Indian Navy Stealth Frigates: The Indian Navy is getting ready to become much stronger in the coming years. A very large project called Project 17B has been prepared, and for this almost 70,000 crore rupees, which is around 8 billion dollars, will be spent. Under this plan, seven new stealth frigates will be made for the Navy. This project is seen as the next step after the ongoing Project 17A, which is already building the Nilgiri class frigates.
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Project 17B will bring very advanced warships for the Navy. These frigates will carry guided missile systems, modern weapons, latest sensors and stealth technology. Because of this, the ships will be able to fight without the enemy easily finding them. They will be made in such a way that they can face all the new sea challenges that may come in the future. A very special point is that the making of these ships will use Indian technology in a big way, which will give more power to the Atmanirbhar Bharat idea of the Government of India.
Who will Build the Ships?
The Navy has planned that two large shipyards of India will build these seven frigates. One company will get to build four ships and the other will build three. The names of the companies are not yet officially told, but the top two names in the race are Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDSL). GRSE already has a strong role because it is making three Nilgiri class frigates under Project 17A, so it is expected to be part of 17B as well.
Both shipyards are seen as very important for the Navy’s future. They have years of experience in warship building and will play a big part in giving the Navy stronger and smarter ships.
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When will the Work Begin?
The work will start once the official tender is given out. According to GRSE, the Request for Proposal or RFP will come by the end of 2025. This RFP will include all the technical and money rules, and after that the shipyards which are found fit can bid for the work.
The Navy is planning all this because it wants to stay strong in the Indian Ocean region. The Indian Ocean has become more tense in recent years as many countries, especially China, have been putting more pressure there. So the need for modern and powerful warships is rising every day.
