INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri

In News- Recently, the Indian Navy simultaneously commissioned two Nilgiri-class stealth guided-missile frigates, the INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri, at Visakhapatnam.

About INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri

• INS Udaygiri: Second ship of the Project 17A stealth frigates, built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai.
• INS Himgiri: First ship of Project 17A, built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata.
• Both frigates were designed in-house by the Indian Navy's Warship Design Bureau (WDB).
• These ships are part of Project 17A (Nilgiri-class stealth frigates), which are an upgraded version of the Shivalik-class (Project 17) frigates.

Nilgiri-Class Composition

The seven frigates under Project 17A are distributed as follows:

• Built by MDL: Nilgiri, Udaygiri, Taragiri, Mahendragiri
• Built by GRSE: Himgiri, Dunagiri, Vindhyagiri

According to the Ministry of Defence, approximately 75% of equipment orders have been awarded to Indian companies, involving over 200 MSMEs, and generating around 4,000 direct and 10,000 indirect jobs.

Design and Operational Capabilities

The P17A frigates are designed for blue-water operations, capable of addressing both conventional and non-conventional maritime threats.

• Key Specifications:
  • Length & Displacement: 149 metres; ~6,670 tonnes
  • Speed: 28 knots
  • Propulsion: Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) system

Weapons and Sensor Suite

• The frigates are equipped for anti-surface, anti-air, and anti-submarine warfare, with the following armament and systems:
  • Missiles: LRSAM, 8 vertically launched BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, Barak-8 anti-aircraft missiles
  • Guns & Torpedoes: 127 mm main gun, 2 AK-630 rapid-fire guns, lightweight anti-submarine torpedoes, Indigenous Rocket Launcher (IRL)
  • Sensors & Electronic Warfare: Multi-Mission Surveillance Radar, Shakti Electronic Warfare Suite, Airborne Early Warning Radar, Surface Surveillance Radar, Sonar HUMSA (NG)

Source- IE