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INS Kochi, the second ship of the Kolkata-class (Project 15A) Guided Missile Destroyers, will bolster the Indian naval fleet when it is commissioned on Wednesday.
Although conceived as follow-on of the earlier Delhi-class ships (which were commissioned into the Indian Navy over a decade ago), the INS Kochi is vastly superior and has major advancements in weapons and sensors.
Here are 10 things you should know about the INS Kochi:
* With a displacement of 7500 tons, the majestic ship spanning 164 meters in length and 17 meters at the beam, is propelled by four gas turbines and designed to achieve speeds in excess of 30 knots.
* The ship has a complement of about 40 officers and 350 sailors. The accommodation and living spaces have been designed with special emphasis on ergonomics and habitability.
* The ship incorporates new design concepts for improved survivability, sea-keeping and manoeuvrability. Enhanced stealth features have been achieved through shaping of hull and use of radar-transparent deck fittings.
* Kochi is packed with an array of state-of-the-art weapons and sensors, with a significant indigenous component. The ship thus has many lethal weapons to her credit which include the supersonc Brahmos missile.
* To protect against incoming air borne and surface threats, at medium and close in range, the INS Kochi has a 76 mm Super Rapid Gun Mount and AK-630 Close-in Weapon System.
* The ship is one of the few warships of the world and the second in the Indian Navy to have Multi-Function Surveillance and Threat Alert Radar to provide target data to Long Range Surface to Air Missile system. The LR SAM system or the Israeli-Barak 8 missile, though, is still work in progress.
* The ship can truly be classified as a 'Network of Networks' as it is equipped with Ship Data Network, Combat Management System, Automatic Power Management System and Auxiliary Control System.The SDN is the information highway on which data from all the sensors and weapons ride. The CMS performs threat evaluation and resource allocation based on the tactical picture compiled and ammunition available onboard. While propulsion and power management is done using the APMS, remote control and monitoring of machinery is achieved through the ACS.
* The ship is equipped to store and operate two helicopters (Seaking 42B or Chetak).
* In consonance with the national vision of achieving maritime security through self-reliance, the ships have significantly higher level of indigenization as compared to the Delhi class.
* A bow mounted Sonar Dome, the second of its kind in an indigenous naval platform, has been introduced to enhance sonar acoustic performance.