Mumbai: Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched the warship ‘Nilgiri’, the first ship of Project 17A after commissioning INS Khanderi submarine earlier today. It was launched at the dockyard of the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai.
Singh tweeted, “INS Nilgiri is the first of the Indian Navy’s seven new stealth frigates with enhanced stealth features fitted with State-of-the-art weapons & sensors. This multi-mission frigate would be capable of dealing with conventional & unconventional threats to India’s Maritime interests.”
INS Nilgiri is the first of the Indian Navy's seven new stealth frigates with enhanced stealth features fitted with State-of-the-art weapons & sensors. This multi-mission frigate would be capable of dealing with conventional & unconventional threats to India’s Maritime interests.
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) September 28, 2019
“India is now among the few countries where ships and submarines are made indigenously. Our target is to make India a country of USD 5 trillion economy. Our target for 2027 is that 70 per cent of defence production should be indigenous,” Singh said while addressing at the launch event.
“I am fully confident that Nilgiri and the other 6 ships of the Project will proudly fly the Indian Flag across the oceans, proving to be a worthy ambassador of the country showcasing our shipbuilding prowess and would spread India’s message of peace and strength across the globe,” Singh added.
Delighted to attend the launch of warship ‘Nilgiri’. Today I am feeling immense satisfaction and pride at the launch of the mighty warship ‘Nilgiri’, first of the Project 17 Alpha (P17A) class ships. pic.twitter.com/aj4nzYWXaR
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) September 28, 2019
It is a deviation from the existing Shivalik class of frigates, Cmde (retired) Rakesh Anand, CMD of MDL, said.
“These ships have been designed indigenously by the Indian Navy’s Directorate of Naval Design, New Delhi. The P17A frigates incorporate new design concepts for improved survivability, sea keeping, stealth and ship manoeuvrability,” he said.
