Project 15B

Project 15B
Indian Navy · GODL-India · source
Name	Project 15B
Caption	Keel-laying and launching series
Country	India
Builder	Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited; Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers
Launched	2010s–2020s
Commissioned	2010s–2020s
Type	Destroyer
Displacement	~7,000 tonnes
Length	~163 m
Beam	~17 m
Propulsion	COGAG
Speed	~30 kn
Complement	~300

Project 15B Project 15B is an Indian destroyer development program producing a class of guided‑missile surface combatants built for the Indian Navy by public shipyards. The programme follows earlier indigenous designs and reflects strategic priorities set by the Defence Research and Development Organisation, the Ministry of Defence (India), and the Integrated Defence Staff while interfacing with systems from domestic agencies and international suppliers such as Bharat Electronics Limited, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, and foreign firms.

Design and Development

The design and development process drew on precedents including the Delhi-class destroyer, the Kolkata-class destroyer, the Shivalik-class frigate, the Vikramaditya modernization, and lessons from the INS Viraat decommissioning, with oversight from the Defence Research and Development Organisation and the Indian Navy’s Directorate of Naval Design. Collaboration involved shipyards such as Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers and agencies including Centre for Fire, Explosive and Environmental Safety and Ship Design Bureau, aligning with procurement frameworks of the Ministry of Defence (India) and procurement practices influenced by the Make in India initiative and policies from the Cabinet Committee on Security. The technical scope incorporated radar suites comparable to those used on INS Kolkata and combat management systems akin to integrations performed by Bharat Electronics Limited and BEL Optronic Devices under contracts influenced by earlier projects with suppliers like Thales Group, MBDA, SAAB Group, and Lockheed Martin.

Specifications

The class features displacement and dimensions informed by comparative analysis with the Kolkata-class destroyer, Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, and Type 055 destroyer, with specifications such as length, beam, and draft suited for blue‑water operations. Propulsion uses combined gas turbine arrangements similar to configurations supplied by General Electric and Rolls-Royce Marine models procured through previous procurements like those for INS Kolkata and INS Shivalik. Sensor and weapon systems integrate multi‑function radars, electronic warfare suites from Bharat Electronics Limited, anti‑ship missiles analogous to systems from BrahMos Aerospace and surface‑to‑air missiles related to procurements involving MBDA and DRDO development projects. Aviation facilities support helicopters from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and tie into carrier operations exemplified by INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant.

Construction and Builders

Ship construction was carried out at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited in Mumbai and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers in Kolkata, leveraging industrial capacity promoted by the Ministry of Defence (India) and regional supply chains linked to firms such as Larsen & Toubro, Tata Group, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, and Cummins India. Keel‑laying, launching, and commissioning followed sequences with design approvals from the Directorate of Naval Design and trials overseen by the Indian Navy’s Commanders-in-Chief and test offices that previously managed trials for INS Kolkata and INS Vikrant. Workforce training and technology transfers referenced collaborations with the Defence Research and Development Organisation and manufacturing programs inspired by the Make in India policy and industrial initiatives involving Ministry of Shipping stakeholders.

Operational History

Vessels entered service in the 2010s–2020s and took part in patrols, fleet exercises, and maritime security operations alongside platforms such as INS Vikramaditya, INS Vikrant, INS Kolkata, and INS Sumitra, participating in multinational exercises that included contingents from United States Navy, Royal Navy, French Navy, and Russian Navy elements. Deployments encompassed missions in the Indian Ocean Region, coordinated operations with the Andaman and Nicobar Command and the Eastern Naval Command, and exercises with partners including Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, Royal Australian Navy, and Malaysian Navy. Operational use tested combat systems integration in scenarios similar to those encountered by crews of INS Delhi and crews involved in Operation Raahat and Operation Sankalp maritime security efforts.

Upgrades and Modernization

Mid‑life upgrades and modernization efforts have been planned incorporating advances from Defence Research and Development Organisation projects, electronics from Bharat Electronics Limited, and weapon upgrades drawing on BrahMos Aerospace and international partners such as MBDA and Raytheon Technologies. Sensor suites and combat management systems are candidates for iterative updates paralleling modernization programs undertaken for INS Kolkata and Arleigh Burke-class destroyer upgrades, with potential integration paths involving systems demonstrated by Thales Group, Saab AB, and Leonardo S.p.A. to enhance anti‑air, anti‑surface, and anti‑submarine warfare capabilities.

Export, Variants, and Influence

The design has influenced regional shipbuilding dialogue involving navies such as the Sri Lanka Navy, the Maldives National Defence Force, and the Bangladesh Navy through defense diplomacy and shipbuilding cooperation frameworks similar to those used with India–Myanmar and India–Sri Lanka engagements. Variants and export considerations have been discussed in contexts involving shipyards and agencies like Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers, Larsen & Toubro, and export control dialogues framed by the Ministry of External Affairs (India) and bilateral arrangements akin to previous transfers such as the INS Kirpan and platforms exported under governmental cooperation. Influence extends to indigenous naval architecture programs and training curricula at institutions like the Naval War College (India) and National Defence Academy (India).

Category:Indian Navy destroyers