INS Kolkata will boost the morale of the armed forces: ex-colonel

A former colonel of the Indian Army, Colonel Danvir Singh (Retired), said that the induction of a new naval destroyer, the INS Kolkata, in the Indian Navy, will improve the morale of the nation's armed forces.

Speaking to ANI, Col. Singh said, "The Indian Navy is the fifth largest navy in the world and it is aiming to become the third largest one."

He said, "Our strategic arc stretches from the Red Sea to the South China Sea and almost extends up to the Pacific Ocean. Now, to ensure that our economic interests and security concerns are well met, we require a very strong navy".

He further said, "In that quest, the INS Kolkata propels our desire to be a strong naval force to reckon with to look after our interests."

He also said the INS Kolkata's platform is based on stealth technology and it has a powerful weapons array, which includes 16 vertical launch tubes to fire surface-to-surface missiles like the BrahMos, which adds punch to the weapons platform.

The colonel was speaking shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inducted the INS Kolkata into the Indian Navy in Mumbai.

The INS Kolkata is the first of three destroyers to be built by Mazagon Dock Limited under project 15 A. The other two destroyers are the INS Kochi and the INS Chennai.