India To Launch Its Indigenous 6th Stealth Frigate Mahendragiri Today in Vizag
Sixth Project 17A warship boosts indigenous naval power under Aatmanirbhar Bharat
Visakhapatnam: Indian Navy will commission its sixth Project 17A indigenous stealth frigate – Mahendragiri – at the Visakhapatnam Naval Dockyard on Saturday in presence of Defence Minister Rajanth Singh.
Named after the majestic Mahendragiri mountain range in the Eastern Ghats, the frigate embodies resilience, strength, and unwavering resolve. As the first Indian Naval warship to bear this name, Mahendragiri is truly sui generis. She is now poised to forge a distinguished legacy and add another proud chapter to India’s maritime history.
Designed in-house by Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and built by Mazagaon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai, Mahendragiri, the sixth Project 17A stealth frigate, exemplifies India’s growing expertise in indigenous warship design and construction.
Incorporating advanced stealth features, enhanced survivability, reduced radar signature, and a high degree of automation, the frigate is powered by a modern Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) propulsion system. This enables high-speed operations with exceptional endurance across the full spectrum of maritime missions.
With over 75 per cent indigenous content, Mahendragiri exemplifies the government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative. Her construction has brought together a vast network of Indian industries, including numerous Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), generating employment while strengthening the nation’s defence industrial base.
The frigate is equipped with an advanced suite of indigenous and state-of-the-art weapons and sensors, including surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missile systems, sophisticated electronic warfare capabilities, comprehensive anti-submarine warfare systems, and an integrated Combat Management System.
Capable of undertaking anti-air, anti-surface, and anti-submarine operations, Mahendragiri is equally suited for maritime security, power projection, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), Search and Rescue (SAR), and missions of sustained presence.
