INS Mysore
is the second in a series of three 6700+ tons indian built project 15 delhi
Class multi-purpose destroyers performing anti-ship, anti-air and
anti-submarine roles. With a length of 534.8 feet, a beam of 55.8 feet and a
draught of 21.3 feet, these are the most powerful surface combatants to fly the
Indian Naval ensign and are well suited for power projection roles in the
Indian Ocean Region. Fully fitted with flag facilities, the Mysore and her
sister ships primarily act as command and control platforms for task groups and
as screening escorts for the aircraft carrier INS Viraat.
INS MYSORE |
It is built
by the state-owned shipyard Mazagon Dockyard Ltd (MDL) in mumbai at a cost of
approximately $250-300 million each, the three ships are the largest
indigenously built surface combatants. The costs for similar warships built
elsewhere would easily exceed $500 million a unit. The most unique feature of
these hybrid vessels is the integration of Russian, Western and Indian weapons
systems & equipment. Featuring an indigenous component of roughly 60%,
their armament and propulsion system is largely of Russian or Ukrainian origin
while most of the sensors, electronics and other equipment are of Western or
Indian origin. Keeping in mind that the basic design dates from the early
1980s, stealth features are minimal. INS Mysore has some differences from INS
Delhi. Most noticeably, the massive blast shields behind the missile launchers
are gone and there are minor improvements over INS Delhi. The Russian influence
is very evident as the ship bristles with all manner of sensors, armament and
missile launchers in atypically Russian fashion. One wonders if mutual
electronic interference is a problem when all these sensors are operating
simultaneously.
The missiles are housed in four quadruple KT-184
launchers angled at 30 degrees, two on either side of the bridge
superstructure. All 16 subsonic sea-skimming Urans can be ripple-fired in 2-3
second intervals and have a maximum range of 130 km. At least six have been
test fired from the Mysore during her trials. These missiles are controlled by
the Garpun Bal FC radar, mounted atop the bridge. This radar, unlike most fire
control or search radars, combines active and passive channels. In the active
target designation mode, it operates in X-band (I/J-band) and can handle up to
150 targets at ranges between 35-45 km although it is possible to
obtain ranges of more than 180 km in wave-guide propagation conditions. The
main gun armament comprises a single-barreled water-cooled 100mm automatic gun,
the AK-100 which can engage aerial and surface targets at a rate of fire of
30-50 rds/min. The turret can traverse through an arc of 220ยบ. Fire control for
the gun is provided by the T91E radar, a part of the MR-145 or MR-184 (NATO:
Kite Screech) fire control radar system along with a turret mounted Kondensor
optical sight. As in the later Kashins, four multi-barreled AK-630 Gatling
guns, two on either beam, provide a last ditch inner layer of defence against
incoming missiles that managed to leak through the outer layer of SAM defences.
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