Indian Navy is set for a major capability boost in the New Year with the induction of two frontline warships and a submarine next month.
INS Nilgiri, the the first stealth frigate of Project 17A class; INS Surat, the fourth stealth destroyer of Project 15B Class; and INS Vagsheer, the sixth and final submarine of the Kalvari-class, are expected to bolster the Navy's operational capabilities in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), even as China is constantly trying to expand its footprint in the region.
The Navy's Warship Design Bureau designed the two warships built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL).
Equipped with cutting-edge advanced technology and comparable to the finest ships of similar class anywhere in the world, INS Nilgiri, the first of class (FoC) ship of Project 17A, incorporates design concepts for improved survivability, seakeeping, stealth and ship manoeuvrability.
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What makes this warship—packed with state-of-the-art weapons and sensors and has an all-round capability against enemy submarines, surface warships, anti-ship missiles, and fighter aircraft—tough to detect is the shaping of the hull and radar transparent deck fittings.
MDL said INS Nilgiri is mounted with guns for close-in defence capability and effective naval gunfire. The warship is enabled to operate independently without supporting vessels and to function as the flagship of the Naval task force.
INS Surat, the fourth ship of Project 15B and is a potent platform capable of undertaking a wide variety of tasks and missions, spanning the full spectrum of maritime warfare, is armed with supersonic surface-to-surface Brahmos missiles and 'Barak-8 medium-range surface-to-air missiles.
The destroyer, significantly more versatile than the previous classes of destroyer and frigates in the Indian Navy's inventory, is fitted with indigenously developed anti-submarine weapons and sensors, prominently the hull-mounted Sonar HUMSA-NG, heavy-weight torpedo tube launchers and ASW rocket launchers.
INS Surat's all-round capability against enemy submarines, surface warships, anti-ship missiles and fighter aircraft will enable it to operate independently without supporting vessels and also to function as the flagship of a Naval task force, the company said.
"Surat has been delivered to the Indian Navy ahead of the contractual time as the most combat-worthy platform to date. This reaffirms MDL's commitment towards continuous improvement and exceeding global benchmark," the MDL said.
INS Vagsheer, the sixth Scorpene Submarine of Project-75 launched in April 2022, was designed by French naval defence, and can operate in all theatres of operation. The addition of Vagsheer will help address gaps in India's underwater warfare capabilities as the Navy's number of submarines has been reduced from 21 in the 1980s to 16 now.
