In a ceremony held at the Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) shipyards on July 31 in Kolkata, the Indian Navy officially received the third of its new Nilgiri-class stealth frigates, marking a key milestone in Project 17A. This is the first unit of this class built at GRSE, consolidating the progress of the Indian naval industry in the construction of advanced warships.
Project 17A represents the evolution of the Shivalik-class frigates (Project 17), incorporating substantial improvements in stealth technology, survivability, and combat capabilities. Designed by the Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and overseen by the Warship Overseeing Team (Kolkata), these frigates embody a generational leap in indigenous shipbuilding. Their development under the “Integrated Construction” concept has enabled modular and ergonomic assembly, meeting established deadlines.
Equipped with a Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) propulsion system, the P17A frigates use controllable pitch propellers (CPP) and a state-of-the-art Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS). Their arsenal includes advanced sensors and weaponry, surpassing the capabilities of their Shivalik-class predecessors.
This achievement follows the delivery in June of this year of the second unit, INS Udaygiri. With the incorporation of this third frigate, the Indian Navy advances in its plan for seven ships under this program. It is worth noting that the Himgiri is a reincarnation of the former INS Himgiri, a Leander-class frigate that was decommissioned on May 6, 2005, after 30 years of service.
Finally, according to an official statement, the project has achieved 75% indigenous content, involving more than 200 MSMEs associated with GRSE and generating employment for 4,000 people directly and over 10,000 indirectly.
The delivery of this new frigate not only strengthens India’s operational capabilities but also underscores its commitment to self-reliance in defense (Aatmanirbharta), consolidating its position as a naval power in the Indo-Pacific region.
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