Nilgiri-class frigate (2019)

The Nilgiri-class frigate or Project 17A is a follow-on of the Project 17 Shivalik-class frigate for the Indian Navy. A total of seven ships will be built at Mazagon Dock and GRSE. The ships have been named after the first major warships to be built in India, which in turn were named after hill ranges in India.[14][15] The construction of the first ship started in 2017 and the first ship is expected to delivered by 2022. The anticipated cost for each vessel is above ₹4,000 crore (US$561 million) and the total deal is expected to be worth more than ₹45,000 crore (equivalent to ₹510 billion or US$7.1 billion in 2019). The vessel will incorporate the latest stealth features.[1][16]

For the namesake Leander-class predecessors, see Nilgiri-class frigate (1972)

Launch of the first ship INS Nilgiri.
Class overview
Name: Nilgiri class
Builders:
Operators:  Indian Navy
Preceded by: Shivalik class
Succeeded by: Next Generation Frigate Planned
Cost: ₹45,000 crore (US$6.3 billion) program cost[1]
Planned: 7
Building: 6
Active: 0
General characteristics
Type: Guided-missile frigate
Displacement: 6,670 tonnes (6,560 long tons; 7,350 short tons)[2]
Length: 149 m (488 ft 10 in)[2]
Beam: 17.8 m (58 ft 5 in)[2]
Draft: 5.22 m (17 ft 2 in)[2]
Depth: 9.9 m (32 ft 6 in)[2]
Installed power:
Speed: 32 kn (59 km/h)[6]
Range:
  • 2,500 nmi (4,600 km) at 28 kn (52 km/h)
  • 5,500 nmi (10,200 km) at 16–18 kn (30–33 km/h)[6]
Complement: 226[6]
Sensors and
processing systems:
Electronic warfare
& decoys:
Armament:
Aircraft carried: 2 × HAL Dhruv or Sea King Mk. 42B helicopters

Design

The experience gained in designing the Shivalik-class frigates (Project 17) will be applied to the Project 17A. This class will improve upon the earlier class in terms of stealth. They will have covered mooring deck and the number of antennae on the ship will be reduced by using EL/M-2248 MF-STAR AESA radar. The P17A will also feature better roll stabilisation and a discreet visual profile. The weapon platform in the P17A ships will be compact and they will be armed with the Barak 8 and BrahMos. The weapon systems will be flush deck mounted allowing vertical launch of missiles from under the deck.[17] The crew complement will be reduced from the existing 257 (including 35 officers) to about 150 by using high levels of automation, which will reduce the operational costs by around 20 per cent and result in higher operational availability of the warships.[16] The construction times will be reduced and productivity will improved by using modular integrated construction.[18] The ship will have a displacement of 6,670 tonnes.[2] Fincantieri has signed a contract with Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) to provide technical advice within the Project 17A.[19]

Construction

Four of the frigates will be constructed by Mazagon Dock Ltd in Mumbai and three by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers in Kolkata. India’s Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approved the proposal of Ministry of Defence for starting the Project 17A design-cum-construction programme in September 2012.[17] The contract was signed with the two shipyards in February 2015. Steel cutting ceremony was held on 17 February 2017 which marked the commencement of construction.[20] The first ship is expected to be commissioned by August 2022.[16][21] On 11 March 2016, the Indian Ministry of Defence approved a ₹13,000 crore (US$1.8 billion) weapons and sensors package for the project. The frigates will be equipped with Barak 8 (LR-SAM), BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, Ajanta electronic warfare system and Humsa-NG sonar[8][22] In September 2018, MDL and GRSE awarded Bharat Electronics Limited with a $1.28 billion contract to supply seven Barak-8 air defence systems. In October 2018, Bharat Electronics Limited signed a $777 million deal with Israel Aircraft Industries to help fulfil the Barak-8 order.[23]

All the ships of this class will have the namesake from its previous class. The name of these ships are taken from hills ranging across India, they are Nilgiri, Himgiri, Taragiri, Udyagiri, Dunagiri, Vindhyagiri and Mahendragiri.[14]

Ships
Name Pennant Yard No Builder Laid Down Launched Commissioning Status
INS Nilgiri 12651 Mazagon Dock[24] 28 December 2017[25] 28 September 2019[26] August 2022 (expected) Launched[25][14]
12652 7 May 2019[27] February 2023 (expected) Under construction[28]
12653 10 September 2020[29] February 2024 (expected) Under construction[30]
12654 February 2025 (expected) Under Construction[31][32]
INS Himgiri 3022 GRSE[33] 10 November 2018[34] 14 December 2020[35] August 2023 (expected) Launched[36]
3023 24 January 2020[37] August 2024 (expected) Under construction
3024 August 2025 (expected)

See also

References
  1. "Navy seals 45,000-cr deal: seven warships". Indian Express. 20 June 2009. Archived from the original on 15 January 2011. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  2. "EOI for P17A frigates" (PDF). Garden Reach Shipbuilders. 14 August 2015. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 January 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  3. "Indian Navy picks MAN engines for stealth frigates - Marine Log". MarineLog. Archived from the original on 18 May 2016.
  4. "MAN 28/33D STC" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 June 2016. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  5. Howard, Michelle (7 December 2016). "GE Gas Turbines to Power Indian Stealth Frigate". MarineLink. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
  6. Mazumdar, Mrityunjoy (25 April 2018). "India reveals P-17A frigate configuration". Jane's Navy International. Archived from the original on 26 April 2018.
  7. "BEL eyes deal for 7 more Navy missile systems". The Hindu Business Line. 2 June 2017.
  8. "MoD gives nod to 7 stealth frigates worth Rs 13,000 crore". The Times of India. TNN. 12 March 2016. Archived from the original on 23 April 2016.
  9. Gady, Franz-Stefan. "China Beware: Here Comes India's Most Powerful Destroyer". The Diplomat. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  10. Israel ship missile test for India, The Telegraph, 28 November 2015
  11. Gen Next missile defence shield built by Israel and India clears first hurdle, The Times of India, 28 November 2015
  12. "Trump Administration approves sale of $1 billion worth of naval guns to India". LiveMint. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  13. Bedi, Rahul. "India launches first-of-class Project 15B destroyer". IHS Jane's Navy International. Archived from the original on 22 April 2015.
  14. "Indian Navy to name 7th frigate in P17A series as 'Mahendragiri'". The Economic Times. Press Trust of India. 21 September 2019.
  15. Mohanan, Kalesh (April–June 2012). "Indigenous Warship Building". Indian Defence Review. Vol. 27 no. 2.
  16. Sengupta, Prasan K. (September 2012). "CCNS finally kickstarts Indian Navy's Project 17A". ForceIndia.com. Archived from the original on 18 February 2015. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  17. "Stealth Frigates for the Indian Navy". Indian Defence Review. 1 January 2013. Archived from the original on 31 July 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  18. Verma, Bharat (27 April 2014). "The P-17 frigates, heralds a paradigm shift in the design". Indian Defence Review. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  19. "Fincantieri to collaborate with the Indian shipyards MDL and GRSE for the Navy's frigates". en.portnews.ru. Archived from the original on 25 December 2015. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  20. "Year End Review- 2017: Ministry of Defence". Press Information Bureau. 18 December 2017. Archived from the original on 22 December 2017. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
  21. "Indian Navy Orders 7 New Project 17A Stealth Frigates From Local Shipyards MDL And GRSE". www.navyrecognition.com. Archived from the original on 28 January 2016. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
  22. "Government accepts proposal to acquire specialized guns for Rs 7,000 crore". The Economic Times. PTI. Archived from the original on 16 March 2016. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  23. Dominguez, Gabriel (24 October 2018). "IAI wins USD777 million contract to supply additional Barak-8 LRSAM systems for Indian Navy". Jane's Defence Weekly. Archived from the original on 24 October 2018.
  24. "MDL Tender" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 December 2017.
  25. "Construction of P17A class stealth frigates begins". Mid Day. 29 December 2017. Archived from the original on 29 December 2017.
  26. "Rajnath Singh launches warship Nilgiri in Mumbai". The Times of India. Asian News international. 28 September 2019.
  27. "Year End Review – 2019 Ministry of Defence". 27 December 2019. Keel laying ceremony of Yard 12652 (Second ship of Project 17A at M/s MDL) was held on May 07 at M/s MDL, Mumbai.
  28. "Annual Report 2017–2018" (PDF). mazagondock.in. Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited. p. 4. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  29. "Keel laid for the third stealth frigate of Project 17A". PIB. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  30. "Commencement of Production of Third Ship of Project - 17A". www.psuconnect.in. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  31. "MDL Commences Production of Y-12654, fourth Ship of P17A". Bharat Defence Kavach. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  32. "SP's Naval Force Roundup". SP's Naval Force. India: SP Guide Publication. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  33. "::Tender :: DETAIL DESIGN ACTIVITIES FOR P17A SHIPS 3 NOS YARD NOS 3022 3023 3024 Details". www.grse.nic.in. Archived from the original on 13 December 2017. Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  34. Dominguez, Gabriel (14 November 2018). "GRSE lays keel for Indian Navy's second Project 17A frigate". IHS Jane's Defence Weekly. Archived from the original on 14 November 2018.
  35. "LAUNCH OF 2nd PROJECT 17A SHIP 'HIMGIRI'". PIB. 14 December 2020.
  36. Gupta, Jayanta (20 September 2018). "GRSE plans growth with proposed IPO". The Times of India.
  37. "Project 17A: GRSE starts building 2nd Advanced Stealth Frigate". PSUWatch. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
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