INS Surat: Vanguard of Naval Defence with BrahMos and Barak-8

The Indian Navy will soon receive a significant boost as the ship destined to be commissioned as the INS Surat has begun its initial sea trials, reports Bharat Shakti. The stealth destroyer is the fourth and final vessel of Project-15B, a programme launched in 2011 to construct four guided missile destroyers—the INS Visakhapatnam, the INS Mormugao, the INS Imphal and the INS Surat—as a continuation of the earlier Project-15A (Kolkata Class).

The INS Surat has been designed internally by the navy’s Warship Design Bureau and all these destroyers are being built by Mazagaon Dock Limited (MDL). The ship was originally thought to be named after the port city of Porbandar, but the name was later changed to Surat.

Modernized Naval Architecture Features: The keel of the INS Surat was laid down in 2018. The ship was constructed at two separate locations using the block construction method, which involves building sections of the hull and then assembling them together at MDL.

The INS Visakhapatnam-class destroyers are considered an enhanced version of the Kolkata class or Project-15A destroyers. One key difference with the original class is that the new ships feature a distinct bridge layout that helps lower their radar cross-section (RCS) and is built to be stronger. Additionally, the newer vessels are made with more homegrown parts—72% compared to 59% in the Kolkata-class ships.

Vessel Performance Specifications: When commissioned, the INS Surat will weigh 7,400 tons and measure 163 metres in length. It can reach speeds of up to 60 km/h and has a maximum range of 15,000 kilometres. This means that the INS Surat can travel up to 15,000 kilometres before needing to refuel.

Symbolic Crest of Tradition: The crest—a special emblem that warships proudly display as a naval tradition—of the INS Surat shows the famous Hazira lighthouse, one of the oldest in India, built at the southern entrance of the Gulf of Khambhat in 1836. The crest also includes an Asiatic lion, the state animal of Gujarat, symbolizing the power and dignity of the ships.

Modern Naval Combat Suit: The ship’s Combat Management System uses data from a multi-functional AESA radar from Israel, along with radars and sonars made by BEL and a radar built by Tata Advanced Systems Limited in partnership with Danish company Terma. The ship is also equipped with domestically made sonars built by BEL and features an Electronic Warfare Suite.

The Ship’s Impressive Arsenal: The ship is heavily armed with powerful weapons. Its main attack comes from 16 deadly BrahMos cruise missiles. Additionally, it has Barak-8 missiles that can hit enemy aircraft up to 100 kilometres away. The ship is fitted with a 76-mm OTO Melara naval gun and four AK-630M close-in weapon systems for the purposes of defence.

Versatile Air and Defence: The destroyer is also outfitted with torpedoes and countermeasures against both torpedoes and missiles. Additionally, it has its own air support with two helicopters, which can include Sea Kings, ALH Dhruvs, or MH-60 Romeos. These ships feature a rail-less system—a system that does not use traditional rails or tracks—to secure helicopters, ensuring they stay safe even in rough seas. In the context of securing helicopters on a ship, ‘rail-less’ refers to a mechanism that can hold and stabilize helicopters without needing rails for keeping them safe even in rough sea conditions.

(The author of this article is a Defence, Aerospace & Political Analyst based in Bengaluru. He is also Director of ADD Engineering Components, India, Pvt. Ltd, a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany)

(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own and do not reflect those of DNA.)