Navy ships 'Udaygiri', 'Himgiri' to be simultaneously commissioned on Aug 26

New Delhi: Indian naval ships 'Udaygiri' and 'Himgiri', part of Project 17A stealth frigates, are slated to be simultaneously commissioned on August 26 at Visakhapatnam, officials said on Sunday.

The first ship of the P17A (Nilgiri Class) stealth frigates 'Nilgiri'” was commissioned at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January.

The second warship, Udaygiri, built at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), was delivered to the Navy on July 1.

The Indian Navy is preparing for the simultaneous commissioning of two advanced frontline frigates -- 'Udaygiri' (F35) and 'Himgiri' (F34) -- on August 26, a Navy spokesperson said.

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", he said.

These multi-mission frigates are capable of operating in "a 'Blue Water' environment dealing with both conventional and non-conventional threats" in the area of India's maritime interests, the defence ministry has said.

Project 17A is a follow-on to the Shivalik class (Project 17) frigates active in service.

Among the seven frigates, four will be delivered by MDL, Mumbai and the remaining by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata.

'Himgiri' is the first of P17A ships being constructed by GRSE, Kolkata.

This event underscores India's accelerating naval modernisation and its ability to deliver sophisticated warships from multiple shipyards, officials said.

This milestone showcases the success of the 'Make in India' and 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' initiatives in the defence sector.

In another major milestone for the Indian Navy, 'Udaygiri' is the 100th ship designed by the Navy's Warship Design Bureau.

'Udaygiri' and 'Himgiri' represent a "generational leap" over earlier designs. Displacing about 6,700 tonnes, the P17A frigates are roughly 5 per cent larger than their predecessor Shivalik-class frigates band yet incorporate a sleeker form, with a reduced radar cross section, the officials said.

These are powered by combined diesel or gas (CODOG) propulsion plants using diesel engines and gas turbines that drive controllable-pitch propellers and are managed through an Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS).

"The weapon suite includes supersonic surface-to-surface missiles, medium range surface-to-air missiles, 76 mm MR gun and a combination of 30 mm and 12.7 mm close-in weapon systems and the anti-submarine or underwater weapon systems," the Navy spokesperson said.

Both ships are the result of an industrial ecosystem spanning over 200 MSMEs , supporting approximately 4,000 direct jobs and more than 10,000 indirect jobs, he said.

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.

Rigorous sea trials have validated the frigates' hull, machinery, firefighting, damage control, navigation and communication systems, ensuring they are ready for operational deployment, the spokesperson said.

The forthcoming ceremony at Visakhapatnam will thus be more than a naval ritual; it will be a celebration of India's journey towards a robust and self-sufficient maritime defence ecosystem, the Navy said.

As the nation watches the two grey hulls take their place in the fleet, the message will be clear -- India's oceans are guarded by ships built in India, designed by Indians and staffed by Indians, a true embodiment of the 'Make in India' initiative and a beacon of the country's rising maritime power, it said.

Also, INS Tamal, the Navy's newest stealth frigate, has completed a port call at Casablanca, Morocco, from August 6-9 during her return voyage to India, the officials said.

Commissioned in Russia on July 1, INS Tamal is transiting back to her home base via multiple European and Asian ports, advancing India's maritime diplomacy and reinforcing bilateral ties.

INS Tamal is the third Indian naval ship in the last two years to visit Casablanca, they said.