Indian naval ships 'Udaygiri' and 'Himgiri', part of Project 17A stealth frigates, are slated to be simultaneously commissioned on August 26 at Visakhapatnam, officials said on Sunday.
The first ship of the P17A (Nilgiri Class) stealth frigates 'Nilgiri'? was commissioned at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January.
The second warship, Udaygiri, built at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), was delivered to the Navy on July 1.
The Indian Navy is preparing for the simultaneous commissioning of two advanced frontline frigates -- 'Udaygiri' (F35) and 'Himgiri' (F34) -- on August 26, a Navy spokesperson said.
This will be the "first time that two major surface combatants from two prestigious Indian shipyards are being commissioned at the same time at Visakhapatnam", he said.
These multi-mission frigates are capable of operating in "a 'Blue Water' environment dealing with both conventional and non-conventional threats" in the area of India's maritime interests, the defence ministry has said.
Project 17A is a follow-on to the Shivalik class (Project 17) frigates active in service.
Among the seven frigates, four will be delivered by MDL, Mumbai and the remaining by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata.
'Himgiri' is the first of P17A ships being constructed by GRSE, Kolkata.
This event underscores India's accelerating naval modernisation and its ability to deliver sophisticated warships from multiple shipyards, officials said.
This milestone showcases the success of the 'Make in India' and 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' initiatives in the defence sector.
In another major milestone for the Indian Navy, 'Udaygiri' is the 100th ship designed by the Navy's Warship Design Bureau.
'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 band yet incorporate a sleeker form, with a reduced radar cross section, the officials said.
These are powered by combined diesel or gas (CODOG) propulsion plants using diesel engines and gas turbines that drive controllable-pitch propellers and are managed through an Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS). -- PTI
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