INS ''Imphal'' is the third ship of the
''Visakhapatnam''-class stealth
Stealth may refer to:
Military
*Stealth technology, technology used to conceal ships, aircraft, and missiles
**Stealth aircraft, aircraft which use stealth technology
**Stealth ground vehicle, ground vehicles which use stealth technology
** Stea ...
guided missile destroyer of the
Indian Navy. She was being constructed at
Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) and has been launched on 20 April 2019. The ship started sea trials on 28 April 2023, and was delivered to the Indian Navy on 20 October 2023. It was commissioned on 26 December 2023.
The ship was named in recognition of Manipur's sacrifices and contribution to India's freedom struggle including the
Anglo-Manipur War
The Anglo-Manipur War was an armed conflict between the British Empire and the Kingdom of Manipur. The war lasted between 31 March and 27 April 1891 and ended in a British victory.
Background
In the First Anglo-Burmese War, the British helped p ...
of 1891 or the
Indian National Army
The Indian National Army (INA; ''Azad Hind Fauj'' ; 'Free Indian Army') was a collaborationist armed force formed by Indian collaborators and Imperial Japan on 1 September 1942 in Southeast Asia during World War II. Its aim was to secure In ...
under leadership of
Subhas Chandra Bose
Subhas Chandra Bose ( ; 23 January 1897 – 18 August 1945
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*) was an Indian nationalist whose defiance of British authority in India made him a hero among Indians, but his wartime alliances with Nazi Germany and Imperia ...
raising the Indian flag on 14 April 1944 at Moirang. It is the first Indian Navy ship named after a city in
Northeast India.
Construction
The keel of ''Imphal'' was laid down on 19 May 2017, and she was launched on 20 April 2019 at
Mazagon Dock Limited of Mumbai. She began her sea trials on 28 April 2023. She was subsequently delivered to the Indian Navy on 20 October 2023. She was commissioned on 26 December 2023 in the presence of the
Defence Minister
A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...
Rajnath Singh at Mumbai.
Captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
Kamal Kumar Choudhury is the
commissioning commanding officer
The commanding officer (CO) or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitu ...
.
Ship badge
The badge depicts the on the left and
Kanglā Shā on the right, two of the most remarkable cultural heritages of the
Meitei civilization Meitei may refer to:
* Meitei people, of Manipur, India
**Meitei language
** Meitei script
**Meitei architecture
*Denechandra Meitei (born 1994), Indian footballer
*Loken Meitei (born 1997), Indian footballer
*Ningombam Bupenda Meitei (born 1987), I ...
. The Kangla Palace is situated in Imphal and is an important historical and archaeological site of
Manipur. It was the traditional seat of the
Ningthouja dynasty. The Kanglā Shā is a mythical being from
Meitei mythology and
religion. Considered sacred to Meitei heritage, it has a dragon's head and lion's body, and is the guardian/protector of its people. Kanglā Shā is also the state emblem of Manipur.
Deployment
The ship was deployed in the Arabian Sea immediately after commissioning as part of a task force meant to deter Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the area.
[https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/missile-specialist-to-navigation-expert-the-crew-of-ins-imphal-101704082703239.html ]
Gallery
See also
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References
Visakhapatnam-class destroyers
Destroyers of the Indian Navy
2019 ships
Ships built in India
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