DEFENCE Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday unveiled the crest of Indian Navy’s stealth guided missile destroyer Imphal that is equipped with BrahMos surface-to-surface missiles and anti-submarine indigenous rocket launchers.

The ship was delivered to the Indian Navy on October 20 by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai. The crest unveiling ceremony in Delhi was graced by Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar. INS Imphal is the third of the four Project 15B stealth guided missile destroyers. The crest design depicts the Kangla Palace on the left and ‘Kangla-Sa’ on the right.

 

The unveiling of Imphal’s crest, adorned with the Kangla Palace and Kangla-Sa is a befitting tribute to the sacrifice made by the people of Manipur towards India’s independence, sovereignty and security, the defence ministry said.

The Kangla Palace is an important historical and archaeological site of Manipur, and was the traditional seat of the past kingdom. With a dragon’s head and lion’s body, the ‘Kangla-Sa’ is a mythical character from Manipur’s history, and symbolises as the protector of its people. ‘Kangla-Sa’ is also the state emblem of Manipur. A guided missile destroyer with a displacement of 7,400 tonnes and overall length of 164 m, Imphal is a potent and versatile platform.