Navy ships 'Udaygiri', 'Himgiri' to be commissioned simultaneously at Vizag on Tuesday

The Navy is all set to augment its combat readiness and strengthen India's ability to safeguard its maritime interests with naval ships 'Udaygiri' and 'Himgiri', which are part of Project 17A stealth frigates slated to be simultaneously commissioned at Visakhapatnam on Tuesday.

The ceremony will be presided over by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, officials said.

"The commissioning of 'Udaygiri' and 'Himgiri' will augment the Navy's combat readiness and reaffirm India's resolve to achieve self-reliance in warship design and construction. Upon commissioning, the two frigates will join the Eastern Fleet, strengthening India's ability to safeguard its maritime interests across the Indian Ocean Region," the defence ministry said.

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This will be the first occasion when two frontline surface combatants, constructed at two different shipyards, will be commissioned simultaneously, underscoring the growing maritime importance of India's Eastern Seaboard, it said.

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.

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

The Indian Navy is set to commission the latest state-of-the-art Project 17A multi-mission stealth frigates, 'Udaygiri' and 'Himgiri', at Naval Base, Visakhapatnam, on August 26, they 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' are follow-on ships of the Project 17 (Shivalik) class frigates. Both these vessels incorporate significant improvements in design, stealth, weapon and sensor systems and are capable of executing a full spectrum of maritime missions in 'Blue Water' conditions, the officials said.

The two warships showcase the nation's growing shipbuilding prowess as well as the synergy between India's premier defence shipyards.

'Udaygiri' also holds the distinction of being the "fastest ship of her class to be delivered post-launch", a result of the modular construction methodology adopted by Indian shipyards, the ministry said.

"In keeping with the Navy's tradition of reviving names of illustrious predecessors, both frigates are named after earlier INS Udaygiri (F35) and INS Himgiri (F34) that served the nation with distinction for over 30 years before being decommissioned," it said.

The commissioning of the new 'Udaygiri' and 'Himgiri' thus honours the legacy of their forebearers while ushering in a new era of capability, the officials said.

The ships feature modern Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) propulsion plants, state-of-the-art Integrated Platform Management System and a suite of advanced weapons and sensors developed by Indian manufacturers.

The ships, with about 75 per cent indigenous content, supported by hundreds of indigenous MSMEs, align with the government's vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat in defence manufacturing, it said.