INS Kolkata Inducted, PM Says Military Might Best Deterrent to War

The Long Range-Surface to Air Missile (LR-SAM) is under development in a joint venture between India and Israel and is expected to complete its trials in September and would then be available for deployment on board the warship, Rear Admiral AB Singh had said recently.

He said the 6,800-tonne warship will have close-in weapon systems and chaffes to provide protection along with its two main guns.

The LR-SAM is the main air defence weapon of the naval warships in future but the programme has been delayed due to technical glitches.

Navy officials said the four rear motors of the missile system have been sent to Israel for testing but have been stuck in transit in South Korea due to the on-going conflict in West Asia.

The motors have now been recalled and would be sent to Israel at a later date, they said.

The warship will also not have a towed array sonar as the DRDO is developing it indigenously and the first project trials failed, the Navy officials said.

The INS Kolkata would be deployed in the Western Fleet under the Navy's Western Command.

Maharashtra Governor K Sankaranarayanan, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R K Dhowan, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Defence Secretary R K Mathur, and senior officers of the Army, Navy and Air Force were present at the commissioning of the warship.

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