MUMBAI, October 18 — The Indian Navy formally commissioned 'INS Surat', the fourth and final indigenously built Project 15B Visakhapatnam-class stealth guided-missile destroyer, into active service at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai on Sunday.
Constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) with over 75% indigenous content, the 7,400-tonne capital warship integrates advanced stealth features with potent firepower. Its weapon fit includes supersonic BrahMos surface-to-surface cruise missiles, indigenous Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missiles (MRSAM), heavyweight torpedo launchers, and the indigenously engineered Combat Management System (CMS) linked with dual-band multifunction radar.
Naval commanders highlighted that the induction of INS Surat reinforces the Indian Navy's role as the 'Preferred Security Partner' and first responder across the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), fortifying sea lines of communication and maritime chokepoints against asymmetric surface and underwater threats.
The evolution of indigenous naval design from Project 15 (Delhi-class) through Project 15A (Kolkata-class) to Project 15B (Surat-class), public sector shipbuilders (MDL, GRSE, Goa Shipyard), maritime doctrine under SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region), and UNCLOS provisions are vital study modules in UPSC GS-III (Security).