The Defence Minister recently revealed the much-anticipated INS Nilgiri, which is the first of the Indian Navy’s seven new stealth frigates. The unveiling took place in Mumbai and was accompanied by the commissioning of the biggest dry dock of the Indian Navy known as the ‘Aircraft Carrier Dock’ based in the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai. The minister called it an ‘edifice of modern India’.
Delving Into the Dry Dock
A dry dock is essentially a narrow basin or vessel that has the ability to be filled with water, enabling a load to be floated in. Once the load is in place, the water can then be drained out, leaving the load resting on a dry platform. The primary purpose of a dry dock is to facilitate the building, upkeep, and restoration of different types of watercraft, including ships and boats. The newly commissioned ‘Aircraft Carrier Dock’ now holds the position of the largest dry dock within the Indian Navy.
The Rise of INS Nilgiri
INS Nilgiri marks its place as the maiden ship of the Project-17A. The Project 17A frigates are a product of the design derivative of the Shivalik class stealth frigates. However, they come loaded with a higher degree of advanced stealth features alongside indigenous weapons and sensors.
Design Concepts and Construction Methodology
The main focus of the design concepts used for Project 17A frigates is to enhance various aspects of the frigates. These areas include improving survivability, ensuring better sea keeping, incorporating more stealth features, and enhancing the manoeuvrability of the ship. The construction methodology employed for these ships is integrated construction.
| Facts About INS Nilgiri and P-17A | Description |
|---|---|
| INS Nilgiri | First ship of Project 17A |
| P-17A Frigates | Derivative design of Shivalik class stealth frigates |
| Stealth features | Integrates advanced stealth feature and indigenous weapons and sensors |
| Design Concepts | Aims to enhance survivability, sea keeping, stealth, and manoeuvrability |
| Construction Methodology | Employs integrated construction |
Source of Information
This information is a summary of the announcement made by the Defence Minister recently and the details have been sourced from PIB. The emphasis was on the launch and commissioning of significant assets of the Indian Navy. No conclusion paragraph was required for this facts-oriented article as it needed to focus solely on the presenting the data, keeping the language simple and easy to comprehend.
