The modern Indian Navy surface fleet currently (2017) fields a collection of eleven active destroyer-type vessels. Among these are the Kolkata-class, the Delhi-class and the Rajput-class and these cover the 8,160, 6,835 and 5,510 ton range, respectively. The Kolkata-class is a group of three "stealth" guided-missile destroyers whose primary armament is, appropriately enough, missile-minded. Inherent stealth features, such as slab-siding and enclosed sections of the hull superstructure, help the vessel reduce the risk of being detected.
INS Kolkata (D63) makes up the lead ship of the Kolkata-class. Her keel was laid down in September of 2003 by Mazagon Dock Limited and the ship was launched on March 30th, 2006. However, the Indian Navy did not acquire the vessel until July 10th, 2014 leading to a much-delayed commissioning ceremony held on August 16th, 2014. The warship currently makes homeport out of Mumbai, has the hull identifier of "D63" and fights under the motto of "Always Prepared for Battle". She remains in active service as of this writing (December 2017).
The destroyer displaces 7,500 tons and has a length of 535 feet, a beam (width) measurement of 57 feet and a draught down to 21 feet. The crew is made up of 250 officer and enlisted-level personnel. The powerplant consists of a COmbined Gas And Gas (COGAG) arrangement involving paired gas turbines coupled to shared gearboxes allowing for various sets to be selected for drive power, and thus improve on fuel efficiency. The warship can make headway at just over 30 knots and reach out to 8,000 nautical miles (about 9,200 miles).
Armament is at the heart of this warship and includes both projectile-based and missile-minded weaponry (of Indian, Russian and Italian origin). 4 x 8-cell Vertical Launch Systems (VLS) are fitted for the 32 x Barak 8 missiles carried. These form a ranged anti-aircraft capability. Land attack is possible by the 2 x 8-cell UVLM fit housing up to 16 x Brahmos anti-ship/anti-surface missiles. more conventional armament is had through the 76mm OTO-Melara turreted deck gun, the 4 x AK-630 Close-In Weapon Systems (CIWSs) and the 4 x Mark 46 series torpedo launchers. To counter the threat posed by submarines, 2 x RBU-6000 Anti-Submarine ROCket (ASROC) launchers are carried.
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INS Kolkata (D63); INS Kochi (D64); INS Chenmai (D65) Ships-in-Class
Offshore Bombardment
Offshore bombardment / attack of surface targets / areas primarily through onboard ballistic weaponry.
Land-Attack
Offshore strike of surface targets primarily through onboard missile / rocket weaponry.
Maritime Patrol
Active patroling of vital waterways and maritime areas; can also serve as local deterrence against airborne and seaborne threats.
Airspace Denial / Deterrence
Neutralization or deterrence of airborne elements through onboard ballistic of missile weaponry.
Fleet Support
Serving in support (either firepower or material) of the main surface fleet in Blue Water environments.
535.0 feet (163.07 meters) Length
57.0 feet (17.37 meters) Beam
21.0 feet (6.40 meters) Draught
8,200 tons Displacement
COmbined Gas And Gas (COGAG): 2 x Zorya M63E gas turbines with 4 x DT-59 gas turbines (reversible) coupled to 2 x RG-54 gearboxes; 2 x Bergen/GRSE KVM diesel engines developing 9,900 horsepower each; 4 x Wartsila WCM-1000 generators; 2 x Cummins KTA50G3 engines; 2 x Shafts. Propulsion
1 x 76mm OTO-Melara turreted deck gun
4 x 8-cell Vertical Launch System (VLS); 32 missiles (Barak 8 series).
2 x 8-cell UVLM pack for 16 x BrahMos anti-ship / cruise missiles.
4 x AK-630 Close-In Weapon Systems (CIWSs)
4 x Mark 46 torpedo launchers
2 x RBU-6000 Anti-Submarine ROCket (ASROC) launchers.
2 x Medium-lift navy helicopters of Westland Sea King, HAL Chetak or HAL Dhruv classes.
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