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Both warships are part of Project 17A (P-17A), under which INS Nilgiri was inducted earlier this year, said officials
INS Udaygiri, Himgiri | Image: X
In a first, the Indian Navy will commission two indigenously built Nilgiri-class stealth guided-missile frigates—INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri—together at Visakhapatnam on August 26, the Ministry of Defence said.
Both warships are part of Project 17A (P-17A), under which INS Nilgiri was inducted earlier this year, said officials.
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Built with a high degree of indigenous content, the frigates represent the Navy’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its surface combatant fleet with advanced capabilities.
INS Udaygiri has been constructed at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai and marks the 100th ship designed by the Navy’s Warship Design Bureau.
INS Himgiri has been built at Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata and is the first P-17A frigate from the yard.
The ships, displacing around 6,700 tons, are larger and more advanced than the earlier Shivalik-class frigates, featuring improved stealth characteristics.
They are powered by a Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) propulsion system, managed through an Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS), allowing speeds over 28 knots and endurance of approximately 5,500 nautical miles.
Their weapon package includes supersonic surface-to-surface missiles, medium-range surface-to-air missiles, a 76 mm main gun, close-in weapon systems, and anti-submarine warfare capabilities.
Indigenous sonar, combat management, and electronic warfare systems, along with decoy launchers against missile and torpedo threats, provide layered defence.
Each frigate can house about 225 personnel and operate ship-borne helicopters for extended anti-submarine and surveillance missions.
The programme has also generated significant domestic industrial participation, involving more than 200 MSMEs, and supported over 14,000 jobs directly and indirectly.
Officials said the commissioning of the two ships strengthens India’s maritime reach in the Indo-Pacific at a time when the region faces growing strategic challenges.
The Navy expects the frigates to play a key role in safeguarding sea lanes and enhancing India’s naval presence from the Strait of Malacca to the African coast.
- Location :
Andhra Pradesh, India, India
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