CREST UNVEILING CEREMONY OF Y – 12706 (IMPHAL)
The crest of Yard 12706 (Imphal), the third amongst the four Project 15B stealth guided missile destroyers being built at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), was unveiled by Hon’ble Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh and Hon’ble Chief Minister of Manipur Shri N Biren Singh in presence of Gen Anil Chauhan, CDS & Adm R Hari Kumar, CNS, at a ceremony held in New Delhi on 28 November 2023. Senior officials from the Ministry of Defence and State of Manipur were also present on the occasion.
The ship was delivered by MDL to the Indian Navy on 20 October, 2023. As part of the pre-commissioning trials, the ship recently carried out successful firing of an Extended Range BrahMos missile – making it an ideal milestone for conducting the Crest Unveiling
The crest design depicts the Kangla Palace on the left and ‘Kangla-Sa’ on the right. Kangla Palace is an important historical and archaeological site of Manipur, and was the traditional seat of the past kingdom. With a dragon’s head and lion’s body, the ‘Kangla-Sa’ is a mythical being from Manipur history, and is symbolic as the guardian/ protector of its people. ‘Kangla-Sa’ is also the state emblem of Manipur.
Designed by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and built by M/s Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd, Mumbai, this ship is a hallmark of indigenous shipbuilding and is amongst the most technologically advanced warships in the world. A guided missile destroyer with a displacement of 7,400 tons and overall length of 164 meters, Imphal is a potent and versatile platform equipped with state-of-the-art weapons and sensors, including surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship missiles and torpedoes. Powered by Combined Gas and Gas (COGAG) propulsion, she is capable of achieving speeds in excess of 30 knots (56 km/h).
The ship boasts of a high indigenous content of approximately 75% that includes the following: –
(a) Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missiles (BEL, Bangalore)
(b) BrahMos Surface-to-Surface Missiles (BrahMos Aerospace, New Delhi)
(c) Indigenous Torpedo Tube Launchers (Larsen & Toubro, Mumbai)
(d) Anti-Submarine Indigenous Rocket Launchers (Larsen & Toubro, Mumbai)
(e) 76mm Super Rapid Gun Mount (BHEL, Haridwar)
Imphal’s keel was laid on 19 May, 2017 and the ship was launched into water on 20 April, 2019. The ship had sailed out for her maiden sea trials on 28 April, 2023, and has undergone a comprehensive schedule of trials in harbour and at sea, leading up to its Delivery on 20 Oct 2023 within a record timeframe of six months. The time taken to build Imphal and for her trials is the shortest for any indigenous destroyer. The delivery of the ship is an affirmation of the impetus towards ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.
It is a maritime tradition and a naval custom according to which many Indian Naval ships have been named after prominent cities, mountain ranges, rivers, ponds and islands. Indian Navy is immensely proud of naming its latest and technologically most advanced warship after the historic city of Imphal. This is the first capital warship to be named after a city in the North-Eastern region of India, the approval for which was accorded by the President of India on 16 Apr 2019
The unveiling of Imphal’s crest, adorned with the Kangla Palace and ‘Kangla-Sa’ is a befitting tribute to the sacrifice made by the people of Manipur towards India’s independence, sovereignty and security.
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