Why in news?
On 1 July 2025 Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) delivered INS Udaygiri, the second warship under Project 17A, to the Indian Navy. The delivery strengthens India’s indigenous warship‑building capabilities.
Project 17A
- Project 17A is a follow‑on to the Shivalik‑class (Project 17) frigates. Seven vessels are being built – four by MDL in Mumbai and three by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata.
- The project emphasises stealth features, improved sensors and weapons and the use of modular or integrated construction techniques to reduce build time. Each vessel is capable of operating independently in the “blue‑water” environment (far from the coast) and can handle conventional and asymmetric threats.
Features of INS Udaygiri
- Named after a mountain range in Andhra Pradesh, it is a modern avatar of the erstwhile INS Udaygiri, which served from 1976 to 2007.
- Enhanced stealth: The hull is 4.54 percent larger than the previous class but designed with sleek, angular surfaces to reduce radar signature.
- Armament: Equipped with supersonic surface‑to‑surface missiles, medium‑range surface‑to‑air missiles, a 76 mm main gun and close‑in weapon systems (30 mm and 12.7 mm). It also carries advanced torpedo tubes and anti‑submarine warfare sensors.
- Propulsion: Uses a Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) system with diesel engines and gas turbines driving controllable‑pitch propellers. An Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS) monitors and controls propulsion and power distribution.
- Sensor suite: Fitted with a state‑of‑the‑art radar, sonar and electronic‑warfare systems designed by the Warship Design Bureau.
- Indigenous content: Over 200 MSMEs supplied components. Major weapons and sensors are sourced from Indian manufacturers, reflecting self‑reliance.
- Employment generation: The project has created direct jobs for about 4,000 persons and indirect jobs for over 10,000 through the ancillary ecosystem.
- Future schedule: The remaining five Project 17A frigates are under construction and are expected to be delivered by 2026.