In a landmark event that underscores India’s growing self-reliance in naval shipbuilding, the Indian Navy commissioned two cutting-edge multi-mission stealth frigates, INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri, at Visakhapatnam today in the presence of Defence Minister (Raksha Mantri) Rajnath Singh.
The frigates, part of the Project 17A (P-17A) series, have been indigenously designed by the Directorate of Naval Design and constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai, and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata. Project 17A is the follow-on of the highly successful Shivalik-class stealth frigates (Project 17) and represents a significant technological leap in indigenous warship design and construction.
Raksha Mantri dubbed the Indian Navy as a symbol of India’s maritime power as it is safeguarding the country’s interests amidst the Naval activities being witnessed from Arabian Sea to Middle East and eastern African seaboard. “The geo-strategic condition is such that it has the capability to directly impact our economic development. Our energy requirements, oil and natural gas depend to a large extent on the security of this region. Our Navy has emerged as a major pillar of our national economic security,” he said.