How INS Surat’s commission in Mumbai will be a red letter day for Indian Navy – Firstpost
In a somewhat unusual but remarkable development, the Indian Navy will simultaneously commission three formidable combatant platforms on January 15, 2025, at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai. The ‘landmark’ day will see the guided missile stealth destroyer Surat, the guided missile stealth frigate Nilgiri, and the diesel submarine Vaghsheer enter naval service, having completed all their pre-commissioning trials. All three have been built indigenously at the Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) in Mumbai.
While the submarine is based on the French Scorpene design, the two capital ships have been designed by the Warship Design Bureau (WDB) of the Indian Navy. Describing it as a ‘historic milestone’, the Navy spokesman said that “it will provide a significant boost to the Indian Navy’s combat potential while underscoring the country’s pre-eminent status in indigenous shipbuilding”. While each of the three tells a story of technological modernity combining with history and legacy, this piece will restrict itself to INS Surat and its splendid story.
Background and Capabilities
Warship Surat (Yard 12707) is the last of the Project 15 destroyers, an ambitious programme that the Indian Navy had flagged off in the early nineties. Over the past nearly three decades, ten ships have been built, all named after major Indian cities. These comprise IN Ships Delhi, Mysore, and Mumbai in the Project 15 scheme; IN Ships Kolkata, Kochi, and Chennai under the Project 15 A scheme; and IN Ships Vishakhapatnam, Mormugao, Imphal, and Surat under the Project 15 B scheme.
While India’s indigenous warship building journey began with a small ship, INS Ajay, in 1960, gained momentum with survey ship Darshak in 1964, took a huge leap with the Leander (Nilgiri class) warships from the late 60s, and pole-vaulted with the in-house-designed Godavari class in the 80s, it became truly world-class with the Project 15, or Delhi class, destroyers. This was because the form, firepower, weapon-sensor mix, seakeeping, and other parameters in the Delhi class were comparable with global standards.
In the last 25 years, the platforms have only gotten better with further modifications and enhancements. Significantly, all ten of them have been built in Mumbai’s Mazagon Docks.
Today, as the nation looks to celebrate 75 years of being a Republic, India’s warship building programme has been a huge success, and the recent years have seen us design and build an aircraft carrier, nuclear submarines, and many other platforms. However, in all this, the destroyers remain a notable model of continuity and development, and the numbers speak for themselves. Destroyers operate at the vanguard of the fleet with inbuilt flexibility in the manner of their deployment. They can be part of the Carrier Task Force (CTF) or operate independently or in small groups as Surface Action Groups (SAG) or Search and Attack Units (SAU). With their multi-dimensional capabilities, they can essay military, constabulary, diplomatic, and benign roles of the Navy with ease and finesse. The delivery of INS Surat culminates the iconic indigenous destroyer building project of the Indian Navy. It is in this context that we must look at her induction and see what Surat brings to the table.
First, she is an awesome beast. With a displacement of 7,400 tonnes and an overall length of 164 meters, INS Surat is big and almost the size of cruisers. She is also among the most technologically advanced destroyers in the world, equipped with the latest weapons, which include surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship missiles, medium- and close-range guns, anti-submarine torpedoes, and rockets. Powered by four gas turbines delivering up to a total of 64,000 horsepower, she is capable of speeds in excess of 30 knots (about 60 km/h) and has an extended reach of over 7,500 km. The ship’s flight deck and helicopter hangars can operate two multi-role helicopters, as well as unmanned platforms (drones), which provide the much-required flexibility in tactical operations. In tandem with her bristling firepower, she also has stealth features incorporated in her design to obtain competitive advantages in combat situations.
Second, she has a wide range of cutting-edge equipment that makes her capable of being deployed across the full spectrum of naval operations. She has been outfitted with state-of-the-art sensors—radars, sonars, and electronic warfare systems—as well as advanced communication and navigation suites that enable much higher situational awareness and networking-centric operations.
The ship features a high degree of automation—software-defined radios, an integrated bridge system, a combat management system, the navy’s datalink system, and suchlike. She is also poised to be our first Al-enabled warship utilising indigenously developed Al solutions. An ‘Integrated Platform Management System’ (IPMS), designed indigenously, facilitates control and monitoring of machinery from a single point at a remote location. All of these enhance her operational efficiency manifold. In short, she can be described as the most modern ship in the Navy’s arsenal at the moment.
Third, the delivery of INS Surat showcases the nation’s design, ship construction, engineering prowess, and industrial know-how. It also reinforces Navy’s unrelenting focus on ‘Aatmanirbharta’ or self-reliance in both ship design and shipbuilding. The ship boasts of a high indigenous content of about 75 per cent. What particularly stands out is the fact that all weapons and sensors fitted onboard have been developed or manufactured in India, either directly through design and development by Indian companies or sourced through strategic tie-ups and transfer of technology with reputed international manufacturers. In addition, the project has boosted economic development through employment generation, growth of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs)—more than 200 of them were involved—and encouragement to the ancillary ecosystem in the country.
Fourth and related to the above, the ship has been delivered to the Indian Navy in 31 months from launch (May 2022) to delivery (December 2024), the fastest for a ship of its size and in line with international best practices. The ship concluded her complete suite of sea trials within a record time of just six months. These developments compare very well with global standards and one where Indian shipyards, for a variety of reasons, used to lag behind earlier.
To further emphasise, this is a benchmark that is constantly being improved upon owing to the integrated construction and advanced shipbuilding techniques coming into play. Even where pure modular construction is not undertaken, aspects of the same were utilised to the extent feasible, such as in piping, cable hangers, trunking, and so on.
Cmde Sunil Kaushik, a Navy veteran who was the Warship Production Superintendent (WPS) until recently and who has overseen the construction of many ships, says, “The P15 Bs have been delivered approximately 31 months ahead of the average time of their predecessors, ie, P15 As. Further, the launch-delivery timeline of each successive ship of the class was compressed by an average of 20 per cent over the preceding ship, with INS Surat culminating in a whopping 61 percent lesser time than INS Visakhapatnam, the first ship of the class. This catapults India among the global elite in terms of shipbuilding timelines; the benchmark for destroyers—launch-delivery timelines—hovers around 36 months, and all this while absorbing a time penalty for enhancements while the project progressed”. He further adds, “We have come a long way; shipyards have experienced the transformation and know that the set pace can reap them laurels. We have moved from being laggards to aspiring for leadership positions. Hopefully the coming generations will sustain and build on this”.
Fifth, she is a very potent platform in other myriad ways. Her four gas turbine generators and a diesel alternator produce a staggering 4.6 MW of power, which is equivalent to the power requirements of the entire Colaba area. This power is distributed across the ship over an intricate network of cables cumulatively measuring more than 17 km. Her bilge and discharge pumps comply with the latest MARPOL standards to maintain a clean maritime environment. Surat is like a mobile smart city with 120 tonnes of drinking water-generating capacity every day, with air conditioning plants of 1,100 tonnes of refrigeration, with a galley that can churn out multiple meals for more than 300 personnel every day, with a modern gymnasium equipped with the latest fitness equipment, and a sickbay that boasts of modern medical amenities including facilities for telemedicine. At the same time, cognisant of its role, the ship has been constructed to fight effectively under nuclear, biological, and chemical environments with a number of sensors onboard to provide early warning of such dangers and to take preventive actions. In addition, 500 fire detector sensors and 200 flood sensors make for a damage control prevention apparatus.
Sixth and most importantly, INS Surat has been constructed with dedicated accommodation for a sizeable complement of women officers and sailors. This move will further boost the deployment of women onboard frontline warships.
Historical Association
While all names given by the navy to their units have certain meaning or historical significance, it is manifested extremely deeply in the case of Surat. Surat, the city, has long been a pivotal hub of maritime trade for markets across the oceans, along with a rich shipbuilding legacy. While its birth is rooted in antiquity, the city attained prominence as a port in the mediaeval era. Coveted and controlled at different times by Muslim rulers, Portuguese, and Dutch, Surat came under Mughal rule in 1573 and became their most prosperous port. Mughal navy ships and ships for Haj pilgrims to Mecca were based in Surat. Surat was also attacked and overcome by the Maratha Army under Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in 1664 and 1670.
The British journey in India began in Surat, when an East India Company (EIC) ship, the ‘Hector’, arrived in Surat in August 1608. Having obtained permission to trade from Emperor Jahangir, a squadron of four EIC warships arrived off Surat on September 5, 1612, a date that the British regard as the foundation day of the Indian Navy. Soon they established themselves as the masters of the land and sea around Surat, controlling trade, setting up factories, and building ships on the Maratha ‘Ghurab’ and ‘Galivat’ design. They also set up a shipbuilding yard in Surat in 1635. The ceding of Bombay by the Portuguese to the British happened in 1662; however, real development and movement started when Bombay was transferred to the EIC in 1668, and the Indian Marine moved here in 1685 and came to be called the Bombay Marine in 1686. The shifting of Lowejee Nusserwanjee Wadia, the first of a long line of famous Parsee shipbuilders, to Bombay in 1735 and the setting up of a shipyard there marked the permanent relocation of the EIC, which consequently resulted in the rise of the fortunes of Bombay (today’s Mumbai) and the decline of Surat. In other words, the destinies of the two cities were intertwined.
Today, Surat has again risen in eminence as a diamond and textile hub reflecting India’s new prosperity; the city is also frequently ranked amongst India’s cleanest cities. Surat also represents the growing importance of Gujarat, which has the longest coastline among Indian states and whose ports now symbolise Indian enterprise and industry. It is not surprising, therefore, that the ship’s pentagonal crest depicts the iconic Hazira Lighthouse and the Asiatic lion. Built in 1836, this lighthouse was one of the first lighthouses in India, while the lion (found in the famous Gir forest) is the state animal of Gujarat.
While the lion evokes the ship’s ferociousness and strength, the lighthouse represents longevity and being a sentinel of the seas. Interestingly, the blocks for Surat were manufactured in Shoft Shipyard at Bharuch (barring the first three units) and integrated there itself. The skeletal structure was then towed to MDL in Mumbai, where the forward blocks were integrated and outfitting progressed. Given the proximity of Bharuch to Surat (less than 100 km) and the fact that Bharuch (ancient name Barygaza/Barugaza) was itself a maritime port of eminence in early times, this seems like an auspicious pre-destined event.
Thus, naming a capital ship after the city of Surat brings history full circle. It celebrates the historical prominence of the port city and underscores its ongoing relevance to India’s maritime strength and heritage. It notes the role of all actors—Marathas, Mughals, British, other colonisers, and players in India’s maritime history. Further, naming India’s most modern, indigenous ship as Surat is an ode to the famous Wadias whose shipbuilding prowess was widely acknowledged. In a further nod to history, Surat was built at Mazagon Docks and is being commissioned at Naval Dockyard, which together constitute the erstwhile Bombay docks, the very place identified by Lowejee Nusserwanjee as the site of the Bombay Marine shipyard and where, arguably, the foundations of the ‘Raj’ were laid.
Conclusion
Surat ranks amongst the largest and most technologically advanced destroyers in the world and is capable of performing a variety of missions. Superior firepower and excellent network-centric capabilities make her an ideal command platform for fleet operations. Her highly automated features rival the best in the world. Surat is an important addition to the Indian Naval Fleet; her induction will significantly enhance the operational capabilities and combat readiness of the Indian Navy and bolster India’s maritime power.
Her commissioning is in keeping with the thrust given by the Indian Navy on nation building through self-reliance. She is a remarkable testament to an indigenous shipbuilding programme that has taken shape over years through hard work, planning, and execution by multiple stakeholders, including the Indian Navy, Mazagon Dock, and other shipbuilders; equipment manufacturers, which include many PSUs and MSMEs; and the many ship’s commissioning crews. We must also note and celebrate the quiet work of the overseers who catalyse, harmonise, and choreograph the whole warship-building endeavour.
Most importantly, there is great history and legacy behind it. It is a befitting recognition of Surat’s rich maritime history and shipbuilding legacy and of Gujarat’s enterprising and self-reliant spirit. Once upon a time, Surat and Mumbai shaped the history of much of the world. Today, INS Surat in Mumbai will play a big role in defending India’s maritime interests. The commissioning of INS Surat, along with Nilgiri and Vaghsheer, will indeed be a red-letter day for India and the Indian Navy. Here is wishing her happy hunting across the oceans of the world, flying the flag of a resurgent India. A political philosopher witnessing in fascination the ‘made in India’ aspects of the ship may muse that Surat epitomises the journey from ‘Raj to Swaraj’. An aesthete, on the other hand, charmed by her winsome looks and awesome power, and given her historical legacy, may be tempted to say of INS Surat, echoing the old Gulzar song from the film Daulat, “Aarzoo ho, Qayamat ho, Sapna ho, Haqeeqat ho, Tum Badi Khoob Surat ho”.
Cmde Srikant Kesnur is a Navy veteran who writes on maritime issues. The views expressed here are the author’s own and do not reflect those of Firstpost. Photographs courtesy of the Indian Navy.
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