Largest indigenous built was ship INS Kolkota inducted
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inducted India's largest indigenously built warship INS Kolkata in Mumbai. Defence Minister Arun Jaitley and Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral RK Dhowan were also present at the ceremony.
Modi congratulated everyone associated with the project and said, "INS Kolkata is an example of intellect prowess of Indian engineers, technicians and security experts."
Modi also highlighted that his government has taken important steps to improve indigenous defence technology. He said, "In the Budget we have taken several steps for defence offsets. We dream to make India strong to export defence equipment to the world."
While remembering Chhatrapati Shivaji at the event, Modi said, "Chhatrapati Shivaji understood the importance of securing the seas for increasing trade."
Defence Minister Arun Jaitley and Admiral RK Dhowan also congratulated the Navy.
The warship has been constructed by the Mazagon Dockyards Limited and has been designed by Navy's design bureau, defence officials said.
The 6,800 tonne warship, which is over three years behind schedule, is a technology demonstrator and will showcase a giant leap in shipbuilding technology in the country, they said.
INS Kolkata will be a part of the Kolkata Class destroyers of the Indian Navy which will include follow-on ships by the name of INS Kochi and INS Chennai respectively.
The keel of the warship was laid down in September 2003 and the ship was launched in 2006.
Its original commissioning was planned in 2010 but due to several project delays, it will now happen in 2014. The ship had also suffered a mishap during the trial phase when a Navy officer lost his life during an incident in the fire-fighting equipment of the vessel.
As part of her pre-commissioning weapon trials at sea, INS Kolkata test-fired a BrahMos missile off Karwar's coast last month.
India is also building an over 40,000 tonne Indigenous Aircraft Carrier christened INS Vikrant but it will take another three-four years before it gets inducted into the Navy.
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