The two vessels are the quietest frontline warships ever built by India.
Both warships are follow-on ships of the Project 17 ('Shivalik') class frigates and are largely indigenous, with over 75% of their components being made in India. They were built under Project 17A, or P17A, in which 'A' stands for Alpha.
Here Are 10 Points On This Big Boost For The Navy:
- This is the first time two frontline warships, constructed by two different shipyards, are being commissioned together.
- The event, presided over by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, also marks the first time separate shipyards are building identical big warships together - Udaygiri by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd in Mumbai, and Himgiri by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers in Kolkata.
- Udaygiri's construction time was the shortest of any frontline warship, being delivered just 37 months, or just over three years, from the date of launch
- In a first for Indian frontline warships, instead of the entire hull being built as one piece, thereby occupying drydock space, it was built in modules (slices) and then integrated. This method speeds up construction dramatically and allows shipyards to outsource the construction of individual pieces.
- With INS Nilgiri, the lead P17A of the class entering service in January, and her two sister ships Udaygiri and Himgiri entering service today, it's a landmark bonanza for the Navy - three warships of a type entering service the same year and that too within months of each other.
- The ships can have eight BrahMos on board, but with a provision for eight more, which may happen as an after-fit.
- Both ships can carry 16 Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missiles (MRSAM), but have provisions for more with some modifications, which are likely to be made.
- The two vessels are also the quietest frontline warships ever built by India, which was a major demand by the Navy, since they are meant for anti-submarine operations too.
- Udaygiri and Himgiri sport flush decks with minimal protrusions, dramatically increasing stealth features and making them harder to spot.
- Both stealth frigates sport an Integrated Indian Combat Management System which interlinks systems from different countries - Israeli primary radar, Spanish air search radar, Indo-Russian anti-ship missiles, Indo-Israeli air defence systems, Russian close-in-weapon systems, Italian deck guns and American helicopters, among others.
