Visakhapatnam, Aug 11: The Indian Navy is set to commission two advanced frontline frigates, Udaygiri (F35) and Himagiri (F34), on August 26 here, Eastern Naval Command officials said.
The commissioning of these two frigate warships will mark the first time that two major surface combatants from two prestigious Indian shipyards are being commissioned at the same time at Visakhapatnam.
“Indian Navy is preparing for the simultaneous commissioning of two advanced frontline frigates – Udaygiri (F35) and Himgiri (F34) – on 26 August,” said a press release issued late on Sunday.
According to the Eastern Naval Command (ENC), Udaygiri is the second ship from Project 17A stealth frigates and was built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai.
While Himagiri is the first of P17A ship to being constructed by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata. Both the frigates represent a generational leap over earlier designs.
Displacing about 6,700 tons, the P17A class frigates are roughly five per cent larger than their predecessor Shivalik-class frigates, incorporating a sleeker form with a reduced radar cross section, said the press release.
They are powered by Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) propulsion plants using diesel engines and gas turbines which drive controllable-pitch propellers and are managed through an Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS).
The weapons suite of these frigates includes supersonic surface-to-surface missiles, medium-range surface-to-air missiles, 76 mm MR Gun and a combination of 30 mm and 12.7 mm close-in weapon systems and anti-submarine/underwater weapon systems, said the press release.
Rigorous sea trials have validated the frigates’ hull, machinery, firefighting, damage control, navigation and communication systems, ensuring that they are ready for operational deployment.
“The commissioning of Udaygiri and Himagiri underscores the Navy’s commitment to self-reliance in ship design, construction and follows the commissioning of other indigenous platforms,” said the press release.
Other commissioned indigenous platforms include destroyer INS Surat, frigate INS Nilgiri, submarine INS Vaghsheer, ASW shallow water craft INS Arnala, and diving support vessel INS Nistar, all in 2025.
The commissioning of Udaygiri and Himagiri will be a celebration of India’s journey towards a robust and self-sufficient maritime defence ecosystem, it said.
In another major milestone for the Indian Navy, Udaygiri also happens to be the 100th ship designed by the Navy’s Warship Design Bureau.
Both ships are the result of an industrial ecosystem spanning over 200 MSMEs, supporting approximately 4,000 direct jobs and more than 10,000 indirect jobs.
This scheduled event underscores India’s accelerating naval modernisation and its ability to deliver sophisticated warships from multiple shipyards, the release added.(PTI)
