India gets its first nuclear missile tracking ship: All you need to know about INS Dhruv

India is all ready to launch its first nuclear-missile tracking ship — IND Dhruv — on Friday. This will be India's first naval vessel that is capable of tracking nuclear missiles at a long range.With the induction of INS Dhruv, India joins a select group of countries like the US, the UK, Russia, China and France to have such specialized vessels.Key features of IND Dhruv:

• Built by the Hindustan Shipyard in collaboration with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO), the nuclear missile tracking ship is likely to be commissioned by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval from Visakhapatnam.
• The INS Dhruv could provide early warning of attacks by ballistic missiles launched from Pakistan and China as per a report in the Hindustan Times.
• The satellite and ballistic missile tracking ships were known by the code designation VC-11184.
• It has a length of 175 metres, beam of 22 metres, draught of six metres and can attain a speed of 21 knots. It is powered by two imported 9,000 kilowatts combined diesel and diesel (CODAD) configuration engines and three 1200 kilowatt auxiliary generators
• The 10,00 tonnes vessel is housed with long-range radars, dome-shaped tracking antennae and advanced electronics.
• INS Dhruv is also equipped with the capability to map ocean beds for research and detection of enemy submarines.
• The ship is equipped with the DRDO developed state-of-the-art active scanned array radar or AESA that can scan monitor spy satellites watching over India as well as monitor missile tests in the entire region.
• According to Mint, since both China and Pakistan have nuclear ballistic capabilities and land disputes with India, therefore, the INS Dhruv will help Indian Navy to strategise its military operations better across all three dimensions of naval warfare – sub-surface, surface, and aerial.
• INS Dhruv will also help in monitoring the flight trajectories and telemetry data of the Agni land-based missiles and 'K' series of submarine-launched ballistic missiles launched by India during trials, reports Jagran Josh

With inputs from agencies