Indian Navy to commission two warships on Aug 26

The Navy is preparing for the simultaneous commissioning of two frontline warships — Udaygiri and Himgiri — on August 26 at Visakhapatnam.

This will be the first time that two major warships built by Indian shipyards are being commissioned together. Both vessels are part of the ‘Project 17A’ stealth frigate programme. Udaygiri has been built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai, while Himgiri has been constructed by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata. Both shipyards are owned by the Ministry of Defence.

Udaygiri and Himgiri represent a generational leap over earlier designs. Displacing about 6,700 tonnes, the P17A frigates are roughly 5 per cent larger than their predecessor Shivalik-class frigates, yet feature a sleeker form with a reduced radar cross-section.

They are powered by Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) propulsion plants using diesel engines and gas turbines that drive controllable-pitch propellers, all managed through an Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS). Their weapon suite includes the land-attack version of the BrahMos missile, medium-range surface-to-air missiles and advanced anti-submarine warfare and underwater weapon systems.

Rigorous sea trials have validated the frigates’ hull, machinery, firefighting, damage control, navigation and communication systems, confirming their readiness for operational deployment.