All about INS Himgiri, Udaygiri: Indian Navy to get two indigenous stealth frigates on Aug 26

Indian Navy is all set to commission two advanced Nilgiri-class stealth guided-missile frigates on Tuesday in a big boost to its maritime prowess.

The ministry of defence has said that the indigenously-built INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri, built under Project 17A, will be commissioned simultaneously on August 26.

All about INS Udaygiri

INS Udaygiri, constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai, is the second ship of the Project 17A series.

It also carries the distinction of being the 100th vessel designed by the Navy’s Warship Design Bureau.

Named after the Udaygiri mountain range in Andhra Pradesh, this is the second naval ship to bear the name, the earlier one having served from 1976 to 2007.

Udaygiri was laid down in December 2017, launched in May 2022, and delivered in July 2025 — a record completion time of just 37 months.

Features

• The frigate displaces around 6,700 tonnes and features advanced stealth design to reduce radar, infrared and acoustic signatures.
• It is powered by a Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) propulsion system using both diesel engines and gas turbines.
• Its formidable armament includes BrahMos supersonic anti-ship missiles, Barak 8 surface-to-air missiles, a 76 mm main gun, close-in weapon systems, and advanced anti-submarine warfare weaponry.
• With about 75 percent indigenous content, the ship also incorporates an Integrated Platform Management System and advanced locally sourced sensors and weapons. Udaygiri’s construction involved over 200 MSMEs, creating nearly 4,000 direct and 10,000 indirect jobs, and is seen as a significant contribution to the Make in India initiative.

All about INS Himgiri

INS Himgiri has been built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata.

It is the first of the Project 17A ships to be constructed at the yard and carries forward the legacy of the original INS Himgiri, which served the Navy from 1974 to 2005.

The new frigate was launched in December 2020 and delivered to the Navy in July 2025, with around 75 percent indigenous content.

Features

• With a displacement of about 6,670 tonnes and a length of 149 meters, INS Himgiri incorporates enhanced stealth features to minimise its radar and infrared signatures.
• Its CODOG propulsion system enables speeds of over 28 knots and long endurance for blue-water operations.
• Like Udaygiri, it is equipped with BrahMos missiles, Barak 8 air defence systems, Close-In Weapon Systems, anti-submarine rocket launchers, torpedo tubes, and advanced electronic warfare systems.
• The frigate also has a flight deck and hangar capable of operating MH-60 Romeo, ALH Dhruv Mk-III, and Sea King helicopters, giving it a strong edge in reconnaissance, anti-submarine, and search-and-rescue missions. What is a stealth frigate?

A stealth frigate is a modern warship built with advanced stealth technology to reduce its visibility to enemy sensors, including radar, infrared, and acoustic systems. Its design incorporates specially shaped hulls, low-observable materials, and strict emission controls to lower radar cross-section, heat signatures and noise levels. These features make the vessel significantly harder to detect, track and target in combat.

Boost for Navy

The induction of the two warships will give an edge to India’s naval capabilities in the Indo-Pacific region.

Both vessels are designed for multi-role operations — including anti-air, anti-surface, and anti-submarine warfare — and are expected to play a critical role in countering conventional and non-conventional maritime threats.

According to the Defence Ministry, the commissioning underscores India’s accelerating naval modernisation and its growing capacity to deliver sophisticated warships from multiple shipyards.