INS Imphal commissioned into Indian Navy

MUMBAI: The newest domestically constructed stealth-guided missile destroyer – INS Imphal – was commissioned into the Indian Navy on Tuesday (December 26).

INS Imphal, which has been commissioned into the Indian Navy, has an ability to fire extended range supersonic BrahMos missile.

INS Imphal is the third of four ‘Visakhapatnam’ class destroyers to be inducted into the Indian Navy.

INS Imphal was formally inducted into the Indian Navy at an event in Mumbai, which was attended by defence minister Rajnath Singh, Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde and chief of naval staff Admiral R Hari Kumar.

INS Imphal has been indigenously designed by the Indian Navy’s in-house organisation – Warship Design Bureau – and constructed by defence PSU Mazagon Dock Limited.

INS Imphal has been named after the capital city of Manipur.

It is the first warship to be named after a city in Northeast India, underscoring the strategic importance of the Northeast region for national security.

Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar said, “INS Imphal will not only tackle physical threats that emanate at or from the seas, but more importantly, through the demonstrated strength of an integrated Bharat, she will deter nefarious designs, trying to subvert our national unity...Even as we speak, we have four destroyers of 15 Alpha and Bravo class deployed to counter piracy and drone attacks on merchant shipping.”

Rajnath Singh said, “India has intensified patrolling of seas after recent attacks on merchant navy ships.”