The Indian Navy is set to commission three indigenous ships – a stealth frigate, an anti-submarine warfare boat and a survey ship – in a fresh push to bolster its operational capabilities in the Indian Ocean region, where China has steadily expanded its naval presence, officials familiar with the matter said on Sunday.
The ships – Dunagiri, Agray and Sanshodhak – were built by Kolkata-based Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) and were recently handed over to the Navy.
Donagiri
Dunagiri, the fifth stealth frigate under command $The 45,000-crore Project 17A program is expected to be operational within a month, said the officials, requesting anonymity. Agray, an anti-submarine shallow water vessel (ASW-SWC), and a large survey ship Sanshodhak are also scheduled to be inducted simultaneously.
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The remaining two frigates under Project 17A are expected to join the fleet within six months. While the Nilgiri, Udaygiri, Himgiri and Taragiri are already in service, Mahendragiri and Vindhyagiri are expected to follow Donagiri into service later this year.
The P-17A (or Nilgiri class) platforms represent a major step in India’s indigenous warship building programme, with about 75% indigenous content, advanced weapons, sensors and surveillance systems. The P-17A is the successor to the Shivalik-class stealth frigates (P-17), and represents a major leap forward in warship design and capabilities. The Nilgiri, Udaygiri and Taragiri were built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL), which also builds Mahendragiri. Himgiri was built at GRSE, which is also building Vindhyagiri.
The frigates are equipped with BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, Barak-8 surface-to-air missile system, MF-STAR surveillance radar and anti-submarine warfare capabilities. The 149-meter-long warships have a displacement of 6,670 tons, can achieve speeds of up to 28 knots and carry a crew of 225.
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Agray
Agray is the fourth of eight ASW-SWCs to be built by GRSE and is designed for operations in coastal waters and coastal areas. The 77-meter-long ship is capable of carrying out subsurface surveillance, search and attack missions and coordinated operations with aircraft.
The shallow water boats are equipped with lightweight torpedoes, home-made missile launchers and shallow water sonar systems to detect and deal with underwater threats.
Sanchodak
The Sanchodak, the last of four large survey vessels being built by GRSE, is expected to enhance India’s hydrographic and surveying capabilities. The 110-metre-long vessel is designed to conduct coastal and deepwater hydrographic surveys, including port approaches and navigation channels. It is also capable of supporting helicopter operations, low-intensity combat roles, hospital ship functions, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions.
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The Navy is working to achieve complete self-reliance by 2047, when India celebrates 100 years of its independence. There are about 60 warships currently under construction in Indian shipyards. The Navy inducted 12 warships last year and is expected to exceed that number in 2026, officials said.
These appointments coincide with a change in naval leadership, with Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan set to take over as Navy Chief on May 31 from Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi. He takes charge at a time when India is close to finalizing an agreement $A Rs 70,000-crore deal under Project 75I to indigenously build six next-generation conventional submarines. MDL and German shipbuilder Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems are expected to jointly build the submarines.
India’s fourth nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, codenamed S-4*, is also expected to enter service in 2027, further strengthening the maritime portion of India’s nuclear triad – the ability to launch strategic weapons from land, air and sea.
