Indian Naval Ship (INS) Mormugao (D67), the second warship of the P15B class stealth guided missile destroyer, was commissioned in the sovereign presence of Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh at the Bombay Naval Shipyard on 18 December 2022. the formal commissioning of the second of four ‘Visakhapatnam’ class destroyers, originally designed in-house by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau and built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai.
In his speech, Raksha Mantri described INS Mormugao as one of the most powerful home-built warships that will significantly enhance the country’s maritime capabilities and secure national interests. “INS Mormugao is one of the most technologically advanced missile carriers in the world. With more than 75% original content, it is a testament to Indian excellence in warship design and development and a shining example of our growing home defense capabilities. The warship will meet the current and future needs of our country and our friendly countries around the world,” he said.
Shri Rajnath Singh lauded the Indian Navy and MDL for commissioning INS Mormugao and described it as the result of hard work, determination and aspirations of engineers, technicians, designers and scientists. It is a matter of great pride for India, he said. The Raksha Mantri congratulated the Indian Navy on behalf of the entire nation for not only protecting maritime interests but also contributing significantly to socio-economic progress.
Raksha Mantri described the protection of India’s interests in the Indian Ocean region as the main responsibility of the Navy. “Our growing economy is directly linked to growing trade, most of which is via sea routes. Our interest is directly linked to the Indian Ocean. As an important country in this region, the role of the Indian Navy becomes more important in its security. It is heartening to see that they are performing their duties successfully,” he said.
Armed Forces – Backbone of India’s Unprecedented Growth
Shri Rajnath Singh lauded the armed forces for protecting the borders and coasts with unmatched courage and dedication and described them as the backbone of India’s unprecedented growth. “India is touching new heights of success every day. We are now among the five largest economies in the world. According to a report by the investment company Morgan Stanley, we will be among the three largest economies in the next five years. The world has praised India’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our presidency of the G-20 is another major achievement. This has been achieved due to the aspirations, hard work and determination of every Indian. But the most important reason for our success is our secure borders and coastlines. It is because of the preparedness and speed of our armed forces that we have a reliable security apparatus,” he said.
Strengthening security devices is our top priority
The Raksha Mantri reiterated the government’s resolve to prepare the nation to deal with any situation arising out of the rapidly changing global scenario. He said that the top priority of the government is to continue strengthening the security infrastructure by equipping the army with state-of-the-art homegrown weapons/equipment.Economic, political and trade relations between countries are constantly evolving. The Covid-19 pandemic, the situation in the Middle East, Afghanistan and now Ukraine. It directly or indirectly affects every country in some way. In this era of globalization, almost all nations are dependent on each other for trade. Therefore, rules-based freedom of navigation, security of sea lanes, etc., have become more important than ever for the stability and economic progress of the world,” he said.
The aim is to make India an indigenous center of shipbuilding
Shri Rajnath Singh also praised MDL for continuously growing and building new ships with state-of-the-art technology. He urged them and other shipbuilding companies to strengthen their capabilities by leveraging government initiatives and move forward towards making India an indigenous shipbuilding hub. “Today, countries around the world are moving towards modernizing and strengthening their military power due to the global security scenario. The demand for military equipment is constantly growing. We have put in place a number of policies to help our public or private sector companies become global players. You must all take advantage of these policies and strive to meet the needs of our Navy and Coast Guard while meeting international requirements. We will provide all possible support to realize Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Make in India, Make for the World’,” he said.
