The Indian Navy on Tuesday officially commissioned two state-of-the-art Nilgiri-class stealth frigates, INS Himgiri and INS Udaygiri, during a commissioning ceremony headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
The newly commissioned warships belong to the Project 17 Alpha (P-17A) class of ships and are "made-in-India" ships.
Earlier in the year, the lead vessel, INS Nilgiri, had been commissioned. Himgiri and Udaygiri are mostly indigenous with more than 75% indigenous content, which is a big step towards the government's 'aatmanirbharta' programme to enhance self-reliance in defence production.
This is a first in history with two key warships of two top shipyards being commissioned on the same day. Himgiri was built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers in Kolkata, whereas Udaygiri was constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders in Mumbai. This twin commissioning is proof of India's increasing shipbuilding capabilities and its premier defence shipyards' collaborative power, sources informed NDTV.
With their commissioning, India now has a three-frigate squadron, underscoring the country's industrial-technological capabilities and its capacity to sustain a regional balance of power through indigenous resources.
As per an official release, "Udaygiri and Himgiri have significant improvements in design, stealth, weapon and sensor systems, and are capable of carrying out a full range of maritime missions." The release added that their induction greatly boosts the Navy's combat capability.
Udaygiri has also received the accolade of being the quickest ship in the class to be handed over after launch, a feat that has been achieved due to the modular construction techniques utilized by Indian shipyards.
Both ships were designed by the Warship Design Bureau of the Navy, with Udaygiri being the 100th warship designed by the bureau. The ships are named after the precursors of the same names which served the country with honor for more than three decades before their decommissioning.
Once commissioned, the two frigates will be part of the Eastern Fleet, strengthening India's capability to project its maritime interests across the Indian Ocean Region. The ships are a generation ahead of previous designs.
Slightly displacing 6,700 tons each, the P-17A frigates are roughly 5% larger than the earlier Shivalik-class ships but with a more sleek design and lower radar cross-section.
INS Udaygiri Features:
- Designed and constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders, Mumbai
- Length: 149 meters; top speed: 28 knots (52 km/h)
- Equipped with 48 Barak-8 missiles and 8 BrahMos supersonic missiles
- Capable of carrying two helicopters
- Diesel engines and gas turbines powering controllable-pitch propellers, controlled through an integrated system
- Construction by Garden Reach Shipbuilders, Kolkata
- Same size and top speed as Udaygiri; capable of carrying two helicopters
- Fitted with 32 Barak-8 missiles, 8 BrahMos supersonic missiles, and Mareech torpedo decoy system
Both vessels are equipped with more weapons such as supersonic surface-to-surface missiles, medium-range surface-to-air missiles, a 76 mm MR Gun, a mix of 30 mm and 12.7 mm close-in weapon systems, as well as anti-submarine/underwater missiles.
India is confronted with the strategic threat of China's growing maritime power, as Beijing extends its influence through footholds at Gwadar (Pakistan), Hambantota (Sri Lanka), Chittagong (Bangladesh), and Djibouti under the 'string of pearls' strategy. Here, the Nilgiri-class frigates are an effective deterrent to India.
Officials emphasized that these frigates will not only secure key sea trade lanes but also augment India's naval standing in the Indian Ocean, from the Strait of Malacca to Africa.
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