On April 24, the Indian Navy's missile destroyer, INS Surat, successfully conducted a medium-range surface-to-air missile test during an exercise in the Arabian Sea. This test occurred before Pakistan's navy carried out its surface-to-surface missile experiments in the region.
The MR-SAM missile system is highly effective against surface-to-surface missiles and other aerial targets. The warship is named after the city of Surat in Gujarat, though other warships, destroyers, and frigates have been named after various cities as well.
The Navy has upgraded the Kolkata-class destroyers and renamed them as Visakhapatnam-class destroyers under the P-15 Bravo-class or P15-B project. These are guided missile destroyers, with all Visakhapatnam-class destroyers being almost identical in size. INS Surat is the final destroyer in this series.
A Resilient Arsenal: Barak and BrahMos
INS Surat is reported to be equipped with state-of-the-art weaponry, including Barak-8, BrahMos, anti-submarine rocket launchers, and cannons. It can house 32 Barak-8 missiles for anti-air warfare and 16 BrahMos anti-ship missiles for anti-surface warfare. For anti-submarine warfare, 533 mm torpedo tubes or RBU-6000 anti-submarine rocket launchers can be deployed.
Source: aajtak
Speed, Endurance, and Capability
Weighing 7,400 tons, the vessel is 163 meters long and can reach a speed of about 56 km/hr. It accommodates 50 officers and 250 sailors along with four interceptor boats. The ship is capable of covering 7,400 km in a single journey and staying at sea for about 45 days.
What's Different from the Old Kolkata Class?
Compared to the P-15A project, the P-15B features five major changes. These include a 127 mm Mk-45 naval gun, alongside the OTO Melara 76 mm gun. The sonar system has been relocated from the hull to the bow. To avoid radar detection, bridge layout and mast design have been revised. Rail-less helicopter traversing systems have been installed to protect helicopters from damage during adverse weather conditions. The ship's data network, automatic power management, and combat management systems have all been upgraded.
Source: aajtak
Warships Named After Other Cities
The Navy has named several ships, corvettes, frigates, destroyers, and other combat or exploration vessels after various locales such as INS Visakhapatnam, INS Kolkata, INS Kochi, INS Chennai, INS Delhi, INS Mysuru, INS Mumbai, INS Karwar, INS Kakinada, INS Cuddalore, INS Kannur, INS Konkan, and INS Kozhikode, among many others.
