The Indian Navy has just received a massive boost to its maritime strength. Two new stealth frigates will now roam the seas, undetected, and counter major threats.
On Tuesday, the Indian Navy commissioned two stealth frigates simultaneously— the INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri—to bolster operations in the Indian Ocean Region and beyond.
Equipped with advanced weapons and sensors, the warships will join the Eastern Naval Command. Both ships carry the names of earlier frigates that served India for decades.
This is the first time that two front-line surface combatants, built at two different Indian shipyards, were commissioned on the same day.
The ships were designed in-house by the Indian Navy's Warship Design Bureau, and boast 75% indigenous content.
"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," the defence ministry said.
Udaygiri and Himgiri are the latest ships that belong to the Project 17A class.
Configuration
P-17A warships are among the first in India to be developed using integrated modular construction.
This means that large sections, or modules, of a warship such as engine rooms, weapon systems compartments, or entire deckhouses, are built separately in controlled facilities and then assembled at the shipyard.
This method reduces construction time and improves quality control.
The frigates come with the Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) propulsion system, relying on diesel engines for cruising, and gas turbines for speed. This hybrid system offers high speeds of over 28 knots.
Both warships are also equipped with some of the most lethal weapons that the Indian military has.
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BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles for sea and shore targets
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Barak-8 long-range surface-to-air missiles
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A 76 mm main gun and a close-in weapon system to destroy incoming threats, and
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anti-submarine weaponry, such as torpedo tubes, and RBU-6000 rocket launchers
Both frigates boast of advanced stealth characteristics to minimise detection.
Both are equipped with reduced Radar Cross Section, Infrared, Acoustic, and Magnetic signatures, and composite superstructures for radar signature reduction, and flush-mounted sensors and weapons to maintain low observability.
Officials believe that these warships will prove to be a game-changer during highly complex and risky operations at sea.
