Project 17A Frigate Vindhyagiri to be launched by President Murmu

Project 17A Frigate Vindhyagiri will be launched by the President Droupadi Murmu at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited, on August 17, 2023.

Vindhyagiri, named after the mountain range in Karnataka, is the sixth ship of the Project 17A Frigates. These are follow-ons of the Project 17 Class Frigates (Shivalik Class), with improved stealth features, advanced weapons and sensors and platform management systems.

Vindhyagiri is a technologically advanced Frigate, which pays a befitting tribute to the service of its predecessor, the INS Vindhyagiri, a Leander Class ASW Frigate. This Vindhyagiri served for nearly 31 years, and had witnessed various challenging operations and multinational exercises. The new VIndhyagiri is a symbol of India’s determination to embrace its rich naval heritage, while looking forward to a future of indigenous defence capabilities.

The Project 17A program consists of a total of four ships by M/s MDL and three ships by M/s GRSE. The first five ships under the project were launched by MDL and GRSE between 2019-2022.

Project 17A ships have been designed in-house by Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau, the pioneer organisation for all warship design activities. It aligns with India’s commitment to Atmanirbharta and a substantial 75% of the orders for equipment and systems of Project 17A ships are from indigenous firms, including MSMEs. The launch of Vindhyagiri is a testament to the progress the nation is making in self-reliant naval force.