Indian naval ship arriving at Hamad Port on Tuesday

The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Mumbai, a guided missile destroyer, is arriving at Hamad Port early Tuesday, on a three-day visit of Qatar.

In the framework of the deep-rooted friendly ties, multi-faceted and growing co-operation between India and Qatar, this is the second time in the last six months that an Indian Naval Ship is visiting the country, according to a statement from the Indian embassy.

Earlier in March, Indian Naval Ship Kolkata was in Doha to participate in the Dimdex 2018, an exhibition where a large number of shipyards and navies from across the globe showcased their capabilities.

The INS Mumbai, the 10th warship of the same lineage, has been built to an indigenous design at Mumbai's Mazagon Dock Limited. It bristles with a formidable array of weapons backed by state-of-the-art sensors and equipment. The vessel is the third of the Delhi class of guided missile destroyers and represents the Indian Navy’s quantum leap in technology and capability in the new millennium.

These formidable destroyers are designed by the Indian Navy with the detailed design and production phase carried out by Mazagon Dock.

The 6,700 tonne ship was commissioned on January 22, 2001. With an overall length of 163m and beam of 17m, the ship has been at the forefront of the Sword Arm – The Western Fleet of the Indian Navy. Besides the sophisticated anti-ship, anti-aircraft and anti-submarine weapons fitted on the ship itself, the capability of carrying two multi-role helicopters provides her tremendous firepower and reach to counter threats in all the three dimensions.

The ship has frequently responded in a swift and timely manner to render relief within India and overseas. The major Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief operations include Operation Sukoon - evacuation of personnel from Lebanon (2006) and Operation Rahat (2015) wherein over 5,600 Indian and foreign citizens were rescued from strife torn Yemen amidst active gun fire and shelling.

The ship is presently being commanded by Captain Amit Srivastava, a specialist in navigation and direction, and has a complement of 35 officers and 300 sailors.

This visit stands testimony to the friendly ties between India and Qatar and will further enhance maritime cooperation between the two countries, added the embassy statement.