MUMBAI: India’s push towards indigenising the production of capital warships—large, heavily armed vessels—has gained momentum, with all Project 17A Nilgiri-class stealth frigates progressing on schedule.Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Additional General Manager Jay Varghese told on Tuesday that the last of the class, Mahendragiri, will be delivered to the Indian Navy by February 2026.“We have the Mahendragiri ship, which is the fourth and final vessel of the P-17 Alpha class of stealth ships being built at Mazagon Dock. This class of ships will certainly add significant strength to the Indian Navy, as they are the most modern and come equipped with integrated surface-to-surface, surface-to-air, and underwater capabilities,” Varghese said.A total of seven frigates are being constructed under Project 17A (Nilgiri class). The vessel will be commissioned as Indian Naval Ship (INS) Mahendragiri, and is being constructed at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd in Mumbai.Outlining the ship’s combat systems, Varghese said, “Equipped with advanced air defence systems, BrahMos and Barak missiles, torpedoes, rocket launchers, and AK-630 guns, it can strike air, surface, and underwater targets. An integral helicopter will enhance its capabilities.”Of the seven frigates, INS Nilgiri was commissioned into the Navy in January by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.INS Nilgiri is the lead ship of the class and was built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL). Project 17A frigates are guided missile platforms, each 149 metres in length with a displacement of around 6,670 tonnes and a top speed of 28 knots. The Indian Navy had placed orders for seven such vessels—four with MDL and three with Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE).The remaining five ships under Project 17A are at various stages of construction at MDL, Mumbai and GRSE, Kolkata. All are expected to be delivered by the end of 2026. Udaygiri was delivered on 1 July. Commissioning typically takes place one to two months after delivery.The indigenous content in these warships is now around 75 percent, with the remaining 25 percent comprising imported components including gas turbines (from GE, US), multi-function surveillance and guidance radar (Israel), and the Barak surface-to-air missile system (jointly developed by India and Israel). had earlier reported that these multi-mission frigates are designed for operations in a blue-water environment, capable of addressing both conventional and asymmetric threats in areas critical to India’s maritime interests. Udaygiri is named after its predecessor, the erstwhile INS Udaygiri, a steam-powered vessel that was decommissioned on 24 August 2007 after 31 years of service.Project 17A ships are fitted with enhanced stealth features and state-of-the-art weapons and sensors, representing a significant upgrade from the preceding P17 class. The project also showcases the Indian Navy’s improved in-house design capabilities through its Warship Design Bureau.The ships are built using ‘integrated construction’ methods, which involve extensive outfitting during block assembly to reduce build times. Udaygiri was delivered in a record 37 months from its launch.These warships feature a Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) propulsion system comprising both diesel engines and gas turbines, with controllable pitch propellers on each shaft. The vessels are also equipped with a state-of-the-art Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS).Their weapon suite includes supersonic surface-to-surface missiles, medium-range surface-to-air missiles, a 76 mm main gun, and a mix of 30 mm and 12.7 mm rapid-fire close-in weapon systems.
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