MUMBAI: Indian Navy’s new stealth destroyer, Visakhapatnam, designed indigenously and fitted with advanced features, was launched in Mumbai on Monday, boosting the maritime force’s firepower capability.The Kolkata-class warship, the first of P15-B stealth destroyers, was launched by Minu Dhowan, wife of chief of Naval Staff Admiral R K Dhowan, at Mazagaon Docks Ltd (MDL). Top Navy and MDL officials were present on the occasion.The ship weighed approximately 3,000 tons during the launch.The 163-metre-long vessel will be propelled by four gas turbines, and is designed to achieve a speed of over 30 knots at a displacement of approximately 7,300 tons.The indigenously designed stealth destroyer will have state-of-the-art weapons, sensors, an advance Action Information System, in Integrated Platform Management system, sophisticated Power Distribution System and a host of other advanced features.It will be fitted with supersonic surface-to-surface missile system. The system enables the ship to engage shore- based and naval surface targets at long range, making it a lethal platform for strike against enemy targets.The ship’s air defence capability, designed to counter the threat of enemy aircraft and anti-ship cruise missiles, will revolve around the vertical launch and long range surface to air missile system.Four 30mm rapid-fire guns will provide the ship with close-in-defence capability, while an MR gun will enable her to provide effective naval gunfire support.Indigenously developed twin tube torpedo launchers and rocket launchers will add punch to the ship’s anti-submarine capability. The vessel is follow-on of P15A Kolkata-class destroyers with enhanced features.The vessel is expected to be commissioned in the Navy in 2018.The indigenization content in P15-B class destroyers is a notch above her illustrious predecessors in line with the ‘Make in India policy’ of the Government.The P15-B stealth destroyers have been designed by the force’s in-house unit - Directorate of Naval Design.The design of Project 15B destroyers is testimony of the Navy’s firm commitment towards achieving indigenisation by using high-end technology in the field of weapons/sensors/ machinery and stealth.