Stealth guided missile destroyer INS Imphal commissioned into Indian Navy

Defence minister Rajnath Singh described the warship, the first to be named after a northeast town as a shining example of ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence and a reflection of the commitment of the Indian Navy, MDL and all other stakeholders towards national security.

Mumbai: INS 'Imphal', the first ship to be named after a city from the Northeast was commissioned to the Mumbai-headquartered Western Naval Command, the sword arm of the Indian Navy, on Tuesday.

INS Imphal, a Project 15B stealth guided missile destroyer of the Visakhapatnam-class, was built in the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) in Mumbai.

Its keel was laid on May 19, 2017 and the ship was launched on April 20, 2019. The ship sailed for her maiden sea sortie on April 28, 2023, and underwent comprehensive trials in harbour and at sea, with its delivery on October 20, 2023 marking a record time frame of less than six months. The time taken to build INS Imphal and undergo trials has been the shortest for any indigenous destroyer.

The ship successfully completed the first-ever test-firing of extended range Brahmos missile prior to its commissioning, making it ‘weapon-ready’.

The commissioning of Imphal underscores the salience and contribution of the city of Imphal, the state of Manipur and the larger North-East region to national security, sovereignty and prosperity.

The induction of the ship named such seems a befitting tribute to Manipur’s sacrifices and contributions in India’s freedom struggle-be it either the Anglo-Manipur War of 1891or Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s hoisting of the INA flag for the first time on 14 April 1944 at Moirang or the pitched battle of Imphal between British and Imperial Japanese forces with Indians on both sides that turned the tide of the Burma campaign and shaped the outcome of the Second World War and the new world order.

The commissioning ceremony was presided over by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in presence of Admiral R Hari Kumar, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, WNC, Sanjeev Singhal, Director (Finance) of MDL, who now holds the additional charge of Chairman & Managing Director and the top Navy brass.

Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde was also present in the commissioning ceremony.

Singh described INS Imphal as a shining example of ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence and a reflection of the commitment of the Indian Navy, MDL and all other stakeholders towards national security.

“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.

The ship measures 163m in length, 17m in breadth with a displacement of 7,400 tonnes and is amongst the most potent warships built in India. It is capable of speeds in excess of 30 knots.

The ship has a total complement of about 315 personnel, and is commanded by Captain K K Choudhury, a Gunnery and Missiles specialist.