The Indian Navy has just commissioned three new ships, including a new Nilgiri-class frigate, in a single day.
All three platforms were built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata and were welcomed into service there on Sunday at a ceremony attended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
As per a Ministry of Defence statement: “The state-of-the-art platforms… significantly enhance operational capabilities, maritime security against geopolitical threats and domain awareness.”
And at the ceremony the PM noted: “The journey from INS Vikrant to today is not merely the journey of new warships, it is the journey of India’s growing self-reliance…India has always regarded the ocean as a medium of cooperation, but strength is essential to safeguard peace.”
Nilgiri-class stealth frigate INS Dunagiri is the fifth ship in her class. Also referred to as Project 17A vessels, she is the second ship in the class built by the Kolkata-based shipyard.
Roughly 75% of the systems on the 149-metre warship have been domestically developed. She displaces about 6,700 tons, has a 5,500-nautical-mile range and is capable of cruising at up to 32 knots.
Her 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 second ship commissioned was the Indian Navy’s final Large Survey Vessel (SVL) INS Sanshodhak, built for coastal and deep-water hydrographic surveys.
The 110-metre ship, which displaces about 3,400 tons, will be used to examine port and harbour approaches, determine navigational channels, and collect oceanographic and geophysical data for defence and civil applications.
INS Agray, an anti-submarine warfare shallow water craft, was the third ship welcomed into service at the ceremony. She is the latest of 16 domestically-built new anti-submarine warfare (ASW) corvettes being produced.
Eight vessels each are being built by GRSE and Cochin Shipyard (CSL) and all 16 ships are scheduled to be delivered by the middle of 2028.
The littoral vessels displace about 1,500 tonnes, and are powered by a diesel-driven waterjet which gives them a maximum speed of about 25 knots.
- You can read more details about the ceremony on the Indian Ministry of Defence website