Imphal: The Indian Navy has launched a guided missile destroyer named ‘Imphal’, the first warship to be christened after a city in the Northeast.
INS Imphal is named after the Battle of Imphal and Kohima fought 75 years ago during World War-II. The two places of Northeast saw a face-off between the Allied forces and Japan where the later was forced to retreat and recede to Myanmar.
Imphal is the third ship under Project 15B of the Indian Navy.
In keeping with naval tradition, Reena Lanba, wife of Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba and president of Navy Wives’ Welfare Association (NWWA), broke a coconut on the ship’s bow to launch the ship.
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Warships built under Project 15B, with a length of 163 m and 17.4 m at the beam and a displacement of 7.3 tonnes, are propelled by four gas turbines to achieve speeds in excess of 30 knots.
Ships under this project can carry and operate two multiple role helicopters.
Enhanced stealth features have been achieved through the shaping of hull and use of radar transparent deck fittings which make these ships difficult to detect, as per a Navy statement.
The first ship under the project, christened ‘Visakhapatnam’, was launched on April 20, 2015.
