The Indian Navy will be simultaneously commissioning its two advanced frontline frigates – Udaygiri and Himgiri on August 26 at Visakhapatnam under its Eastern Naval Command.
New Delhi: The Indian Navy will be simultaneously commissioning its two advanced frontline frigates – Udaygiri and Himgiri on August 26 at Visakhapatnam under its Eastern Naval Command. “This will be the first time that two major surface combatants from two prestigious Indian Shipyards are being commissioned at the same time at Visakhapatnam,” Indian Navy PRO Captain Vivek Madhwal said. “This event underscores India’s accelerating naval modernisation and its ability to deliver sophisticated warships from multiple shipyards.”
Udaygiri
The second ship of the Project 17A stealth frigates and built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai, Udaygiri is the 100th ship designed by the Navy’s Warship Design Bureau. The Project is a follow-on of the Shivalik class (Project 17) frigates active in service. Udaygiri is a modern Avatar of its predecessor, erstwhile INS Udaygiri which was a steam ship, decommissioned on August 24, 2007 after rendering 31 years of glorious service to the nation.
P-17A ships have enhanced stealth features and fitted with ‘State of the Art’ weapons and sensors, a significant upgrade from the P17 class.
The ships represent a quantum leap in Indian Navy’s in-house design capabilities at the Warship Design Bureau.
The ship has been delivered to the Indian Navy, in a record time of 37 months from the date of launching. The weapon suite comprises supersonic Surface-to-Surface missile system, Medium-Range Surface to Air Missile system, 76 mm Gun, and a combination of 30 mm and 12.7 mm rapid-fire close-in Weapon Systems.
Himgiri
She is the first of P17A ships constructed by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) Kolkata. Displacing about 6,700 tons, the P17A frigates are roughly five percent larger than their predecessor Shivalik-class frigates and yet incorporate a sleeker form, with a reduced radar cross section.
Himgiri is a reincarnation of the erstwhile INS Himgiri, a Leander-class frigate, which was decommissioned on May 06, 2005 after 30 years of glorious service to the nation.
This state-of-the-art frigate reflects a quantum leap in naval design, stealth, firepower, automation and survivability.
A proud testament to self-reliance
“The commissioning of Udaygiri and Himgiri underscores the Navy’s commitment to self-reliance in ship design and construction and follows the commissioning of other indigenous platforms, including destroyer INS Surat, frigate INS Nilgiri, submarine INS Vaghsheer, ASW Shallow Water Craft INS Arnala , and Diving Support Vessel INS Nistar, all in 2025 alone,” an official said.