Self-reliance at sea: Navy to commission Udaygiri, Himgiri on 26 August; Project 17A's indigenous stealth frigates to join fleet together
NEW DELHI: In a first for the
Indian Navy
, two major surface combatants from separate shipyards, stealth frigates Udaygiri (F35) and Himgiri (F34), will be commissioned simultaneously at Visakhapatnam on August 26, officials said on Sunday.
'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,' a Navy spokesperson said, as quoted by news agency PTI.
Part of the Project 17A (Nilgiri-class) series, the multi-mission frigates are designed for operations in a 'Blue Water' environment, capable of countering both conventional and non-conventional threats in areas of India's maritime interest, according to the defence ministry.
The first of the class, INS Nilgiri, was commissioned in January at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Udaygiri, built at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai, was delivered to the Navy on July 1, while Himgiri is the first of the P17A frigates built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata.
Four of the seven P17A frigates will come from MDL and three from GRSE.
The programme is a follow-on to the earlier Shivalik-class frigates but incorporates significant design improvements, with Udaygiri and Himgiri displacing about 6,700 tonnes, roughly 5% larger than their predecessors, yet featuring sleeker profiles and reduced radar cross-sections.
The ships are powered by combined diesel or gas (CODOG) propulsion systems, driving controllable-pitch propellers via an Integrated Platform Management System.
Their weapon suites include supersonic surface-to-surface missiles, medium-range surface-to-air missiles, a 76mm MR gun, 30mm and 12.7mm close-in weapon systems, and advanced anti-submarine warfare capabilities.
According to the Navy, the two ships are products of a vast industrial ecosystem involving over 200 MSMEs, supporting around 4,000 direct and more than 10,000 indirect jobs.
Udaygiri also holds the distinction of being the 100th ship designed by the Navy's Warship Design Bureau.
'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, as per PTI.
The commissioning follows a string of indigenous warship inductions in 2025, including destroyer INS Surat, frigate INS Nilgiri, submarine INS Vaghsheer, ASW Shallow Water Craft INS Arnala, and Diving Support Vessel INS Nistar.
The Navy said the August 26 ceremony will be 'more than a naval ritual' — a celebration of India's self-reliance in ship design and construction under the
Make in India
and
Aatmanirbhar Bharat
initiatives.
'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,' the statement added.
Separately, in an update on India's growing overseas maritime engagement, officials told that INS Tamal, the Navy's newest stealth frigate commissioned in Russia on July 1, completed a port call at Casablanca, Morocco, from August 6–9 during her return voyage to India.
The visit is part of a multi-port transit through Europe and Asia aimed at advancing maritime diplomacy. Tamal is the third Indian naval ship in the last two years to visit Casablanca.
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