,
also known as Project 15B-class, are great indicators of the naval shipbuilding and design
capability that India has reached. These destroyers are combining the best of the warship technologies
of East and West. They have particular importance in these days as the Second Cold War is rising.
As the Weapons Detective, we are investigating the Kolkata and the Visakhapatnam-class destroyers,
the formidable fighters of the Indian Ocean. Please don't forget to subscribe to our channel,
before we start and give us a thumbs up if you like our video. To be notified of our
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Kolkata-class and the Visakhapatnam-class destroyers are the most capable surface combatants
of the Indian Navy today. They will retain these titles until the Project 18-class destroyers,
of which India plans to launch its first ship in 2028. Analyzing these vessels would help
to better understand the current regional and global situation. But, let's first take
a brief look at the history before we talk about today and the future.
The rich India lands had always attracted foreign invaders since early days of their
history. But Indian culture was so strong that the
most of invaders soon became a part of it. This had changed with the Age of Discovery.
The Europeans were different. They came from the sea and managed to colonize the Indian
subcontinent while preserving their own culture. After a long struggle, India became an independent
dominion in 1947 and a republic in 1950. Not to experience the bad colonial period
again, they realized the importance of a navy force. Delhi quickly had the largest navy
in the region and trained qualified national personnel.
However, the UK was still the primary source for naval ship procurement.
This was a problematic situation in many ways. The 1961 Annexation of Goa broke the relations
with the Western world. Also, during the First Cold War, India had
become a part of the Non-Aligned Movement. However, its enemy brother, Pakistan, was
an ally of the Western Bloc. So, Delhi began to change its axis and acquire
surface combatants from the USSR in the late 1960s.
Besides, India signed an agreement with the UK to build the Nilgiri-class frigates, which
were the modified version of the Leander-class. Thus, India's national naval shipbuilding
capability began. With the experience gained from this project,
in the 1970s, India initiated a programme for designing and building its first indigenous
frigate. The design of the new surface combatant was
a modification of the Nilgiri-class. In those years, the influence of the SSCB
on the Indian Navy was continuously growing. So, the hybrid ship was combining the Soviet
and European weapons and electronic systems. As the fruit of this programme was the Godavari-class,
also known as the Project 16-class. The first ship of this class, INS Godavari, was laid
down in 1978. Five years later, she was commissioned. The Godavari-class was followed by the Brahmaputra-class
frigates. Also known as the Project16A-class, these ships were a revised version of their
predecessors. India launched the first frigate of its class, INS Brahmaputra, in 1994. The
ship was commissioned in 2000. India's indigenous destroyer design and building
programme started in 1980. INS Delhi, the first vessel of this programme, was laid down
in 1987 and launched in 1991. But, because of the dissolution of the Soviet
Union, the weapon systems for the Delhi-class, also known as the Project 15-class, could
not be delivered on time. Therefore, there was a three-year delay in
the programme. The Indian Navy could commission INS Delhi in 1997.
In 1986, India initiated the Kolkata-class destroyer programme as the follow-on class
of the previous Delhi-class. In the beginning, the programme goal was to design and built
a surface combatant whose air-defence, land attack, anti-submarine warfare and anti-ship
warfare capabilities would be higher than its predecessor. However, later the Indian
Navy demanded a new destroyer based on the Delhi-class incorporating higher technology
subsystems and modern stealth design. India approved the construction of the new vessel
called Kolkata-class in 2000. The Kolkata-class, also known as the Project
15A-class, has similar dimensions to Delhi-class. But, there are nearly 2,500 modifications
to its design than its predecessor's. Similar to previous naval shipbuilding programmes,
India also experienced unfortunate problems and delays in the Kolkata-class.
Russia could not deliver naval-grade steel on time.
While the design works continued, the Indian Navy decided to change the surface-to-air
missile system and gun of the ship. Also, it demanded the inclusion of a sonar dome
and modification of the helicopter hangar. Naturally, these changes caused delays.
India approved the construction of three Kolkata-class destroyers in 2000.
Mazagon Dock Limited laid down INS Kolkata, the first vessel of this class ships, in 2003.
But, the problems were not over. The Ukrainian supplier could not deliver the propellers
and shafts of the ship. So, India had to order new propellers and shafts from Russia in 2006.
INS Kolkata was launched in the same year. However, during the sea trials, some problems
experienced. For example, operating the engine, gearbox, and shaft together caused additional
noise. Also, a problem with the carbon dioxide valve caused a fatal accident in 2014.
All problems are solved one by one, and the Indian Navy commissioned INS Kolkata in 2014.
Three ships of this class are one of the most capable surface combatants in the region,
and they are marking a significant development in India's shipbuilding technology.
The Visakhapatnam-class, also known as the Project 15B-class, is even a more capable
variant of the Kolkata-class. India approved the construction of the Visakhapatnam-class
in 2011. Its hull is the same as the Kolkata-class'. But, there are significant changes in the
superstructure. For example, the Visakhapatnam-class is stealthier than its predecessor. The redesigned
bridge and mast reduce radar cross-section. Also, it incorporates a flush deck as well
as a better acoustic signature and infrared signature reduction systems.
The Visakhapatnam-class has a rail-less helicopter traversing system to secure the helicopter.
It features a network-centric layout with a ship data network, an automatic power management
system, and a combat management system. This feature allows for reducing complement and
increasing combat efficiency. India laid down INS Visakhapatnam, the first
of four ships of its class, in 2013. She was launched two years later. The Indian Navy
plans to commission the destroyer this year. The complement of Kolkata-class is 390-person.
Its displacement is 7,400 tons. The destroyer has a length of 163.2 metres, a beam of 17.4
metres and a draught of 6.5 metres. Four 20,705 horsepower Zorya-Mashproekt DT-59 reversible
gas turbines provide a maximum speed of 30 knots. With an economical speed of 18 knots,
the ship can reach a range of 15,000 kilometres. The armament of the frigate consists of two
eight-cell vertical launching system for the BrahMos anti-ship missiles, four eight-cell
vertical launching system for the Barak 8 air defence missiles, one 76mm Super Rapido
gun, four AK-630 close-in weapon systems, four 533mm torpedo tubes, and two RBU-6000
anti-submarine warfare rocket launchers. The Kolkata-class has a large hangar and flight
deck for two Sea King or Dhruv helicopters. The Visakhapatnam-class is slightly lighter
than its predecessor. Also, its complement is 300-person.
These ships have network-centric warfare capability. Thanks to cooperative engagement capability,
a destroyer of these classes can conduct an operation by using sensor data of other vessels
and weapon systems. The Indian Navy is the second navy to have developed the capability
in the world after the US Navy and the first in Asia.
The S-band EL/M-2248 MF-STAR radar of these classes can perform surveillance and fire
control functions. It can detect, identify, and track fighter
size aircraft from a range of 250 kilometres and missiles from a range of 25 kilometres.
The radar can track more than 100 targets simultaneously.
The D-band LW 08 radar can detect a target with a 2 square meters radar cross-section
at the range of 260 kilometres. It can track 64 targets simultaneously.
These destroyers can fire all 16 BrahMos missiles in a single salvo.
It has a maximum speed of Mach 3.5. So, it is the fastest anti-ship missile in use. Its
range is about 650 kilometres. The improved version of the missile can reach a range of
800 kilometres. The high-precision BrahMos is also effective
against land targets. The Barak 8 air defence missile is effective
against air threats, including aircraft, helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as anti-ship,
ballistic, and cruise missiles. Its effective range is between 0.5 to 100 kilometres, while
its maximum effective altitude is about 16,000 metres. The maximum speed of the missile is
Mach 2. The Super Rapido gun of the Kolkata-class
can fire 135 rounds per minute. However, using this gun with such a high rate of fire quickly
decreases the barrel life. So, Oto Melara advises that the maximum safe rate of fire
speed should not exceed 120 round per minute. Its effective range is about 20,000 meters.
They are highly effective against both surface and air targets.
The Visakhapatnam-class has the 127mm Mk 45 Mod 5 gun whose effective range is 37,000
metres. The EL/M-2248 MF-STAR radar provides the fire
control for the AK-630 close-in weapon systems of the destroyers.
The AK-630 has a rate of fire of 5,000 rounds per minute. Its effective range is about 5,000
metres. The RBU-6000 anti-submarine warfare rocket
launcher has an effective range of 5,230 metres and an effective depth of 1,000 metres. The
rockets are normally fired in salvos of 1, 2, 4, 8, or 12 rounds.
Reloading is automatic. These vessels use 53-65 KE active homing torpedoes
with an 18,000-metre range or SET-65 active-passive homing torpedoes with a 20,000-metre range.
These destroyers have aviation facilities that allow the operating of two Sea King or
Dhruv helicopters. Today, the rise of the Chinese Navy has shifted
attention to the Western Pacific. However, China does not have such a large naval force
for regional defence. The Chinese industry needs raw material and
markets. For this reason, securing the sea lanes between
China to the Middle East and Africa is vital for Beijing.
China desires to control the entire Indian Ocean, starting from the Strait of Malacca.
To achieve this goal, it works on building alliances with many countries in the region,
especially with Pakistan. Therefore, the already problematic Sino-Indian
relations have become even more troubled in recent years. A strong navy is more important
than ever for India. This makes the Kolkata-class and the Visakhapatnam-class
destroyers more valuable. With their high capabilities equivalent to the cruiser, they
provide India to be effective in blue waters. They are also the most trustable escorts of
the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, the biggest trump card of the Indian Navy.
These destroyers are the biggest obstacles for the rogue submarines to play dangerous
games in the area. Currently, the Kolkata-class destroyers serve
under the Indian Navy's Western Naval Command. In 2016, INS Kolkata travelled to Seychelles,
Mauritius, Kenya, and South Africa for a goodwill mission.
In 2019, India sent INS Chennai to the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman to protect its shipping
interests. But these ships also participated in many
international exercises conducted in the east of the Indian Ocean.
In a possible war, the western countries, especially the USA, take sides with Japan,
South Korea, and Taiwan without losing time. But, in a possible Sino-Indian War, India
must rely on its own strength, at least at the beginning. Because the western powers
would probably wait until these two gigantic countries wear out first to each other.
Please note that Delhi's emphasis on the national naval shipbuilding programme is a wise decision.
The Kolkata-class and the Visakhapatnam class are among the examples of the most brilliant
results of this programme, after overcoming many tough challenges along the way. Their
impressive firepower is enough to deter the rivals of India in many cases. These destroyers
are the pride of the Indian Navy and the shipbuilding industry of India.
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