For the Indian Navy, which had waited for over two months for the sophisticated battle ship INS Delhi to be commissioned, the watered-down ceremony on November 15 at the Naval Dockyard, Bombay may have been a major disappointment. The sudden demise of Minister of State for Defence N V N Somu in an helicopter crash the previous day, resulted in the Prime Minister calling off his visit to commission the ship, and the cancellation of a fancy fleet exercise with several other ships and submarines. However, when the national flag along with the ship's colours was unfurled to the tunes of the national anthem on board the battle-ship, it was a proud moment not only for the Navy but for the whole country. Slick and shining with polished hull and decks, still smelling of fresh paint, the 6,700 tonne multi-purpose destroyer looked majestic and rearing to strike. It will of course be showing itself off at the International Defence Exhibition at Lankawi, Malaysia next month (December 2-7) besides doubling as a symbol of India's scientific technological and industrial capabilities. INS Delhi is the 75th and the largest warship built in our country and indeed, among the largest built in Asia. Its design and system integration has stealth characteristics and low radiated noise. The ship's induction, considered a watershed event in the history of Indian Navy, stands testimony to India's penchant for self-reliance and the navy's efforts at indigenisation. The ship has been disigned entirely by the Naval Architects and wholly built at Mazagon Dock Limited, Bombay. Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat, while commissioning INS Delhi said the ship's indigenous component helps India follow an independent foreign policy and effectively deter aggression. ``The Navy is an instrument for furthering strategic interests of the state. INS Delhi is part of that strategic purpose,'' he said. The radar, communications and electronic warfare equipment and the Command and Control centre of the ship have been made here in India. It will also carry a multi-mission, role change, indigenous Advanced Light Helicopter to extend its reach. It can detect and destroy threats in any or all of the three dimensions, namely, on the water (anti-surface), below the water (anti-submarine) and in the airspace above (anti-air). Her impressive weapon package consisting of 16 surface to surface missiles, an abundance of surface to air missiles, a 100 mm gun, four 30 mm gatling guns (rapid fire, close in weapon system), anti-submarine torpedoes and rockets, would be the envy of any navy. Her sensor package consisting of two long-range surveillance radars, an advanced EW suite and modern, indigenously developed sonars have been integrated into a computerised AIO network. INS Delhi promises to be an awesome cornucopia of sophisticated hardware harmoniously amalgamated with customised software. Propelled by four powerful gas turbines, the ship possesses the capability to effortlessly cruise at speeds in excess of 30 knots and can sail without logistic support or the need for returning home for 45 days at a stretch. The Navy is in the process of building yet another ship in the Class under Project 17, which will have a lesser displacement but more punch, with long arms, stealth and smaller radiated noise signatures comparable to the best in the world. ``It will be a landmark ship,'' said Admiral Bhagwat, ``The Cabinet Committee of Security is yet to sanction it. It will have 2000 tonne less displacement than that of INS Delhi but more punch at least three times more powerful. This multi-dimensional air defence ship will be commissioned in 2003,'' he said. Admiral Bhagwat added that this ship would be able to influence events even on land.is being built at an unbeilavably low cost at the Cochin Shipyard. The new ship has been ``designed to cost'' which means the design takes shape depending on the funds available. The large content of civilian off-the-shelf components makes it extremely low cost, according to the Navy chief. The INS Delhi, he said would have cost in the international market at least $1,000 million. However, locally built, it cost a mere $200 million. ``Despite all the inadequacies of our yards, cost of Delhi still works out to one-fourth to one-fifth of a comparable sized ship built abroad.'' These ships are part of the Series Production undertaken by the Navy which is working towards complete indigenenisation. ``For this, we have asked the Government to give us a statement of intent to go ahead and not a statement of funds,'' he said. The Navy is also working towards becoming a rashtriya sector (``...as against being a private sector or a public sector undertaking...'') and has already garnered a good rappot with over 800 industries across the country in various fields such as electronics, hull manufacture, computers, systems and so on, which were involved in the making of the Delhi, the naval chief said. ``Our partnership with the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) for infotech is also very strategic. We have realised that keeping ourselves updated on defence information, ocean space, control and so on is vital for the navy.'' ``Our maritime capabilities have an influence on our foreign trade, which has an exponential relationship with GDP, economic development, energy and trade life lines and energy resources,'' said Admiral Bhagwat. The Navy is also working towards securing orders from the outside for design and development. ``We are very optimistic on this front, as we have had some encouraging discussions on this front,'' he said. At the commissioning ceremony, Captain S V Nair, Chairman, Mazagon Dock Limited, the shipyard that built the INS Delhi, said: ``Building a ship of this size is not an ordinary task, even at the best of times. The shipyard has gone through various problems during the construction phase and I admit that there have been delays but these delays occured due to the late receipt of various equipments.'' However, Captain Nair said that in the course of constructing this vessel, the difficulties encountered were successfully overcome through continued guidance from the Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition and Director General of Naval Design. The newly born Delhi ably recreates the power and glory of her predecessor. The similarities are uncanny -- the old Delhi was then India's largest ship, the new Delhi is also India's largest indigenous ship. The first Delhi signalled the country's hopes and aspirations in anewly independent India; the new Delhi echoes the voice of a resurgent India in its fiftieth year of Independence.