INS Vindhyagiri: President Droupadi Murmu to launch advanced stealth frigate for Indian Navy | India News – Times of India
NEW DELHI: In a boost to India’s maritime prowess, President Droupadi Murmu is launching advanced stealth frigate ‘Vindhyagiri‘ for the Indian Navy on Thursday.
The President will launch the ‘Vindhyagiri’ at Defence PSU Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd’s (GRSE) facility on the banks of River Hooghly in Kolkata.
This is the sixth of seven ships being built under Project 17 Alpha for the Navy. The first five ships of the project were launched between 2019 and 2022.
Here’s all you need to know …
Vindhyagiri, India’s latest stealth frigate
- ‘Vindhyagiri’ has been christened after a mountain range in Karnataka.
- The ship, being painted in ash, black and red colour, has been designed in-house by the Indian Navy’s warship design bureau, like other P17A stealth frigates.
- The state-of-the-art ship will be fitted with the latest gadgets and undergo extensive trials before being handed over to the Indian Navy for commissioning into service.
- The Navy said that Vindhyagiri, a technologically advanced frigate, pays a befitting tribute to its predecessor, INS Vindhyagiri, a Leander Class ASW Frigate.
- Vindhyagiri served the country for 31 years till June 2012.
- “The newly christened Vindhyagiri stands as a symbol of India’s determination to embrace its rich naval heritage, while propelling itself towards a future of indigenous defence capabilities,” an official said.
Project 17 Alpha
- Vindhyagiri and the five other warships are follow-ons of Project 17 Class Frigates Shivalik Class.
- They have improved stealth features, advanced weapons and sensors and platform management systems.
- Under the P17A programme, three ships by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd and four by Mazagon Docks Shipbuilders (MDL) Ltd are under various stages of construction for the Indian Navy.
- Vindhyagiri is the last of the three ships being built by GRSE.
- P17A ships are guided missile frigates, each of which is 149 metres long, with displacement of approximately 6,670 tonnes and a speed of 28 knots, according to a GRSE official.
- These are capable of neutralising threats in all three dimensions of air, surface and sub-surface.
Boosting Naval prowess
- A stealth ship employs stealth technology construction techniques in an effort to make it harder to detect by radars, visual, sonar and infrared methods.
- India has been boosting its naval prowess to counter the growing threat posed by an expansionist China in the Indo-Pacific region.
- While China presses India along the land borders with its “salami-slicing” tactics, it is steadily also stepping up its presence in the IOR.
- China has the world’s largest navy with 355 warships and submarines. It is also helping Pakistan build a strong maritime force to challenge India in the Arabian Sea.
- India has started demonstrating its power-projection capabilities in the region by deploying its aircraft carriers accompanied by several warships, submarines and over 35 aircraft.
