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The nearly two-century-old Mazagon Dock got yet another feather in its cap when the keel of the country's first stealth warship was laid here.
If the ship building programme progresses as per schedule, the first of the three stealth warships that the Indian Navy has ordered will be rolled out in 2005.
"The stealth warships will add to the Navy's strength," Indian Navy spokesperson Commander R Madhusoodanan said. "It will add a new dimension to the blue water capabilities of the Navy," he added.
The keel for the first ship of the Project-17 class of frigates, which are stealth warships, was laid Wednesday by Mumbai Port Trust Chairman Arun Kumar Mago in the presence of senior Mazagaon Dock Limited officials.
This is yet another achievement for MDL after it proved its ship building capabilities by rolling out three Delhi-class destroyers - INS Delhi, INS Mysore and INS Mumbai.
Though smaller than the Delhi-class destroyers, the frigates will incorporate advanced stealth features to escape detection by enemy radars and infra-red sensors.
The frigate will be 143 metres long with a maximum width of 17 metres and a displacement of 4,600 tonnes. The ships will be capable of a maximum speed of 30 knots and will be manned by a crew of 257, including 35 officers.
The ship is likely to be launched next December and commissioned by December 2005, MDL spokesperson A M Dhuru said.
The government-owned MDL, which has undergone a phased modernisation and expansion programme, is the premier yard of the country.
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