India's President, Droupadi Murmu, Unveils INS Vindhyagiri Stealth Frigate

 

On August 17, India's President, Droupadi Murmu, unveiled the modern stealth frigate INS Vindhyagiri at the premises of Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd (GRSE) on the banks of the Hooghly River in Kolkata. The event was attended by West Bengal's Governor, CV Ananda Bose, and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

 

This marks the completion of the sixth vessel out of the seven being constructed for the Indian Navy under Project 17 Alpha. INS Vindhyagiri is the Navy's third and last stealth frigate, built as part of the project by the Kolkata-based warship major.

 

The Project 17A boats are distinguished by designs created in-house by India's Warship Design Bureau, a forerunner in warship design. An official revealed that 75% of the systems and equipment orders for the P17A vessels are sourced from indigenous firms, including micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

 

The advanced vessel will incorporate state-of-the-art equipment and undergo rigorous testing before being commissioned into the Navy.

 

The P17A vessels, with a length of approximately 149 meters, are armed with guided missiles. They boast a displacement of around 6,670 tons and can reach a top speed of 28 knots, according to a GRSE official. These frigates are capable of countering threats in three dimensions: air, underwater, and surface.