The Indian Navy is all set to commission two Nilgiri-class stealth guided-missile frigates – INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri – at Vishakhapatnam today, the Ministry of Defence said. These two warships are part of Project 17 Alpha (P-17A), under which the lead vessel, INS Nilgiri, was commissioned earlier this year.

This marks the first time that two major surface combatants from two prestigious Indian shipyards are being commissioned simultaneously. With these additions, India will have a three-frigate squadron, showcasing the country's industrial and technological capability as well as its regional power balance through indigenous development.

According to the Centre, the two frigates “represent a generational leap over earlier designs.” They displace about 6,700 tonnes, making them roughly five per cent larger than their predecessor, the Shivalik-class frigates, yet they feature a sleeker design with a reduced radar cross-section.

The ships are powered by Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) propulsion systems, which use diesel engines and gas turbines to drive controllable-pitch propellers. These are managed through an Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS). Their weapon suite includes supersonic surface-to-surface missiles, medium-range surface-to-air missiles, a 76 mm MR gun, and a combination of 30 mm and 12.7 mm close-in weapon systems, along with anti-submarine and underwater weapons, the Ministry of Defence said.

Both ships are products of a vast industrial ecosystem involving over 200 MSMEs, supporting approximately 4,000 direct jobs and more than 10,000 indirect jobs. INS Udaygiri has been built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai and is the 100th ship designed by the Navy's Warship Design Bureau. INS Himgiri is the first of the P-17A ships being constructed by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata.

Strengthening India’s Naval presence in the Indo-Pacific

The Ministry of Defence highlighted the strategic importance of the new frigates. The growing maritime presence of China, which has established a stronghold in Gwadar (Pakistan), Hambantota (Sri Lanka), Chittagong (Bangladesh), and Djibouti under the “string of pearls” policy, is a key challenge for India. In this context, the Nilgiri-class frigates will act as a strong deterrent.

Officials said the frigates “would not only protect the sea trade routes but also make India's naval presence credible in the Indian Ocean region from the Strait of Malacca to Africa.”

The ministry added, “The forthcoming ceremony at Visakhapatnam will thus be more than a naval ritual; it will be a celebration of India's journey towards a robust and self-sufficient maritime defence ecosystem. As the nation watches the two grey hulls take their place in the fleet, the message will be clear: India's oceans are guarded by ships built in India, designed by Indians and staffed by Indians, a true embodiment of the Make in India initiative and a beacon of the country's rising maritime power.”

The commissioning of INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri highlights India’s focus on self-reliance in defence and strengthens its position as a significant maritime power in the Indo-Pacific region.

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