Indigenous Stealth Guided-Missile Destroyer INS Mormugao Commissioned By Raksha Mantri

Indian Naval Ship (INS) Mormugao (D67), second warship of the P15B class of stealth guided-missile destroyers, was commissioned in the august presence of Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai on December 18, 2022. The event marked the formal induction of the second of the four ‘Visakhapatnam’ class destroyers, indigenously designed by the Indian Navy’s in-house organisation Warship Design Bureau and constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai.

“Shining example of ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence”

In his address, the Raksha Mantri described INS Mormugao as one of the most powerful indigenously-built warships which will significantly enhance the country’s maritime capabilities and secure national interests. “INS Mormugao is one of the world’s most technologically-advanced missile carriers. With over 75% indigenous content, it is a testimony to India’s excellence in design and development of warships and a shining example of our growing indigenous defence production capabilities. The warship will meet the present and future needs of our country as well as of our friendly countries across the globe,” he said.

“Navy securing maritime interests & contributing to socio-economic progress”

Shri Rajnath Singh commended the Indian Navy and MDL for the commissioning of INS Mormugao, describing it as the result of the hard work, dedication and aspirations of the engineers, technicians, designers and scientists. It is a matter of great pride for India, he said. The Raksha Mantri extended congratulations to the Indian Navy on behalf of the entire nation for not only safeguarding maritime interests, but also contributing significantly to the socio-economic progress.

The Raksha Mantri described safeguarding India’s interests in the Indian Ocean Region as the prime responsibility of the Navy. “Our growing economy is directly connected to the increasing trade, most of which is through sea routes. Our interest is directly linked to the Indian Ocean. Being an important country in this region, the role of Indian Navy becomes more important in its security. It is heartening to see that they are discharging their duties successfully,” he said.

“Armed Forces – backbone of India’s unprecedented growth”

Shri Rajnath Singh lauded the Armed Forces for protecting the borders and coasts with unmatched courage and dedication, terming them as the backbone of India’s unprecedented growth. “India is touching newer heights of success every day. We are now among the top five economies of the world. According to a report by investment firm Morgan Stanley, we will be among the top three economies in the next five years. India’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic has been appreciated by the world. Our G-20 presidency is another landmark achievement. This has been successful due to the aspirations, hard work and determination of every Indian. But, the most important reason behind our success is our secure borders and coasts. It is due to the readiness and promptness of our Armed Forces that we have a fool-proof security apparatus,” he said.

“Bolstering security apparatus is our top priority”

Raksha Mantri reiterated the Government’s resolve to prepare the nation to deal with any situation arising due to the rapidly changing global scenario. He said, it is the Government’s top priority to continue strengthening the security infrastructure by equipping the military with state-of-the-art indigenous weapons/equipment.

“Economic, political and trade relations between countries are constantly evolving. The Covid-19 pandemic, situation in the middle east, Afghanistan and now Ukraine. It directly or indirectly impacts every country in one way or another. In this era of globalisation, almost all nations are dependent on each other in the field of trade. Hence, rule-based freedom of navigation, security of sea lanes etc. have become more important than ever for stability and economic progress of the world,” he stated.

“Aim is to make India an indigenous shipbuilding hub”

Shri Rajnath Singh also praised MDL for growing in stature by continuously building new ships with state-of-the-art technologies. He urged them and other shipbuilding companies to enhance their capabilities by taking advantage of the Government’s initiatives and move forward towards making India an indigenous shipbuilding hub.

“Countries around the world are today moving towards modernising and strengthening their military power due to the global security scenario. The demand for military equipment is continuously increasing. We have introduced a number of policies which will help our public or private sector companies to become world class players. You all must take advantage of these policies and strive to cater to the needs of our Navy & Coast Guard, while meeting international requirements. We will extend all possible support to realise Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Make in India, Make for the World’,” he said.