Indian Navy to commission 02 P – 17A Frigates.

The Indian Navy is commissioning two Project-17 Alpha (P-17A) homegrown frigates in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, as part of a 2015 initiative to expand its surface combatant fleet.

The INS Himgiri (F34), built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers in Kolkata, is the second platform of the effort, while the INS Udaygiri (F35) by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai will serve as the third system.

The Defence Ministry has asserted that the upcoming event is the first time that two warships developed by different partners will be integrated into the force in Visakhapatnam. The scheduled induction is backed by rigorous sea trials, which validated each of the platforms’ hulls, machinery, firefighting, damage control, navigation, and communication systems for operational deployment.

“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. 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”, India’s defense ministry said.

Development of the vessels involved over 200 micro, small, and medium businesses, and provided about 4,000 direct opportunities and more than 10,000 indirect jobs in the country, according to the government.

The P-17A, also known as the Nilgiri class, is an upgraded version of the Indian Navy’s existing P-17 Shivalik frigates adopted in 2012. Each P-17A measures 149 meters (488 feet) long and has a beam of 18 meters (59 feet). The vessel is powered by two General Electric LM2500 and two MAN Diesel engines for a top speed of 32 knots (59 kilometers/37 miles per hour) and a range of 5,500 nautical miles (10,186 kilometers/6,329 miles). It can carry up to 150 personnel, a maritime helicopter, and two rigid hull inflatable boats. The P-17A is armed with a 16-millimeter naval gun, a 12.7-millimeter remote gun, as well as anti-air, anti-surface, and anti-submarine warfare missiles.

The lead vessel of the class, the INS Nilgiri (F33), entered into service last January. New Delhi expects to complete all seven vessels under the program by 2026.

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