The Indian Navy on Tuesday commissioned its latest guided missile stealth destroyer, INS Imphal, which will bolster the country’s presence in the strategic Indo-Pacific region and its capabilities to respond to an array of regional contingencies including the emerging challenges in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, where tensions have escalated following a wave of drone and missile attacks against merchant vessels by Houthi rebels, officials aware of the matter said.

INS Imphal, built under a ₹35,000-crore project for four modern stealth destroyers, comes with a raft of historic firsts, the officials said.

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It is the first warship to have fired the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile before its commissioning; it has separate accommodation for women officers and sailors, as no woman officer has yet been a part of a warship’s commissioning crew; and its construction time has been the shortest for this class of destroyers. It is also the first warship in naval history to be named after a city in the country’s Northeast.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh, who commissioned the destroyer at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai, said INS Imphal was a symbol of India’s growing maritime might, and it would enhance the country’s power in the vast Indo-Pacific region in line with the time-honoured naval strategy of “One Who Controls the Sea is All Powerful”.

“India plays the role of a net security provider in the entire Indian Ocean region. We will ensure that maritime trade in this region reaches greater heights. For this, together with our friendly countries, we will keep the sea lanes secure. We have full confidence in the ability and strength of our navy,” Singh said.

Merchant vessel (MV) Chem Pluto, the target of a drone attack in the Arabian Sea on December 23 and anchored not far from the Naval Dockyard, is a reminder of the looming threat at sea and underlines the need to keep sea lanes secure.

The Liberian-flagged vessel carrying a crew of 22, including 21 Indians, was escorted to Mumbai on Monday by coast guard patrol vessel Vikram, and a preliminary assessment by the navy’s explosive ordnance disposal specialists has confirmed a drone attack. Iran-backed Houthis have been targeting commercial shipping in the Red Sea after the Israel-Hamas conflict began on October 7, and tensions have spilled over into the Arabian Sea. The Houthi rebels declared their support for Hamas. To be sure, the US blamed Iran for the attack and Tehran denied the charge.

INS Imphal, built at the Mumbai-based Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL), is the third of the four warships under the Project-15B class of guided missile stealth destroyers. The first two destroyers, INS Visakhapatnam and INS Mormugao, were commissioned into service in 2021 and 2022. Surat, the fourth one, is under construction at MDL and is expected to be commissioned next year.

“INS Imphal will not only tackle physical threats that emanate at or from the seas, but more importantly, through a demonstrated strength of an integrated Bharat, she will deter nefarious designs trying to subvert our national unity. She will breathe fire upon the enemy and demonstrate unflinching resolve in the face of adversity,” navy chief Admiral R Hari Kumar said at the commissioning ceremony.

The destroyer, constructed over seven years, has an indigenous content of 75%, displacement of 7,500 tonnes, length of 164 metres, breadth of 17 metres, top speed of 30 knots and a range of 4,050 nautical miles. It can carry a crew of 360.

The advanced weapons and sensors on board INS Imphal include BrahMos missiles, Barak-8 medium range surface-to-air missiles, super rapid medium range guns, stabilised remote controlled guns for force protection, AK 630 close range guns, Varunastra heavyweight torpedoes, anti-submarine rockets, Israeli-built multi-functional surveillance and threat alert radar, RAWL 02 MK-II A air search radar, surface surveillance radar and electronic warfare equipment.

INS Imphal is capable of blue water operations across the spectrum of naval warfare in all four dimensions — air, surface, underwater and electronic, the destroyer’s commanding officer Captain Kamal Kumar Choudhury said.

“From the smallest peacetime challenge to fighting under NBC (nuclear, biological and chemical) warfare conditions, this multi-mission stealth destroyer is a potent and versatile platform. It is equipped with cutting-edge capabilities, the best that the Indian Navy has today. She has long legs and can operate wherever India’s maritime interest lie, be it the Indian Ocean region or beyond,” Choudhury said in an interview to HT.

The warship’s construction began in July 2016, it carried out its maiden sea sortie in April 2023 and it was delivered to the navy in October.

Singh described INS Imphal as a shining example of Aatmanirbharta or self-reliance in the defence manufacturing sector and a reflection of the commitment of the Indian Navy, MDL and all stakeholders towards national security. He said the indigenous weapons, sensors and machinery on board the destroyer reflected the country’s strength.

“Brahmos Aerospace installed Brahmos missile on the ship. Torpedo tube launchers are from Larsen & Toubro. Rapid gun mount has been installed by Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited and medium range missiles by Bharat Electronics Limited. Many start-ups and MSMEs were involved in its construction. Just like many elements have given a concrete form to INS Imphal, people from all walks of life should work together for us to become ‘Viksit Bharat’ (developed India),” the defence minister said.

He reiterated the government’s resolve to lay equal emphasis on the modernisation of the three services to safeguard the country’s interests, pointing out that previous governments focussed only on protecting the country from land-based threats. He said with the Himalayas to the north and a hostile Pakistan to the west, most of India’s trade passed through seas. This makes India an island country from the ‘trade’ perspective, he said, stressing the need to continuously build the navy’s capabilities.

INS Imphal will enhance the navy’s mobility and reach in the Indo-Pacific region, the defence ministry said in a statement.

“INS Imphal has enhanced stealth features resulting in a reduced radar cross section, achieved through efficient shaping of hull, full beam superstructure design, plated masts and the use of radar transparent material on exposed decks,” it added.

Separate berthing areas for women sailors became a necessity after their entry into the navy’s personnel below officer rank (PBOR) cadre for the first time earlier this year. The navy is the first among the three services to induct women in the PBOR cadre across all streams. It currently accounts for more than 1,000 women Agniveers.

Around 40 women officers are currently serving on board warships with separate berthing facilities for them. But not so for women sailors.