January 15 may be celebrated annually as Army Day, but from now on, it will also be remembered by the Indian military establishment in general and the Indian Navy in particular as the day the country saw the commissioning of three frontline warships—a destroyer, frigate and submarine.
The best part is that all the three ships—INS Surat, INS Nilgiri and INS Vaghsheer—are made in India.
Dedicating the three naval combatants at an event at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “It is for the first time that the tri-commissioning of a destroyer, frigate and submarine was being done”.
It was a fitting testimony to India’s growing heft as a military and naval power, to its increasing indigenous technological prowess and its role as the first responder in the Indian Ocean.
READ MORE: Cutting-edge warships INS Surat, INS Nilgiri set to redefine Indian Navy's combat edge
The difference between frigates and destroyers is usually of size and functions. Destroyers are bigger than frigates and carry much more firepower and advanced weaponry and radar systems. Destroyers typically form part of carrier battle groups whereas frigates usually operate as escort vessels to protect sea lines of communication or as an auxiliary component of a strike group.
Designed by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau, INS Nilgiri is the first ship of the P17A Stealth Frigate Project. It has advanced features for enhanced survivability, sea-keeping, and stealth.
Equipped with state-of-the-art weapon-sensor packages and advanced network-centric capabilities, INS Surat is the fourth and final ship of the P15B Guided Missile Destroyer Project and has an indigenous content of 75 per cent.
The Vagsheer submarine is the sixth in the Kalvari class of the P75 project and has been built in collaboration with the Naval Group of France.
ALSO READ: What makes Vaghsheer one of the deadliest submarines in the world
The PM noted, “Be it land, water, air, the deep sea or infinite space, India is safeguarding its interests everywhere. India is today recognised as a reliable and responsible partner globally, especially in the Global South”.
Speaking at the event, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, “A large part of the world’s trade and commerce passes through IOR. Due to geo-strategic reasons, the region is also becoming a part of the international power rivalry.”
“India has had geo-strategic and economic interests in IOR for a very long time. Even today, 95 per cent of India’s trade, in terms of volume, is linked to this region. In such a situation, the presence of a strong Indian Navy in IOR becomes our biggest priority. The commissioning of three modern platforms today is an important milestone towards achieving our goal.”
On the plan to modernise the Indian military, Singh saids “On one hand, we are producing big platforms within the country, on the other, our focus is on low cost and high impact systems, which can make our Armed Forces more potent in a short time. Thus, in the process of rapid modernisation of our forces, we are bringing a balanced mix”.