INS Delhi is the lead ship of her class of guided-missile destroyers of the Indian Navy. She was built at the Mazagon Dock Limited in Mumbai and commissioned on 15 November 1997. This class is among the largest warships to be designed and built in India. The Ship was undergoing midlife upgrades from 2018. As of April 2022, she was back in service with Sensor upgrades and new 'Modular Launcher' for Brahmos Missile as a replacement for KH 35E. A Brahmos test was carried out from the ship on 19 April 2022.

INS Delhi
History
Name	Delhi
Namesake	Delhi
Owner	Indian Navy
Operator	Indian Navy
Ordered	20 March 1992
Builder	Mazagon Dock Limited, India
Laid down	12 December 1992
Launched	20 March 1995
Commissioned	15 November 1997
Homeport	Mumbai
Identification	Pennant number: D61
Status	in active service
Badge
General characteristics
Class and type	Delhi-class guided-missile destroyer
Displacement	6,200 tonnes (full)[1]
Length	163 m (535 ft) [1]
Beam	17 m (56 ft)[1]
Draught	6.5 m (21 ft)[1]
Propulsion	4 × Zorya-Mashproekt DT-59 gas turbines 82,820 hp (61,760 kW) 2 shafts with cp props[2]
Speed	32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph)[2]
Range	4,500 mi (7,200 km) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)[2]
Complement	350 (incl 40 officers)[1]
Sensors and processing systems	MR-755 Fregat-MAE E-band air and surface search radar BEL RAWL (Signaal LW08) D-band air search radar 3 × MR-212/201 I-band navigation radars 6 × MR-90 Orekh G-band fire-control radars (FCR) MR-184 I/J-band FCR 2 × EL/M-2221 FCR BEL HUMVAD hull-mounted sonar[2]
Electronic warfare & decoys	BEL Ajanta Mk 2 ESM Elettronica TQN-2 jammer 2 PK2 chaff launchers Towed decoys[2]
Armament	8 × BrahMos (Replaced from KH35 x16) 32 x Barak 1(Later Added) 2 × Shtil Arm Launchers (24 missiles each) 100 mm AK-100 Gun 2 × 30 mm AK-630M 2 × RBU-6000 Launchers Quintuple 533mm torpedo tubes 2 rails of depth charges[3]
Aircraft carried	2 × Sea King Mk 42B helicopters[2]

Delhi is the second vessel of the Indian Navy to bear the name. She inherits the mantle from the Leander-class cruiser of the same name, previously HMS Achilles of Battle of the River Plate fame.

Operations

During May–July 2009, INS Delhi led the Indian Navy task force on deployment to Europe. During this deployment, the task force participated in joint-exercises with the Royal Navy and the French Navy. Exercise Konkan-09 with the Royal Navy, was conducted off the coast of the United Kingdom.[4] Exercise Varuna 2009 with the French Navy was off the coast of France.[5]

As of 2020, Delhi was undergoing a mid-life refit that includes upgrades for several weapons and sensors. The Kh-35E Uran missiles will be replaced by BrahMos missiles, which was originally sanctioned in 2015. The Shtil-1 air defence system will replace the 9K-90 Uragan, with Fregat M2EM radar replacing the Fregat-MAE. The Kite Screech fire control system of the AK-100 is being replaced by BEL Lynx U2. The electronics warfare system will be upgraded to Ellora Mk II, with Kavach decoy launchers.[6][7] Atlas Elektronik ACTAS towed-array sonar will also be installed.[8] The BrahMos integration was validated with a test firing on 19 April 2022.[9]

References

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