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INS Kolkata at exercise Malabar, 2020.
Class overview
NameKolkata class
BuildersMazagon Dock Limited
Operators Indian Navy
Preceded byDelhi class
Succeeded byVisakhapatnam class
Cost
  • ₹11,662 crore (equivalent to ₹190 billion or US$2.2 billion in 2023) for three ships (FY 2014)
  • ₹3,887 crore (equivalent to ₹62 billion or US$740 million in 2023) per ship (FY 2014)
Built2003–2015
In commission2014–present
Planned3
Completed3
Active3
General characteristics
TypeGuided-missile destroyer
Displacement7,400 t (7,300 long tons; 8,200 short tons) full load[1][2][3]
Length163 m (534 ft 9 in)
Beam17.4 m (57 ft 1 in)
Draught6.5 m (21 ft 4 in)
PropulsionCombined gas and gas system: 4 × Zorya-Mashproekt DT-59 reversible gas turbines producing 16.55MW each[4][5]
Speed30 knots (56 km/h)
Range6,000 nmi (11,000 km) at 18 kn (33 km/h)
Complement50 officers and 250 ratings[6][7]
Sensors and
processing systems
Electronic warfare
& decoys
Armament
Aircraft carried2 × Sea King or HAL Dhruv helicopters
Aviation facilitiesDual Enclosed hangar

The Kolkata-class destroyers, also known Project 15A or Project 15 Alpha, are a class of stealth guided-missile destroyers constructed for the Indian Navy. The class comprises three ships – Kolkata, Kochi and Chennai, all of which were built by Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in India, and are the largest destroyers to be operated by the Indian Navy. Due to delays in construction and sea trials, the initial commissioning date of the first ship of the class was pushed back from 2010 to 2014.[13][14]

The destroyers are a follow-on of the Project 15 Delhi-class destroyers, but are considerably more capable due to major improvements in the design, the addition of substantial land-attack capabilities, the fitting-out of modern sensors and weapons systems, and the expanded use of net-centric capability such as Cooperative Engagement Capability.[15][16][17][18][19]

Design

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The Kolkata class share similar dimensions to the previous Delhi class, however they have 2,363 modifications which include major upgrades in weaponry, sensors and helicopter systems.[20] With a standard displacement of 6,800 t (6,700 long tons; 7,500 short tons) and a full-load displacement of 7,400 t (7,300 long tons; 8,200 short tons), they are the largest destroyers ever operated by the Indian Navy.[2] Some media reports have even given a full-load displacement of 7,500 t (7,400 long tons; 8,300 short tons).[1] These are the first stealth destroyers built by India and marked a significant development in India's shipbuilding technology. The ships incorporate modern weapons and sensors, and have an advanced information warfare suite, an auxiliary control system with a sophisticated power distribution architecture, and modular crew quarters.[21]

The class have a length of 163 m (534 ft 9 in), a beam of 17.4 m (57 ft 1 in) and a draught of 6.5 m (21 ft 4 in). The ship's power and propulsion features a combined gas and gas system utilizing four DT-59 reversible gas turbines. This configuration allows the ship to reach speeds in excess of 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph).[22] Aviation facilities include a large flight deck, which was re-designed to handle larger helicopters than the Delhi class, and an enclosed hangar for up to two maritime helicopters.[20]

The EL/M-2248 MF-STAR AESA is the primary radar of the Kolkata class

The primary radar sensor of the class is the EL/M-2248 MF-STAR multi-mission AESA.[8] It is also equipped with Thales LW-08 long range volume search radar.

The ship's main air-defence armament is composed of four eight-cell vertical launching systems (VLS) allowing for up to thirty-two Barak 8 / MRSAM air defence missiles.[23]

The class is designed for network-centric warfare such as Cooperative Engagement Capability, where they operate wide-area air defense, distributing assets and control over different platforms and locations, and harnessing multiple sensors & effectors into a single air defense system. In May 2019, 2 ships of the class conducted the maiden cooperative engagement firing of the Barak 8 / MRSAM by using the Joint Taskforce Coordination (JTC) mode to intercept several simultaneous aerial targets involving two complex scenarios at extended ranges. With it, the Indian Navy became the second naval service in the world after the United States, and the first in Asia to have developed and deployed it. The capability is to be rolled out on all future major warships of the Indian Navy.[16]

Four AK-630 CIWSs are fitted for close-in defence.

The supersonic BrahMos anti-ship and land-attack missiles are the primary offensive armament of the Kolkata class.[24] The BrahMos missiles are fitted into a 16-cell Universal Vertical Launcher Module (UVLM) allowing one missile per launch silo, and all 16 missiles can be fired in salvo.[25]

The class carries a 76 mm (3 in) naval gun located forward of the bridge, which provides limited anti-shipping capability and anti-air capability in addition to its naval gun fire-support role for land-based operations.

A bow-mounted sonar HUMSA-NG (hull-mounted sonar array – new generation) is carried for sub-surface surveillance.

For anti-submarine warfare, the Kolkata class are equipped with a torpedo launching system via four torpedo tubes and two RBU-6000 anti-submarine rocket launchers.[26]

BEL's Electronic Modular Command & Control Applications (EMCCA) Mk4 provides combat management.[8]

Forty lakh (four million) lines of codes have been written to develop the advanced combat management system onboard INS Kochi. The system is designed so that all the data about the surrounding threat comes in one place, along with analysis of the kind of threat. The system also advises the commanding officer about the kind of weaponry he should use to tackle the threat in real time.[27] The ship is equipped with sophisticated digital networks, such as Asynchronous Transfer Mode based Integrated Ship Data Network (AISDN), Combat Management System (CMS), Automatic Power Management System (APMS) and Auxiliary Control System (ACS). The AISDN is the information highway on which data from all the sensors and weapon ride. The CMS is used to integrate information from other platforms using an indigenous data-link system to provide Maritime Domain Awareness. The intricate power supply management is done using APMS, and remote control and monitoring of machinery is achieved through the ACS.[28]

Development

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See also: Delhi-class destroyer

In 1986, the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA) approved a follow-on class of the earlier Project 15 Delhi-class destroyers. The aim was that the follow-on class would incorporate a higher level of air-defence, land attack, anti-submarine, and anti-ship capabilities than the preceding class. However, the Indian Navy did not initially take up the option.[29] By the year 2000, the Indian Navy had redesigned the follow-on Kolkata class to incorporate even higher levels of technology (including modern stealth characteristics) and in May of that year, approval for the construction was given. The concept and function for Project 15A was framed by the navy's Directorate of Naval Design, while the detailed design was developed by Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL).[30][31][32]

Initially in 2008, the total program cost with long-term spare parts was expected to cost ₹3,800 crore (US$460 million),[30] but the construction costs escalated about 225%, and by 2011, cost of the program became ₹11,662 crore (US$1.4 billion), with each ship costing ₹3,900 crore (US$470 million).[33] The Defense Minister A. K. Antony cited the causes being the delay in supply of warship-grade steel by Russia, increase in costs of Russian specialists due to inflation during the build period, wage revision due from October 2003 and delay in finalisation of cost of weapons and sensors.[34][35] A Comptroller and Auditor General of India report published in 2010 blamed the Navy for delays, criticising the late decisions for replacement of surface to air missile system with Barak, change of gun mount, inclusion of a sonar dome and modification of helicopter hangar to accommodate HAL Dhruv.[20][36]

Construction

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Construction of three Kolkata-class ships was sanctioned by the Government of India in May 2000, and steel for the lead ship was cut in March 2003. Construction began in September 2003 at Mazagon Docks, Mumbai, with an initial expectation that the first of the class would be handed over to the navy by 2010. However, since then the Kolkata class has suffered consecutive delays, slow construction procedures, and technical problems, which saw the first ship of the class enter service during mid-2014. The delays in the construction programme have been attributed to persistent design changes made by the Indian Navy to incorporate new weapons systems and sensors, failure by a Ukrainian shipyard to deliver the ship's propellers and shafts, and the contract later being awarded to a Russian firm,[37] and finally the delay in the delivery of the Barak 8 anti-air missiles.[38]

The Kolkata class are the largest destroyers ever to be constructed at Mazagon Docks.[39] Technical problems were found during the sea trials of the lead ship Kolkata, which delayed the project by six months to early 2014.[13]

Ships of the class

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Name Pennant Yard No. Builder Laid Down Launched Commissioned Homeport Status
Kolkata D63 701[40] Mazagon Dock Limited 26 September 2003[41] 30 March 2006[42][43] 16 August 2014[44] Mumbai Active
Kochi D64 702[40] 25 October 2005[45] 18 September 2009[45] 30 September 2015[46]
Chennai D65 703[47] 21 February 2006[48] 1 April 2010[39] 21 November 2016[14]
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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Navy gets its largest destroyer". The Hindu. 13 July 2014. Archived from the original on 3 March 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
  2. ^ a b "INS Kolkata". indiannavy.nic.in. Indian Navy. Archived from the original on 16 June 2015. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  3. ^ INS Kolkata: embarquement immédiat. l'express. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  4. ^ Siddiqui, Huma (5 October 2015). "INS Kochi turbocharged". The Financial Express. Archived from the original on 4 February 2018.
  5. ^ Bedi, Rahul (18 August 2014). "India commissions first-of-class destroyer Kolkata". IHS Jane's Navy International. Archived from the original on 21 August 2014.
  6. ^ "INS Kochi commissioned at Mumbai | Indian Navy". Archived from the original on 3 June 2016. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  7. ^ "INS Kochi commissioned at Mumbai | Indian Navy". indiannavy.nic.in. Archived from the original on 3 August 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  8. ^ a b c d "Country's most potent indigenous warship joins service this month". SP's Naval Forces. 8 June 2014. Archived from the original on 21 August 2016. Retrieved 8 June 2014.
  9. ^ "Bharat Electronics Ltd. awards LW08 contract to Thales". Thalesgroup.com. 2 July 2008. Archived from the original on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
  10. ^ "Virtual tour of INS Kolkata (Hindi)". YouTube.
  11. ^ "Kolkata Class Destroyer INS Chennai will be commissioned on Monday". India Today. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  12. ^ a b Som, Vishnu (29 September 2015). "Inside India's New and Deadliest Warship". NDTV. Archived from the original on 18 July 2017. Retrieved 23 November 2017.
  13. ^ a b "Navy's ongoing hunt for heavy torpedoes leads to delay in modernisation process". India Today. 10 June 2013. Archived from the original on 17 July 2013. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  14. ^ a b "Guided Missile Destroyer INS Chennai Joins the Indian Navy" (Press release). Indian Navy. 21 November 2016. Archived from the original on 21 November 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  15. ^ Toshi Yoshihara; James Holmes (2012). James R. Holmes (ed.). Strategy in the second nuclear age : power, ambition, and the ultimate weapon. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press. p. 143. ISBN 978-1589019287. Archived from the original on 3 March 2018.
  16. ^ a b "Press Information Bureau".
  17. ^ "Indian Navy Demonstrates 'MRSAM 'Cooperative Engagement' Capability". 17 May 2019. Archived from the original on 10 July 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  18. ^ "Indian Navy completes MRSAM first cooperative engagement firing test – Naval News". 20 May 2019. Archived from the original on 21 September 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  19. ^ "Janes | Latest defence and security news". Archived from the original on 21 September 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
  20. ^ a b c Shukla, Ajai (20 August 2012). "Dangerous consequences of warships built in India". Rediff News. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
  21. ^ "INS Chennai adds to Naval might". Zee News. 1 April 2010. Archived from the original on 5 June 2014. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
  22. ^ "Project 15-A destroyer, INS Kochi To be launched on 18 Sep 2009". PIB. Archived from the original on 21 July 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
  23. ^ Som, Vishnu (16 August 2014). "On INS Kolkata, PM is Only Partially Correct". NDTV. Archived from the original on 8 June 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2015. At the moment, she is designed to carry only 32 Barak surface-to-air missiles...
  24. ^ "First test of BrahMos land-attack variant from the sea". India today. 5 March 2008. Archived from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
  25. ^ "BrahMos missile test-fired from warship INS Kolkata". The Times of India. 9 June 2014. Archived from the original on 9 June 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
  26. ^ "Project 15-A Improved Delhi / VIshakhapattanam / DDGHM Kolkata". Global Security. Archived from the original on 4 April 2013. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
  27. ^ "INS Kochi is proof India good at integrating different systems on one platform". sunday guardian. Archived from the original on 9 October 2015. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
  28. ^ "INS Kochi commissioned at Mumbai | Indian Navy". indiannavy.nic.in. Archived from the original on 3 June 2016. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  29. ^ Kolkata-class destroyer Archived 4 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine GlobalSecurity.org
  30. ^ a b Shukla, Ajai (15 April 2008). "World-class warships at Indian prices". Business Standard. Archived from the original on 14 May 2014. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
  31. ^ Bhatt, Arunkumar (27 September 2003). "Mazagon Dock lays keel of destroyer". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 3 March 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
  32. ^ "Mazagon Dock Annual Report" (PDF). Mdlindia.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 December 2007. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
  33. ^ Ajai Shukla (2 May 2014). "INS Kolkata, navy's most powerful warship, to be delivered next month". Business-standard. Archived from the original on 8 August 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  34. ^ "Indian warships' costs escalate over 225%". StratPost. 5 September 2011. Archived from the original on 14 May 2014. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  35. ^ "Delay in Indigenous Warship Projects of Navy". Press Information Bureau. 3 August 2011. Archived from the original on 14 May 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  36. ^ "Report No. 32 of 2010 – Performance Audit of Indigenous Construction of Indian Naval Warships" (PDF). Comptroller and Auditor General of India. p. 41. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 February 2018.
  37. ^ Shukla, Ajai (1 April 2009). "Russia steps in to bail out sinking Project 15-A". Business Standard India. Business Standard. Archived from the original on 22 September 2010. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
  38. ^ Shukla, Ajai (20 August 2012). "Navy's wavering delaying warships by years". Business Standard India. Business Standard. Archived from the original on 13 April 2013. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
  39. ^ a b "India's 3rd indigenous naval destroyer launched". CNN-News18. 1 April 2010. Archived from the original on 3 February 2018. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  40. ^ a b "Annual Report 2014–2015" (PDF). mazagondock.in. Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 August 2016.
  41. ^ Bhatt, Arunkumar (27 September 2003). "Mazagon Dock lays keel of destroyer". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 3 March 2018.
  42. ^ Rasquinha, Reagan Gavin (1 April 2006). "Queen of the high seas". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 10 November 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
  43. ^ Bhatt, Arunkumar (1 April 2006). "A lethal combination of stealth and strength". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 3 March 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
  44. ^ Pandit, Rajat (16 August 2014). "PM Modi inducts India's largest indigenously built warship INS Kolkata". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 4 February 2018.
  45. ^ a b Ved, Mahendra (8 October 2015). "Make in India at Indian Navy". The Hans India. Archived from the original on 23 February 2018.
  46. ^ "INS Kochi, largest India-made warship, commissioned". The Times of India. TNN. 30 September 2015. Archived from the original on 4 February 2018.
  47. ^ "Annual Report 2016–2017" (PDF). mazagondock.in. Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited. p. 14. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 July 2019. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
  48. ^ Commodore Stephen Saunders, ed. (2016). "India". Jane's Fighting Ships 2016–2017 (119th ed.). Coulsdon: Jane's Information Group. p. 346. ISBN 978-0710631855.
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