India has now joined a select group of nations that possess nuclear missile tracking capability. The secretive vessel with this technology, referred to as VC 11184, was quietly commissioned into service by the Indian Navy in October last year, reports the Economic Times.
The ship has the capability to monitor missile launches by India’s adversaries, Pakistan and China, at long distances.
This nuclear missile tracking ship was under construction at Visakhapatnam’s Hindustan Shipyard since 2014.
The successful commissioning of this ship was due to the direct involvement of the Prime Minister’s Office and the National Security Advisor. This project was under the supervision of the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO), India’s technical intelligence agency.
The ship had cleared trials in 2020 but the induction got delayed by a few months due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, harbour trials of the ocean surveillance ship began sometime in 2018.
The ship will be operated by a joint crew, from the NTRO, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Navy.
With the induction of the vessel into service, India is now part of a small group of four countries — the US, Russia, France and China — which operate similar vessels.
The weight of this vessel is 15,000-tonne and will carry a surveillance system that has three dome-shaped antennas. The ship’s surveillance system has been put through extensive testing since 2018.
Apart from tracking missile launches, this ship will also be used for electronic intelligence (ELINT) and monitoring missile tests as part of the ballistic missile defence programme that is under development.
Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.