Defence Minister Rajnath Singh unveiled the crest of Yard 12706 (Imphal), the third amongst the four Project 15B stealth guided missile destroyers, in New Delhi on Tuesday. 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, a PIB New Delhi report stated. Manipur Chief Minister was present at the event.
The crest design depicts the Kangla Palace on the left and ‘Kangla-Sa’ on the right. The 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.
According to PIB, the ship is a hallmark of indigenous shipbuilding and is amongst the most technologically advanced warships in the world. It is designed by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau and built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai.
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/hr).
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 October 2023 within a record time-frame of six months.
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As part of the pre-commissioning trials, the ship recently carried out successful firing of an Extended Range BrahMos missile. 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. The 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, the approval for which was accorded by the President on 16 April 2019.
The ship is scheduled to be commissioned into the Indian Navy in 23rd December 2023.
Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar and other officials of Ministry of Defence and Manipur government were also present on the occasion.
