Boost to India’s maritime security: All about 3 new frontline naval combatants

With the commissioning of INS Surat, INS Nilgiri and INS Vaghsheer, Indian Navy now has a fleet of 15 attack submarines, besides two ballistic missile submarines, 13 destroyers and 14 frigates

Mumbai: INS Surat, INS Nilgiri and INS Vaghsheer were commissioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, giving an unprecedented boost to the country’s maritime security.

INS Surat, a P 158 guided missile destroyer, is among the world’s most advanced warships, INS Nilgiri is a stealth frigate, while INS Vaghsheer is a submarine of the P75 Scorpene project.

INS Nilgiri, the first ship of the P17A Stealth Frigate Project, has been designed by the Indian Navy‘s Warship Design Bureau and incorporates advanced features for enhanced survivability, seakeeping and stealth, reflecting the next generation of indigenous frigates.

A remarkable feature of the two warships is that nearly 75 per cent content of INS Surat and INS Nilgiri is indigenously built. The commanding officers as well as the captain of INS Nilgiri shed light on the country’s maritime prowess that it will bring.

INS Nilgiri captain Nitin Kapoor termed the inauguration of three warships by Modi as “historic and unprecedented” and said it was a matter of immense pride for the armed forces as well as countrymen.

Lieutenant Commander Madhav Jindal, also the in-charge of the gunnery section on the warship, said this is one of the country’s leading stealth frigates, which can counter any threat at sea and at the same time, evade the enemy’s radars.

Shedding light on the re-commissioning of INS Nilgiri, he said the Navy has a tradition of not allowing any ship to ‘die’. “If any ship is de-commissioned, another ship of the same name is commissioned to ensure that the name lives on,” he explained.

LK Singh, whose role is to ensure the safety of the ship as well as keep the morale of crews high, spoke about the strategies adopted in the deep sea. “Special effort is made to keep the crew engaged and glued to their mission i.e. to keep a watchful eye on the nation’s enemies. Sessions are organised to keep them mentally occupied and not allow homesickness to seep in,” he said.

With the commissioning of the three boats on Wednesday, the Navy now has a fleet of 15 attack submarines, besides two ballistic missile submarines, 13 destroyers and 14 frigates.