Navy to sharpen edge with induction of six stealth frigates by September 2026
The Project 17A stealth frigates that the navy will be commissioning into service by August-September 2026 are Udaygiri, Taragiri, Mahendragiri, Himgiri, Dunagiri and Vindhyagiri --- platforms that will showcase the country's warship building prowess, have an indigenous content of 75% and come with modern weapons, sensors and systems to dominate the sea battlespace, the officials said.
The navy inducted the first P-17A warship INS Nilgiri in January and is expected to commission Udaygiri in August. The ₹45,000-crore P-17A is a follow-on of the Shivalik-class (P-17) stealth frigates and represents a significant upgrade over the previous warships.
Taragiri and Mahendragiri are being built at Mumbai-based Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), and Himgiri, Dunagiri and Vindhyagiri are in different stages of construction at Kolkata-based Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Limited.
'There were some teething troubles when P-17A began…the first ship. The project has moved ahead smoothly thereafter. Taragiri and Mahendragiri will be delivered to the navy after the completion of necessary trials in October 2025 and February 2026,' said Jay Varghese, the P-17A in-charge at MDL.
The navy usually commissions a warship one or two months after its delivery. MDL delivered Udaygiri to the navy on July 1. The weapons on the P-17A warships include BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles and the medium range surface-to-air missile system.
Himgiri, Dunagiri and Vindhyagiri are expected to be delivered to the navy in July-end, early next year and August 2026, people aware of the matter said.
On January 15, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation three locally built combat platforms, including INS Nilgiri. INS Surat, a destroyer; and Vaghsheer, the sixth and final Kalvari-class submarine --- also built at the MDL --- were commissioned on the same day. At the rare tri-commissioning, Modi said it was a significant step towards empowering the Indian Navy of the 21st century.
The development also put the spotlight on the navy's fast-paced indigenisation and how it is working on becoming fully self-reliant by 2047 when India celebrates 100 years of independence --- around 60 warships are under construction at various Indian shipyards.
The P-17A stealth frigates have a displacement of 6,670 tonnes, are 149 metres long, can reach a top speed of 28 knots and carry 225 personnel. The new platforms will boost the navy's operational capabilities and combat readiness in the Indian Ocean region, a strategic maritime expanse where the challenges include China's carefully calculated power play for influence and defending the rules-based international order.
China is seeking to expand its maritime footprint in the region by setting up military bases, pushing countries to advance its maritime claims and forcing strategic concessions from vulnerable states. The Indian Navy keeps a close watch on extra-regional activity in the region, especially the presence of Chinese vessels.
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