INS Mahendragiri: To enhance the capabilities of the Indian Navy, the new warship Mahendragiri will be launched on 1 September. Sudesh Dhankhar, wife of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, will launch it at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited in Mumbai. Mahendragiri is the seventh stealth frigate of Project 17A. The frigates are indigenously designed and built, and have several advanced features, including enhanced stealth features, advanced weapons and sensors, and platform management systems. With these advanced facilities, Mahendragiri will help the Indian Navy to enhance its strength and meet challenges in the Indian Ocean region.
Under Project 17A, the Indian Navy is building four warships at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) and the rest at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE). INS Vindhyagiri, the sixth warship built at GRSE, was launched by President Draupadi Murmu on August 17, 2023.
The Project 17A frigates are an upgraded version of the Project 17 (Shivalik class) frigates. These frigates have many advanced features, including improved stealth features, advanced weapons and sensors, and platform management systems.
The construction of these warships is an important milestone in India’s defense self-reliance efforts. They will help the Indian Navy to increase its strength and face challenges in the Indian Ocean region.
Here is the list of warships launched under Project 17A –
INS Nilgiri (September 2019)
INS Udaygiri (March 2020)
INS Kadmatt (December 2020)
INS Surat (October 2021)
INS Khanderi (January 2022)
INS Vindhyagiri (August 2023)
The remaining three warships are expected to be launched between 2024 and 2026.
Indian Navy officials have said that the Mahendragiri frigates are an important step towards India’s defense self-reliance. The frigates are indigenously designed and manufactured, and have several advanced features, including improved stealth features, advanced weapons and sensors and platform management systems.
Mahendragiri Frigates is the fifth frigate built under Project 17A. These frigates are a follow up to the Shivalik class frigates built under Project 17. The Project 17 frigates were indigenously designed and built, and included several advanced features.
Under Project 17A, the Indian Navy has launched five warships from 2019 to 2022. The launch of these warships has come at a time when self-reliance in defense is the top priority of the government. Chinese military presence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) is on the rise, and India is determined to expand its reach. All the Project 17A warships are currently in various stages of construction and are expected to be handed over to the Navy during 2024-26.
What are the features of INS Mahendragiri?
INS Mahendragiri is the seventh stealth frigate of Project 17A. The frigates are indigenously designed and manufactured, and have several advanced features, including improved stealth features, advanced weapons and sensors and platform management systems.
Following are the features of INS Mahendragiri –
Enhanced Stealth Features: These features help frigates hide from radar and other sensors. This helps the frigates to avoid enemy attacks.
Advanced Weapons and Sensors: These include air-to-air missiles, anti-ship missiles, anti-submarine missiles, and an indigenously developed weapon system. These weapons and sensors enable the frigates to engage a wide variety of targets.
Platform Management System: This system controls and coordinates the various instruments and systems of the frigates. This helps to operate the frigates more efficiently.
With these advanced features, INS Mahendragiri will help the Indian Navy to enhance its strength and meet challenges in the Indian Ocean region.
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar will be the chief guest at the launching ceremony of warship ‘Mahendragiri’
A statement issued by the Vice President’s Secretariat informed that Dhankhar will visit Mumbai on September 1, 2023, along with his wife Dr. Sudesh Dhankhar. He will be the chief guest at the commissioning ceremony of warship ‘Mahendragiri’ being built at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), the statement said. ‘Mahendragiri’ is the fourth warship built by MDL and the seventh ‘stealth frigate’ under Project 17A of the Indian Navy. During his visit, the Vice President will also visit ‘Dharohar’, the heritage museum of Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited.