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Indian Navy gets stealth boost with second Project 17A frigate Udaygiri

Navratna Central Public Sector Enterprise Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) on Tuesday delivered the naval frontline ship Udaygiri, the second of the seven stealth frigates of the Project 17A class, to the Indian Navy, enhancing its ability to project power far from the country's shores. 'These multi-mission frigates are capable of operating in a 'blue water' environment and dealing with both conventional and non-conventional threats in the area of India's maritime interests,' a Navy spokesperson said. Equipped with advanced technology, the ship is comparable with the finest ships of a similar class anywhere in the world, according to MDL. 'Udaygiri is designed indigenously by the Navy's Warship Design Bureau, New Delhi. It incorporates design concepts for improved survivability, sea-keeping, stealth, and ship manoeuvrability,' said a company release. The ship's stealth capabilities have been achieved through deliberate shaping of the hull and measures taken to suppress other signatures. The Project 17A stealth frigate project is a follow-on to the Shivalik-class (Project 17) frigates that are in active service. With enhanced stealth features and state-of-the-art weapons and sensors, the P-17A ships are a significant upgrade from the P-17 class, explained the Navy spokesperson. 'The ships represent a quantum leap in the Navy's in-house design capabilities at the Warship Design Bureau,' they added. The P-17A ships are capable of engaging enemy submarines, surface warships, anti-ship missiles, and fighter aircraft. Not only can Udaygiri operate independently without supporting vessels, it can also function as the flagship of a naval task force. The weapon suite of the ships of this class comprises a supersonic surface-to-surface missile system, medium-range surface-to-air missile system, 76 mm gun, and a combination of 30 mm and 12.7 mm rapid-fire close-in weapon systems. Another thing that sets the new class of ships apart is that they are being built employing the philosophy of 'integrated construction', which involves extensive pre-outfitting at the block stages to reduce the overall build periods. 'Udaygiri has been delivered to the Navy in a record time of 37 months from the date of launching,' added the Navy spokesperson. 'We take immense pride in the fact that Udaygiri is not just a state-of-the-art warship equipped with cutting-edge combat capabilities, but also a shining example of India's indigenous defence manufacturing prowess,' said Captain Jagmohan (Retd), Chairman & Managing Director, MDL. 'I am confident that she will bring great pride to her commanding officer and crew — not only for her formidable performance at sea, but for the legacy of innovation, resilience, and self-reliance she represents,' he added. The P-17A initiative is enabled by a strong industrial ecosystem, supported by over 200 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Ships of the class are also fitted with major weapons and sensors sourced from indigenous original equipment manufacturers. 'The shipbuilding requirements of the project have led to direct employment generation for about 4,000 personnel and more than 10,000 personnel through indirect or ancillary sources,' said the Navy spokesperson. 'The positive spin-offs of the shipbuilding project include self-reliance, economic development, employment generation, and the growth of MSMEs and the ancillary ecosystem in the country,' they added.