Why in news?
The Indian Navy commissioned two Nilgiri‑class stealth frigates—INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri—at Visakhapatnam in August 2025. This was the first time that two major surface combatants built at different Indian shipyards were inducted together.
INS Udaygiri
- Project 17A frigate: Udaygiri is the second ship of the Project 17A series. It is a modern, stealth‑capable warship designed for anti‑surface, anti‑air and anti‑submarine missions.
- Construction and design: Built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited in Mumbai and designed by the Navy’s Warship Design Bureau.
- Features: Displacement around 6,670 tonnes; length 149 metres; speed about 28 knots. It carries long‑range surface‑to‑air missiles, eight BrahMos cruise missiles, Barak‑8 missiles, torpedoes, rocket launchers, a 127 mm main gun and AK‑630 rapid‑fire guns. Modern radars, the Humsa‑NG sonar and the Shakti electronic‑warfare suite enhance its capabilities. Propulsion is a Combined Diesel or Gas system.
- Role and motto: Assigned to the Eastern Naval Command’s “Sunrise Fleet” with the motto Sanyuktaha Paramojayaha (“In togetherness there is great victory”).
INS Himgiri
- First GRSE Project 17A frigate: Himgiri is the first ship of the series built at Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers in Kolkata.
- Features: Similar in size and armament to Udaygiri, with stealth shaping to reduce radar signature. It also uses a Combined Diesel or Gas propulsion system and has an endurance of about 5,500 nautical miles.
- Role and motto: Part of the Western Naval Command; its motto Adrushyam Ajayam translates to “Invisible and invincible.”
Conclusion: The commissioning of INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri highlights India’s growing shipbuilding capabilities and the Navy’s focus on indigenisation and multi‑mission readiness.