‘Himgiri’- First Ship of Project 17A

The first GRSE-built Project 17A stealth frigate ‘Himgiri’ was launched on December 14, 2020.

Highlights

• This is a new generation Project 17A ships that comprise of the advanced stealth features.
• The project also comprises of the state-of-the-art weapons and sensor systems.
• Thus, this project is a major boost for the mobility to undertake a variety of challenging tasks for the Indian Navy.

Project 17A stealth frigate ‘Himgiri’

P17A ships are the most advanced guided missile frigates.  Each of the ship is 149 metres long. The ship has the displacement of approximately 6,670 tonnes. The ship can acquire a speed of 28 knots. The ship has been built at the contract of Rs 19,294 crore. Three advanced stealth frigates under Project 17A were constructed by GRSE.

Background

The contract for constructing the ships was signed between the Ministry of Defence and the GRSE in the year 2015. The first ship is expected to be handed to Navy in 2023. While the other two ships will be handed over in 2024 and 2025 respectively.

Nilgiri-class frigate or Project 17A

It is a follow-on of the Project 17 Shivalik-class frigate of the Indian Navy. Under the project, a total of seven ships will be built. The ships will be built at the Mazagon Dock and GRSE. These ships have been named after the first major warships to be built in India. Those ships were named after hill ranges. The construction of first ship started in the year 2017.

Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd (GRES)

It is one of India’s leading shipyards. It is located in Kolkata, West Bengal. The shipyard builds and repairs the commercial and naval vessels. It was founded in 1884 and it is a privately owned company on the bank of Hooghly River.