Substantiating
his point, Mr Parrikar gave two examples - one, of transporting drinking water
to Maldives when the latter’s water treatment plant was damaged last year and
the other, of rescue and evacuation of nationals of over 20 countries from war-torn
Yemen by the Indian Navy, without any damage to our platforms and personnel. He
was speaking at the commissioning ceremony of INS Kochi, the second ship of the
indigenously designed and constructed Project 15A (Kolkata-class) guided missile
destroyers, at Mumbai September 30. INS Kochi has been built by the Mazagon
Dock Ltd, Mumbai. The Defence Minister said there has been a renewed enthusiasm
among DPSUs (Defence Public Sector Units) and the Private Sector in the development
and production of platforms and systems for the Defence Forces and the Government
has been consistently trying to indigenise and speed-up timely deliveries. He
hoped that the next Destroyer in the series will be put into water by the end
of the current financial year. Mr Parrikar said while we have achieved significant
indigenisation in ‘Float’ component of warships, we are lacking in the indigenisation
of the high-end Fight components. To that end, the Government is in the process
of putting a policy in place to achieve high amount of self-reliance in the defence
industry under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Government
is seized of the nation’s defence requirements and requisite financial support
for the Armed Forces and defence industry will be made available, which includes
the modernisation and development plans of the Navy. Towards this, the Government
shall always remain committed to provide the necessary funds for the future expansion
and growth of the Navy. Speaking on the occasion, Navy Chief Admiral RK
Dhowan said commissioning of INS Kochi is a milestone in the self-reliance programme
of the Navy and stated that the indigenisation of platforms, weapons, sensors
and equipment, through public as well as private sectors, will continue to remain
a focus area of the Indian Navy. He emphasised that the 'Roadmap for the Navy's
expansion and growth would continue to remain firmly anchored on Self-reliance
and indigenisation'. “Induction of INS Kochi, with her multi-dimensional
combat capability, adds more teeth to the sword arm of the Indian Navy in discharging
her duties of safe-guarding national maritime interests. This further reaffirms
our resolve and faith in indigenous ship building and Make in India programme,”
he said. The Project 15A destroyers are the follow-on ships of the legendary
Project 15 'Delhi' class destroyers which entered service in the late 1990s. Conceived
and designed by Indian Navy's Directorate of Naval Design, the P15A ships have
been christened after major port cities of India; Kolkata, Kochi and Chennai.
The Keel of Kochi was laid on October 25, 2005, and launched on September 18,
2009.  Kochi
is the second of the Kolkata class and is of the most potent among the surface
combatants that have been constructed in India. It measures 164 meters in length
and approximately 17 meters in width, with a full load displacement of 7500 tonnes.
The ship has a Combined Gas and Gas (COGAG) propulsion system, comprising four
powerful reversible gas turbines; and can attain speeds in excess of 30 knots.
The Ship's electric power is provided by four gas turbine generators and one diesel
alternator, which together produce 4.5 Mega-Watts of electrical power. The ship
has a complement of 40 officers and 350 sailors. INS Kochi incorporates
new design concepts for stealth and has many firsts to her credit, including a
very large component of indigenous combat-suite. The ship is packed with the most
sophisticated state-of-the-art weapons and sensors including the vertically launched
Long Range Surface to Air Missiles (LRSAM) and MF-STAR multi-function active phased
array radar, which is fitted only on the Kolkata class of ships. She is equipped
with the advanced supersonic and long range BrahMos Surface to Surface Missile
– a joint Indo-Russian venture. The 76 mm Super Rapid Gun Mount (SRGM) and AK
630 CIWS, both manufactured indigenously, can take on air and surface targets. The
entire anti-submarine weapon and sensor suite fitted onboard, consisting of Indigenous
Rocket Launchers (IRL), Indigenous Twin-tube Torpedo Launchers (ITTL) and a bow-mounted
New Generation HUMSA Sonar are fine examples of India’s indigenous efforts in
the field of underwater warfare. The sensor suite includes other advanced Surface
to Air surveillance radars and an indigenous Electronic Warfare System. A state-of-the-art
Combat Management System (CMS- 15A) has been integrated with the onboard weapons
and sensors. The ship is equipped to operate two Sea King or Chetak Helicopters.
The Ship can be truly classified as a 'Network of Networks' as it is equipped
with sophisticated digital networks, such as Asynchronous Transfer Mode based
Integrated Ship Data Network (AISDN), Combat Management System (CMS), Automatic
Power Management System (APMS) and Auxiliary Control System (ACS). The AISDN is
the information highway on which data from all the sensors and weapon ride. The
CMS is used to integrate information from other platforms using indigenous data-link
system, to provide Maritime Domain Awareness. The intricate power supply management
is done using APMS, and remote control and monitoring of machinery is achieved
through the ACS. The unique feature of the ship is the high level of indigenisation
achieved with most of the systems onboard sourced from within the country. Some
of the other major indigenised systems onboard INS Kochi include the Electronic
Warfare Suite, Foldable Hanger Doors, Helo Traversing System and Ship’s Stabilisers.
Crew comfort is a significant feature of INS Kochi, and has been ensured through
ergonomically designed accommodation and galley compartments based on modular
concept. INS Kochi derives her name from the vibrant port city of Kochi.
This is a tribute to the city’s distinct maritime character and culture, and symbolises
the special bond between the Indian Navy and the city of Kochi. The ship’s crest
depicts a sword and a shield together with a Snake Boat riding on the blue and
white ocean waves, which symbolise the Malabar region’s rich maritime heritage
and martial traditions. The crew of the ship abides by the Sanskrit motto “Jahi
Shatrun Mahabaho” which means “Oh mighty armed one… conquer the enemy”. The
Commanding Officer, Captain Gurcharan Singh, read out the Commissioning Warrant,
prior to the hoisting of 'Colours' (the national flag and naval ensign) for the
first time onboard the ship. Following her commissioning, INS Kochi will be based
at Mumbai, under the operational and administrative control of the Flag Officer
Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command. The commissioning ceremony was
attended, among others, by Chief of Naval Staff Admiral RK Dhowan; Flag Officer
Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command, Vice Admiral SPS Cheema; and Chairman
and Managing Director Mazagon Dock Limited Rear Admiral RK Shrawat (Retd). | 
