INS Visakhapatnam

INS ''Visakhapatnam'' is the lead ship and the first of the stealth guided-missile destroyers of the Indian Navy. The ship, commissioned on 21 November 2021, is one of the largest destroyers in service with the Indian Navy.

Construction

The keel of ''Visakhapatnam'' was laid down on 12 October 2013 and she was launched on 20 April 2015 at Mazagon Dock Limited of Mumbai. This was made under Make In India initiative. The ship steering and stabiliser system was manufactured by Larsen & Toubro and hydraulics by Polyhydron Systems..

During Navy Day 2020, Chief of the Naval Staff announced that INS Visakhapatnam has started its sea trials.

Commissioning

''Visakhapatnam'' was delivered to the Indian Navy on 28 October 2021 and commissioned on 21 November 2021 by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at the Indian Navy's Western Naval Command, headquartered in Mumbai.

Service history

On 11 January 2022, ''Visakhapatnam'' successfully fired an advanced variant of Brahmos missile, the Gulf of Aden, and the Arabian Sea by the end of 2023, the Indian Navy on December 31 2023 said it had substantially enhanced maritime surveillance efforts in Central and North Arabian Sea and “augmented force levels” by primerly deploying the P-8I Neptune MPA and the SeaGuardian drones . Following two merchant vessels, including MV ''Ruen'' and MV ''Chem Pluto'' which were targeted in the sea. ''Ruen'' was hijacked (later rescued by ''INS Kolkata'') while MV ''Chem Pluto'' sustained drone hits eventually and making way to port , The Indian Navy deployed a large flotilla of destroyers to safeguard international security . The deployment into the Arabian Sea includes Navy’s missile destroyers, including , INS ''Kochi'', , and , virtually all of its modern destroyer force of its western fleet. INS ''Kolkata'' is deployed on the mouth of the Red Sea, INS ''Kochi'' on the south of Yemen's Socotra Island, INS ''Mormugao'' in the west Arabian Sea with INS ''Chennai'' in the central Arabian Sea.

''Visakhapatnam'' was also moved in a week later and was tasked to patrol the north Arabian Sea. On 18 January 2024, ''Visakhapatnam'' responded to a distress call from the Marshall Island-flagged MV ''Genco Picardy'' following a drone attack by unknown attackers at 11.11 pm on the night of 17 January. The Indian naval ship acknowledged the distress call and intercepted the vessel at 12.30 am the next day and provided support. ''Genco Picardy'' had 22 crew, including 9 Indian sailors. Following an EOD inspection by the ship's specialists, the ship was cleared to continue its journey without any casualties incurred aboard.

Following a distress call from the British owned, Marshall Islands flagged oil tanker '' MV Marlin Luanda'' on the night of 26 January 2024, ''Visakhapatnam'' sped to the scene to aid the ship in its fire fighting efforts by deploying its NBCD team (Nuclear-Biological-Chemical Defence and Damage control) along with firefighting equipment on board. The ship was reportedly attacked by the Houthis at approximately 7:45 pm and it had 22 Indians and one Bangladeshi crew member aboard. (also targeted by a Houthi missile, but shot down), the French frigate Alsace and other Operation Prosperity Guardian coalition ships also responded and rendered assistance. No injuries were reported as the fire had broken out In the cargo compartment. The vessel sailed to a safe harbour under its own power.

In mid-July 2024, Indian Navy's INS ''Visakhapatnam'' and INS ''Aditya'' conducted an exercise with US Navy's Carrier Strike Group 9 centred on USS Theodore Roosevelt along with Carrier Air Wing 11

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