Primary objective of Indian Navy to keep Indo-Pacific route secure, says Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said that Indo-Pacific being a key route is important for the world economy and it is the primary objective of the Indian Navy to keep it secure. "Indo-Pacific is a key route and it is important for the world economy. It is the primary objective of the Indian Navy to keep the route secure," Singh said while speaking at the commissioning ceremony of the INS Visakhapatnam in Mumbai.

"The entire world is increasing its Military power in coming years and expenditure on defence budget will increase. We have moved towards the development of an indigenous shipbuilding hub," said Singh. "Out of 41 ships ordered by Indian Navy 38 ships have been developed in India. It is the best example of indigenisation," he added.

Singh on Sunday morning formally commissioned the INS Visakhapatnam in Mumbai. INS Visakhapatnam is the first stealth-guided missile destroyer ship of Project 15B.

INS Visakhapatnam has been constructed using indigenous steel DMR 249A and is amongst the largest destroyers constructed in India with an overall length of 163m and displacement of over 7,400 tons. The ship has a significant indigenous content of approx. 75 per cent contributing towards AtmaNirbhar Bharat. The ship is a potent platform capable of undertaking multifarious tasks and missions spanning the full spectrum of maritime warfare.

Visakhapatnam is equipped with an array of weapons and sensors, which include supersonic surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles, medium and short-range guns, anti-submarine rockets and advanced electronic warfare and communication suits. The ship is propelled by a powerful combined gas and gas propulsion which enables her speed of over 30 knots. The ship has the capability of embarking two integrated helicopters to further extend its reach.

The ship boasts of a very high level of automation with sophisticated digital networks, a Combat Management System and an Integrated Platform Management System.