DAC nod for Indian Navy's Project 17B warships worth Rs 70,000 crore
By Anish Kumar | First Published Sep 4, 2024, 8:09 AM ISTThe Defence Acquisition Council, led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, has approved the construction of seven Project 17B stealth frigates for the Indian Navy, valued at Rs 70,000 crore. This decision marks a significant step towards self-reliance in India's defence sector.
New Delhi: In a significant step and a move towards achieving “aatmanirbharta” or self-reliance in the defence sector, the defence minister, Rajnath Singh-headed defence acquisition council has approved the construction of seven Project 17B stealth frigates for the Indian Navy, worth Rs 70,000 crore. Sources in the defence ministry said that the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) has been given for 7 stealth frigates under Indian Navy’s Project 17B.
Project 17B, which is a follow-on order of the Project 17A Nilgiri-class frigates, will be the most advanced warships ever built in India.
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State-owned shipyards Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) which are currently building the seven warships of Project 17A are expected to be the front runners for Project 17B.
With an increased percentage of indigenous content, the Project 17B frigates would have home-grown fire control systems, BrahMos cruise missiles, anti-submarine weapons, and electronic warfare systems.
Besides, the DAC also cleared the proposals nine other capital acquisition proposals for the armed forces.
The proposals include 1770 future-ready combat vehicles (FRCVs) to replace ageing Soviet-origin T-92 tanks, Air Defence fire control radars, Dornier-228 aircraft, next generation fast patrol and offshore patrol vessels.
The FRCVs will be acquired in three phases, with 550-600 to be procured in each phase.
“We expect that the developmental process would be completed in 4-5 years and it would take another 1.5-2 years for production to be rolled out. So by 2030, we will start inducting them in the armoured fleets," said the sources, adding that the last phase will be completed in the next 10-12 years.
One of the sources said that the FRCV, which will be procured in the first phase, would have existing technologies. The second phase will have advanced technologies while the third phase will be equipped with futuristic technologies.
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