A new Indian stealth ship, Dunagiri, has entered the waters
Indian Navy chief Admiral Hari Kumar said that once commissioned, the Dunagiri would proudly fly the tricolour across the oceans, proving not only to be a ship that the country's adversaries fear but also to be a worthy ambassador of the nation's shipbuilding prowess.
FollowDefence Minister Rajnath Singh launched the fourth ship of P17A Frigates at Kolkata's Hooghly River. The ship has been christened after a mountain range in Uttarakhand -- 'Dunagiri'.
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Speaking on occasion, Indian Navy chief Admiral Hari Kumar said that once commissioned, the Dunagiri would proudly fly the tricolour across the oceans, proving not only to be a ship that is feared by the country's adversaries but also be a worthy ambassador of the nation's shipbuilding prowess.
The new stealth ship
Built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders Limited in Kolkata, the ship is a follow-on of the P17 Frigates of Shivalik Class. It has been launched with advanced weapons and sensors, improved stealth features and platform management systems.Â
It must be noted that the Shivalik Class stealth frigates have been the workhorse of the Eastern Fleet in the last decade. Presently, seven P17A Frigates are under various stages of construction at Garden Reach Shipbuilders Limited and the Mazagon Dock Limited.
The earlier INS DunagiriÂ
In its previous avatar, the INS Dunagiri was commissioned in May 1977, and during her 33 years of service, she sailed extensively and participated in several multinational exercises. In her last year of retirement in 2010, the warship sailed for 154 days and was also awarded the Best Ship Trophy.
Indian Navy's P17A Project
The first three warships of the P17A Project were launched in 2019, 2020 and 2022. The first and third ships were launched at Mazagon Dock Limited, while the second one was at GRSE.
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The P17A ships were designed in-house by the Directorate of Naval Design. It has successfully spearheaded the design of numerous classes of indigenous warships. Bearing testimony to the government's unwavering efforts towards 'AtmaNirbharta' or self-reliance is that 75 per cent of the orders for equipment and system are also being placed on indigenous firms, including MSMEs.
Amidst belligerent Chinese behaviour in the Indian Ocean Region, these multi-role warships would play a significant role in dealing with the dragon.Â
Stating that the Indian Navy's primary mandate is to preserve, protect and promote its maritime interests, the Indian Navy chief said: "Our efforts are multi-sectorial, and a major contribution in this endeavour is our steadfast commitment to Atmanirbharta."
"Around 88 per cent of our future contracts -- on a cost basis amounting to an investment of nearly Rs 1,75,000 crore -- are being progressed through Indian Enterprises," he said.
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