The Visakhapatnam-class, designated Project 15B (P-15B), is a class of four guided-missile destroyers built for the Indian Navy as an improved follow-on to the Kolkata-class (Project 15A). The class represents the current state of the art in Indian indigenous destroyer design, incorporating a network-centric combat architecture and refined stealth shaping over its predecessor.[1]
All four Project 15B destroyers are built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai under the Make in India initiative, and were named after major Indian cities with historical and cultural significance: Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), Mormugao (Goa), Imphal (Manipur), and Surat (Gujarat). INS Visakhapatnam, the lead ship, was commissioned on 21 November 2021, followed by INS Mormugao in December 2022, INS Imphal in December 2023, and INS Surat, the fourth and final ship of the class, on 15 January 2025, completing the class’s induction.[2]
Each Visakhapatnam-class destroyer measures 163 metres in length with a 17.4-metre beam and 6.5-metre draught, displacing approximately 7,400 tonnes fully loaded, similar to the preceding Kolkata-class, but with a smaller crew of around 300 personnel including 50 officers, reflecting greater automation. The ships use a combined gas and gas (COGAG) propulsion arrangement with four gas turbines, supplemented by two diesel engines and four generator sets, giving a maximum speed of around 33 knots.[3]
The class retains the potent BrahMos/Barak-8 weapons combination proven on the Kolkata-class: 16 BrahMos supersonic anti-ship and land-attack cruise missiles capable of speeds up to Mach 3, paired with the Barak-8 Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) system, co-developed with Israel, providing layered protection against enemy aircraft, drones, and anti-ship missiles. A single OTO Melara 76mm naval gun provides surface gunfire support and point air defence, supplemented by close-in weapon systems and torpedo armament for anti-submarine warfare.
A defining feature of Project 15B is its network-centric layout, built around a Ship Data Network (SDN) that links sensors, weapons, and command systems into an integrated Combat Management System (CMS), alongside an Automatic Power Management System (APMS) that optimises the ship’s power distribution. The class also introduces a “rail-less” helicopter traversing system, designed to secure the embarked helicopter safely in adverse sea states without relying on traditional rail-based haul-down systems.[4]
Project 15B incorporates refined radar cross-section reduction over the Kolkata-class, with a more integrated superstructure and reduced infrared and acoustic signatures, reflecting incremental improvements in Indian warship stealth design carried forward from lessons learned on Project 15A.
Building on the P-15A/P-15B design lineage, the Indian Navy is progressing two follow-on destroyer programmes: the Next Generation Destroyer (Project 18A) and Project 15C, both confirmed as advancing in reporting as of July 2026, indicating a continuous indigenous destroyer development pipeline extending well beyond the Visakhapatnam-class.[5]
With all four ships now commissioned, the Visakhapatnam-class gives the Indian Navy its most modern indigenous destroyer force, providing carrier-escort, area air-defence, and independent strike capability across both the western and eastern fleets, and further validating India’s shipbuilding capacity for complex, network-centric surface combatants.
| Type | Guided-Missile Destroyer (Project 15B) |
| Builder | Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai |
| Displacement | ~7,400 tonnes (full load) |
| Length | 163 metres |
| Speed | 33 knots |
| Key Weapons | 16 x BrahMos; Barak-8/MRSAM; 76mm OTO Melara gun; CIWS; torpedoes |
| Ships in Class | INS Visakhapatnam (2021), INS Mormugao (2022), INS Imphal (2023), INS Surat (2025) |
| Combat System | Integrated Ship Data Network / Combat Management System |