Rajnath Singh commissions INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri at Vizag

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh commissioned INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri, India’s latest Project 17A stealth frigates, at Visakhapatnam, marking a major boost to the Navy’s capabilities and indigenous defence manufacturing under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiativ

Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday commissioned two multi-mission stealth frigates, INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri, here at the Eastern Naval Command of the Indian Navy.

Udaygiri and Himagiri come from the Indian Navy’s latest state-of-the-art Project 17 A and the commissioning marks the first occasion when two frontline surface combatants constructed at two different shipyards were commissioned simultaneously.

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This development underscores the growing maritime importance of India’s eastern seaboard.The two are follow-on ships of the Project 17 (Shivalik) class frigates, and both the vessels incorporate significant improvements in design, stealth, weapon and sensor systems, capable of executing a full spectrum of maritime missions in ‘blue water’ conditions, according to Defence officials.

“Two state-of-the-art combatant platforms join the Indian Navy fleet, fortifying India’s strength at sea…” said the Indian Navy in a post on ‘X’ late on Monday. Udaygiri is the second ship from Project 17A stealth frigates and was built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai.

While Himgiri is the first of P17A ships to be constructed by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata. Both the frigates represent a generational leap over earlier designs. Udaygiri also holds the distinction of being the fastest ship of her class to be delivered post-launch, a result of the modular construction methodology adopted by Indian shipyards.

Displacing about 6,700 tons, the P17A class frigates are roughly five per cent larger than their predecessor Shivalik-class frigates, incorporating a sleeker form with a reduced radar cross section.

They also feature a suite of advanced weapons and sensors developed by Indian manufacturers. The weapons suite of these frigates include supersonic surface-to-surface missiles, medium range surface-to-air missiles, 76 mm MR Gun and a combination of 30 mm and 12.7 mm close-in weapon systems.

In another major milestone for the Indian Navy, Udaygiri also happens to be the 100th ship designed by the Navy’s Warship Design Bureau (WDB), marking a milestone in five decades of indigenous warship design.

Both ships are the result of an industrial ecosystem spanning over 200 MSMEs, supporting approximately 4,000 direct jobs and more than 10,000 indirect jobs. With 75 percent indigenous content, the frigates align with the Indian Government’s vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliance) in defence manufacturing.

The commissioning of Udaygiri and Himgiri will augment the Navy’s combat readiness and reaffirm India’s resolve to achieve self-reliance in warship design and construction. Upon commissioning, the two frigates will join the Eastern Fleet, strengthening India’s ability to safeguard its maritime interests across the Indian Ocean Region, a Ministry of Defence press release said.