INS Mahendragiri, India's 6th Stealth Frigate, To Join Navy Fleet On July 11

The Indian Navy is set to commission its sixth indigenous stealth frigate, Mahendragiri (F38), at Visakhapatnam on July 11, officials said. The Naval warship is equipped with advanced suite of weapons, including surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missile systems and electronic warfare capabilities.

Named after the Mahendragiri mountain range in the Eastern Ghats, the warship has been designed by the Indian Navy's Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai.

It is the first warship to carry the name Mahendragiri and the sixth ship of the Nilgiri-class under Project 17A.

The stealth frigate features advanced automation, enhanced survivability and reduced radar signature, making it one of the mist sophisticated frontline warships built in India, the Navy said.

Powered by a modern Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) propulsion system, the vessel is capable of high-speed operations and long endurance deployments across the full spectrum of maritime missions, it said.

With over 75 per cent indigenous content, INS Mahendragiri reflects government's Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative and highlights the growing capabilities of India's defense manufacturing ecosystem, including the contribution of several Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), officials said.

The Navy said the warship is equipped with an advanced suite of weapons and sensors, including surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missile systems, sophisticated electronic warfare capabilities, anti-submarine warfare systems and an integrated combat management system.

Designed as a multi-role platform, INA Mahendragiri can undertake anti-air, anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare operations, while also supporting maritime security missions, power projection, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), search-and-rescue operations and sustained deployments in the Indian Ocean region, it said.

The Navy said its induction is expected to further enhance the Navy's operational capabilities and strengthen India's position as a leading indigenous warship-building nation.

INS Nilgiri, the lead ship of the Project 17A stealth frigate class, was commissioned into the Indian Navy on January 15, 2025. It was followed by INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri on August 26, 2025.

The fourth frigate in the series, INS Taragiri, was commissioned at Visakhapatnam on April 3. Equipped with an advanced weapons suite, including supersonic missile system, the warship further strengthened the Navy's indigenous maritime combat capability.

As successive Project 17A frigates enter service, they are expected to play a key role in safeguarding India's maritime interests and supporting stability across the Indo-Pacific region.