India to commission INS Dhruv first long-range ballistic missile tracking ship.

According to information published by the "Times of India" website on September 3, 2021, the Indian navy will commission the first tracking ship INS Dhruv able to detect and track long-range ballistic missiles and aircraft. The ship is planned to be commissioned by NSA Ajit Doval on 10 September 2021 in Visakhapatnam.
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INS Dhruv first tracking ship of the Indian Navy able to detect long-range ballistic missiles and aerial threats. (Picture source Twitter account @PrudentHermit)

The INS Dhruv is a research vessel and missile range instrumentation ship built by India's Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL). The ship can gather electronic intelligence and will be used to track missiles and satellites to aid India's strategic weapons and anti-ballistic missiles. It will be jointly operated by National Technical Research Organization, Defense Research and Development Organization and the Indian Navy.

The INS Dhruv has conducted first sea trials in early and will enter into service with the Indian Navy in October 2020. The keel of the ship was laid on 30 June 2014 at Hindustan Shipyard Limited.[5] It is being built under a confidential program which is directly under the control of the Prime Minister's Office and the National Security Advisor, similar to the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) program of the Indian Navy.

The INS Dhruv has a length of 175 m, a beam of 22 m, a draft of 6 m, and a maximum displacement of 17,000 tons. She is powered by Combined diesel and diesel (CODAD) propulsion system including two Diesel engines and three auxiliary generators each developing 1,200 kW (1,600 hp). The ship can reach a top speed of 21 knots (39 km/h). She will have a complement of 300 people.

The INS Dhruv is designed to detect incoming missiles or aerial threats using primary X band and secondary S-band active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. In addition, it has a long open deck with ample space for installing multiple missile tracking antennas.

The INS Dhruv is equipped with land-based ballistic missile defense (BMD) systems developed locally by the Indian DRDO (Defense Research and Development Organization) that includes AAD (Advanced Air Defense) system and PAD (Prithvi Air Defense) able to intercept missiles at a range up to 2,000 km. Sensors mounted on the ship can be also used to monitor LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellites and communications used by enemy forces.