Indian Naval Ship (INS) Mormugao (D67), second warship of the P15B class of stealth guided-missile destroyers, was commissioned today by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who declared the government’s firm resolve to prepare the nation to deal with any situation arising due to the rapidly changing global scenario.

The event at the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai marked the formal induction of the second of the four ‘Visakhapatnam’ class destroyers, indigenously designed by the Indian Navy’s in-house organisation Warship Design Bureau and constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai.

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In his address, Rajnath described INS Mormugao as one of the most powerful indigenously-built warships which will significantly enhance the country’s maritime capabilities and secure national interests.

“INS Mormugao is one of the world’s most technologically-advanced missile carriers. With over 75 per cent indigenous content, it is a testimony to India’s excellence in design and development of warships and a shining example of our growing indigenous defence production capabilities. The warship will meet the present and future needs of our country as well as of our friendly countries across the globe,” he said.

Rajnath commended the Indian Navy and MDL for the commissioning of INS Mormugao, describing it as the result of the hard work, dedication and aspirations of engineers, technicians, designers and scientists.

He also extended wishes to the Indian Navy on behalf of the entire nation for not only safeguarding maritime interests, but also contributing significantly to socio-economic progress.

Rajnath described safeguarding India’s interests in the Indian Ocean Region as the prime responsibility of the Navy. “Our growing economy is directly connected to the increasing trade, most of which is through sea routes. Our interest is directly linked to the Indian Ocean. Being an important country in this region, the role of the Indian Navy becomes more important in its security. It is heartening to see that they are discharging their duties successfully,” he said.

He lauded the armed forces for protecting the borders and coasts with unmatched courage and dedication, terming them as the backbone of India’s unprecedented growth. “India is touching newer heights of success every day. We are now among the top five economies of the world. According to a report by investment firm Morgan Stanley, we will be among the top three economies in the next five years,” he said.

Rajnath said India’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic has been appreciated by the world. ”Our G-20 Presidency is another landmark achievement. This has been successful due to the aspirations, hard work and determination of every Indian. But, the most important reason behind our success is our secure borders and coasts. It is due to the readiness and promptness of our Armed Forces that we have a fool-proof security apparatus,” he said.

 Rajnath said it was the government’s top priority to continue strengthening the security infrastructure by equipping the military with state-of-the-art indigenous weapons/equipment. “Economic, political and trade relations between countries are constantly evolving.

Measuring 163m in length and 17m in breadth with a displacement of 7,400 tonnes, INS Mormugao is packed with sophisticated state-of-the-art weapons and sensors such as Surface-to-Surface Missile and Surface-to-Air Missiles.

The ship is fitted with a modern Surveillance Radar which provides target data to the gunnery weapon systems. Its Anti-Submarine Warfare capabilities are provided by the indigenously-developed Rocket Launchers, Torpedo Launchers and the ASW helicopters.