The crest of Yard 12706 (Imphal), the third amongst the four Project 15B stealth guided missile destroyers, was unveiled by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh, in the presence of Manipur Chief Minister Shri N Biren Singh, in New Delhi on November 28, 2023. The unveiling of Imphal’s crest, adorned with the Kangla Palace and ‘Kangla-Sa’ is a befitting tribute to the sacrifice made by the people of Manipur towards India’s independence, sovereignty and security.
The crest design depicts the Kangla Palace on the left and ‘Kangla-Sa’ on the right. The Kangla Palace is an important historical and archaeological site of Manipur, and was the traditional seat of the past kingdom. With a dragon’s head and lion’s body, the ‘Kangla-Sa’ is a mythical being from Manipur history, and is symbolic as the guardian/protector of its people. ‘Kangla-Sa’ is also the state emblem of Manipur.
Designed by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau and built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai, this ship is a hallmark of indigenous shipbuilding and is amongst the most technologically advanced warships in the world. The ship was delivered by the MDL to the Indian Navy on October 20, 2023.
A guided missile destroyer with a displacement of 7,400 tons and overall length of 164 meters, Imphal is a potent and versatile platform equipped with state-of-the-art weapons and sensors, including surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship missiles and torpedoes. Powered by Combined Gas and Gas (COGAG) propulsion, she is capable of achieving speeds in excess of 30 knots (56 km/hr).
The ship boasts of a high indigenous content of approximately 75% that includes the following:
- Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missiles (BEL, Bangalore)
- BrahMos Surface-to-Surface Missiles (BrahMos Aerospace, New Delhi)
- Indigenous Torpedo Tube Launchers (Larsen & Toubro, Mumbai)
- Anti-Submarine Indigenous Rocket Launchers (Larsen & Toubro, Mumbai)
- 76mm Super Rapid Gun Mount (BHEL, Haridwar)