Commissioning of Indian Navy's Udaygiri, Himgiri Frigates

Visakhapatnam, Aug 26: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is all set to oversee the commissioning of two multi-mission stealth frigates, Udaygiri and Himgiri, under the Eastern Naval Command of the Indian Navy this Tuesday. This significant event marks the simultaneous induction of two frontline combatants built at separate shipyards, a historic moment for India's naval prowess.

The latest additions to the fleet, Udaygiri and Himgiri, hail from the Indian Navy’s advanced Project 17A and underscore the rising strategic importance of India’s eastern coastline. The Indian Navy announced through a post on X, “Two state-of-the-art combatant platforms are joining the Indian Navy fleet, strengthening India’s maritime capabilities. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will preside over this landmark commissioning ceremony.”

Both frigates are successors to the Project 17 (Shivalik) class frigates and incorporate major advancements in design, stealth, weaponry, and sensor systems. They are equipped to conduct a full range of maritime missions in ‘blue water’ conditions. Udaygiri, constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai, is the second ship of the Project 17A stealth frigates, while Himgiri, built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata, is the first P17A ship from its yard. This highlights a generational leap in naval architecture.

Notably, Udaygiri achieved the fastest delivery post-launch in her class, a testament to the modular construction techniques employed by Indian shipyards. The P17A frigates, with a displacement of around 6,700 tons, are approximately five percent larger than their predecessors, the Shivalik-class frigates, offering a sleeker form and reduced radar cross-section.

These frigates are decked out with advanced weapons and sensor suites developed by Indian manufacturers, including 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. The launch of Udaygiri also symbolizes a significant achievement for the Navy's Warship Design Bureau (WDB), as it represents the 100th ship designed by the Bureau, marking five decades of indigenous warship design.

This commissioning signifies a collaborative effort involving over 200 MSMEs, generating roughly 4,000 direct jobs and more than 10,000 indirect jobs, highlighting India's accelerating naval modernisation and its capacity to produce advanced warships across multiple shipyards. With 75 percent indigenous input, the frigates embody the Indian Government’s vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat in defence production.

Upon commissioning, Udaygiri and Himgiri will join the Eastern Fleet, substantially boosting the Navy’s combat preparedness and enhancing India's ability to safeguard its maritime interests throughout the Indian Ocean Region, as stated in a Ministry of Defence release on Monday.