Stealth Frigate INS Udaygiri: The Indian Navy got a big boost on Tuesday when it received its new stealth warship called INS Udaygiri. This is not just any ship. It is the second stealth frigate being built under Project 17A and was handed over by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDSL) in Mumbai.
This delivery marked a very special moment because Udaygiri became the 100th warship that was designed and delivered by the Indian Navy’s own Warship Design Bureau. Udaygiri is part of Project 17A, which is based on the earlier Shivalik-class warships.
This modern warship is also a new version of an old ship with the same name. The earlier INS Udaygiri was a steam-powered ship that served the country for 31 years before it was retired on 24 August 2007. The new Udaygiri is a big improvement over the older ones, especially in stealth and technology. It carries top-quality weapons and sensors and shows how far India’s shipbuilding has come with help from the Warship Design Bureau.
Stealth Frigate INS Udaygiri
The ship was built using a smart method called “Integrated Construction.” This means many parts of the ship were put together and prepared earlier before final assembly, helping save time. Thanks to this, the Udaygiri was ready in just 37 months after it was launched, which is a record for such a big and complex warship.
Udaygiri has been fitted with a strong set of weapons. It carries a supersonic missile system for hitting targets on the surface and a Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missile system for threats coming from the sky. It also has a 76 mm gun, along with 30 mm and 12.7 mm rapid-fire guns for close-range defense.
The ship uses a Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) propulsion system, which includes both a diesel engine and a gas turbine. These drive a Controllable Pitch Propeller (CPP) on each side. It also has a modern Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS), which helps run the whole ship more smoothly and efficiently.
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One of the best things about this ship is how much of it was made in India. It is another example of “atma nirbharta” or self-reliance in defense and shipbuilding. Most of its major weapons and sensors were made by Indian companies. In fact, over 200 small and medium companies (MSMEs) helped in building this warship. This shows the strength of the country’s defense industry and how it supports local jobs and skills.
Helping the Economy
“The shipbuilding requirements of the Project have led to direct employment generation for about 4,000 personnel and more than 10,000 personnel through indirect/ ancillary sources. The positive spin-offs of the shipbuilding project include self-reliance, economic development, employment generation, growth of MSMEs and ancillary ecosystem in the country,” the Force said.
The remaining five frigates under Project 17A are still being built. They are in different stages of construction and will be delivered one by one by the end of 2026. These ships, when ready, will make the Navy even stronger and more ready for future challenges at sea.
The Warship Design Bureau, earlier called the Department of Naval Design, is behind all this progress. This group is part of the Indian Navy and has helped make India self-sufficient in designing and building world-class warships. Their work includes aircraft carriers, submarines, and other warships, all made in India with Indian brains and hands.
