With over 75 per cent indigenous content, the frigate is among the most self-reliant frontline warships built in India.
Key Points
- India will commission INS Mahendragiri on July 11, marking another milestone in strengthening its indigenous blue-water naval capabilities.
- The stealth frigate is the sixth warship under Project 17A and features advanced indigenous design, weapons, sensors and propulsion systems.
- The frigate is designed to conduct anti-air, anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare missions while maintaining low radar and infrared signatures.
- Defence experts say successive inductions of advanced naval platforms enhance India's maritime preparedness and strategic presence across the Indo-Pacific.
Amid an evolving strategic environment in the Indo-Pacific, India is set to take another major step towards building a self-reliant blue-water navy with the commissioning of its sixth indigenous stealth frigate INS Mahendragiri (F38) at Visakhapatnam on July 11.
Designed by the Indian Navy's Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL), Mumbai, the warship is part of the latest addition to a series of advanced indigenous platforms that have entered service over the past two years.
The INS Mahendragiri is the sixth of the seven stealth frigates planned under Project 17A, following the induction of the INS Nilgiri, INS Himgiri, INS Udaygiri, INS Taragiri and INS Dunagiri.
The final vessel of the class -- the INS Vindhyagiri -- is expected to complete the Project 17A programme.
The frigate has been named after the Mahendragiri mountain range in the Eastern Ghats and it is the first Indian naval vessel to bear the name.
'As India continues to strengthen its role as the preferred security partner in the Indian Ocean region, Mahendragiri will serve as a formidable force multiplier, safeguarding the nation's maritime interests and contributing to a secure, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,' the ministry of defence said in a statement.
Inside INS Mahendragiri
While the INS Taragiri was commissioned on April 3, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had dedicated the INS Dunagiri to the nation along with anti-submarine warfare shallow water craft INS Agray and hydrographic survey vessel INS Sanshodhak during a tricommissioning ceremony at Kolkata on June 21.
The INS Mahendragiri features advanced stealth characteristics with reduced radar, acoustic and infrared signatures, making it difficult to detect during operations.
The frigate is equipped with a modern combined diesel or gas-propulsion system that provides both high-speed performance and long operational endurance across diverse mission profiles.
With over 75 per cent indigenous content, the frigate is among the most self-reliant frontline warships built in India.
Armed with an advanced suite of indigenous and state-of-the-art weapons and sensors, Mahendragiri is capable of carrying out anti-air, anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare missions simultaneously.
Bidyadhar Nayak, a retired naval officer with expertise in communication and electronic warfare, said the back-to-back induction of frontline naval assets within months reflected the government's emphasis on accelerating indigenous defence production while enhancing India's maritime preparedness.
"Countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, China, Japan and South Korea possess advanced indigenous naval shipbuilding capabilities. India has steadily joined this league through decades of investment in naval-design expertise and indigenous defence manufacturing," he said.
The navy said the mission-ready frigate would serve as a "formidable force multiplier" in safeguarding the country's maritime interests while contributing to a secure, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
The navy has inducted several frontline combatants in recent years, including stealth destroyers, survey vessels and submarines, reflecting India's emphasis on reducing dependence on foreign suppliers.
Defence analysts said the induction of another Project 17A frigate would enhance the navy's operational flexibility.
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff
