Mormugao, the Indian Navy's second indigenous stealth destroyer of the P15B class, proceeded on her maiden sea sortie on Sunday.
The ship, named after a Goan seaport city and planned to be commissioned in mid-2022, took to the sea on the date -- December 19 -- when the nation celebrates 60 years of the state's liberation from Portuguese rule.
The seaport city of Mormugao is situated in the eponymous Morumugão Sub-District of the district of South Goa, along the Arabian Sea, on the western coast of India. It has a deep natural harbour and is Goa's chief port.
The Indian Navy played a pivotal role in the liberation of the state and naming the ship after the port city is expected to not only enhance the bond between the Indian Navy and the people of Goa, but also link the ship's identity permanently to the crucial role the Navy played in nation-building.
Mormugao is being built at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDSL) as part of the 15B destroyers project. The ship incorporates several niche indigenous technologies, an example of the 'atmanirbar' (Make in India) initiative.
Mormugao will add significantly to the Indian Navy’s combat capabilities.
With the recent commissioning in November 2021 of INS Visakhapatnam and the fourth P75 submarine INS Vela, the commencement of sea trials of Mormugao is testimony to the cutting-edge capabilities of MDSL and the strong indigenous shipbuilding tradition of a modern and vibrant India.
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