Kolkata shipbuilder GRSE has just delivered the first of its guided-missile stealth frigates, INS Himgiri, to the Indian Navy.
The second ship in the Nilgiri class and the third to be commissioned, Himgiri was handed over on Thursday by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE). Construction of the seven vessels in the class is being split between the Kolkata yard and Mumbai-based Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited.
The 149-metre warships have a 5,500-nautical-mile range and are capable of cruising at up to 32 knots. As per a Indian Ministry of Defence press statement, their weapon suite includes the supersonic BrahMos anti-ship missile system, and Barak 8 medium-range surface-to-air missiles.
The ships are also fitted with Varunastra torpedoes and an OTO Melara 76mm naval gun, and a combination of 30mm and 12.7mm rapid-fire close-in weapon systems.
The statement noted the ships, built to a modular design, “reflect a generational leap in indigenous ship design, stealth, survivability, and combat capability.” Roughly 75% of all the ship’s systems have been domestically developed.
The first ship in the class, INS Nilgiri, was commissioned at the start of 2025 and another, INS Udaygiri, followed at the start of July. The launch of the final ship, the future INS Mahendragiri, is expected at the start of September, and all the remaining frigates are anticipated to have been commissioned by the end of 2026.
The press statement described the new warships as “versatile multi-mission platforms, designed to address current and future challenges in the maritime domain.”
- You can read more details on on the Indian Ministry of Defence website