Continuing with its warship-building programme, India today commissioned its second indigenous stealth frigate, INS Satpura, which is the biggest in its class in the world. The ship, which is 143m long, can tactically fire weapons even before the enemy detects it.

This one comes 15 months after the first such ship, the INS Shivalik, was commissioned and includes a provision to fit the deadly super cruise missile, the BrahMos, at a later stage. It carries some eight different types of radars and sensors to pick out activity at sea and form an anti-missile defence for its own protection besides coordinate the firing of onboard weapons. Two electronic warfare suites other than a host of missiles, torpedoes and anti-submarine warfare capability are also on board.

Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Nirmal Verma commissioned the warship here today as Defence Minister AK Antony, who was originally scheduled to do the honours, was “indisposed”.

The third ship in this series - the INS Sahyadri - is on its way and will be commissioned next year.

“For the first time, the DRDO-produced special steel was used on INS Satpura,” said Chairman-cum-Managing Director of the ship maker Mazagon Docks Limited (MDL) Vice-Admiral HS Malhi (retd).