Commissioning of INS Chennai 15A stealth destroyer India 21 November 2016

INS Chennai (D65) is the third ship of the Kolkata-class stealth guided missile destroyers of the Indian Navy. She was constructed at Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) located in Mumbai. INS Chennai is the last of the three ships built under the code name Project 15A.

She was laid down in February 2006, and was launched on 2 April 2010 by the then Defence Minister Shri AK Antony's wife Smt Elizabeth Antony amidst chanting of Vedic hymns at a function in Mumbai, and is commissioned on 21 November 2016 by the Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.INS Chennai is the first naval ship named after Chennai, capital of Tamil Nadu.

The indigenously designed ship will have state of the art weapons and sensors, stealth features, an advanced action information system, a comprehensive auxiliary control system, world class modular living spaces, sophisticated power distribution system and a host of other advanced features.

INS Chennai will be fitted with the supersonic BrahMos surface-to-surface missile system. The system enables the ship to engage shore-based and naval surface targets at long range making it a lethal platform for strike against enemy targets. The ship's air defence capability, designed to counter the threat of enemy aircraft and anti-ship cruise missiles, will revolve around the vertical launch, long range surface-to-air missile system, which is being co-developed by DRDO. Four AK-630 rapid-fire guns will provide the ship with close-in-defense capability while an MR gun will enable her to provide effective naval gunfire support. Indigenous developed twin tube torpedo launchers and rocket launchers will add punch to the ship's anti-submarine capability. Indeed, these ships integrate many new features and involve design changes that ensure a far more advanced weapons platforms compared to the earlier Project 15 ships

The uniqueness of the special cover is that it has a combo stamp one of the International Fleet Review 2016 and also INS Niligari

Source: Wiki

India - INS Nilgiri

Issued in 15th Dec 1968 to commemorate Navy Day, the stamp depicts INS Nilgiri, the first indigenously built frigate of the Indian Navy.

The Nilgiri class frigates of the Indian Navy are updated versions of the Leander class, designed and built for the Indian Navy by Mazagon Dock Limited in Mumbai. Six ships have been built between 1972-81. The last two vessels (F41, F42) have more powerful engines than the remainder. Vessels of the class form the 14th Frigate Squadron. The Nilgiri class and its lead ship, INS Nilgiri are all named for the Nilgiri Hills. Subsequent ships of the class are also named for hill ranges of India. The Nilgiri class will be decommissioned by the Navy. Four ships from the class have been decommissioned, with the remainder being used primarily for training and testing roles. These will be decommissioned by 2009-10, once the Shivalik class vessels enter service.

Commissioned : 23rd June 1972

Decommissioned : 1996

Sunk on 24 April 1997, by a Sea Eagle AShM fired from a Sea Harrier Frs Mk.51 of the Indian Navy from INS Viraat.

 **If anybody has spare stamp,will be interested in exchange**