India's Naval Might Expands: How Project 17A Frigates Will Bolster Maritime Defence

Mahendragiri launch: Classified as Project 17Alpha frigates, the Nilgiri class of stealth guided missile warships are considered in naval fraternity as the fiercest of all.

India’s maritime muscle is continuously being nourished with the world’s most lethal offensive and defensive missiles deployed on agile stealth warships, being built under Project 17A of the Indian Navy. These warships have the abilities to evade the enemy’s radar systems, which may be stationed on warships and combat aircraft or surveillance drones. The last of seven such ferocious stealth frigates, Mahendragiri, symbolic of India’s indigenous naval advancement and prowess, was launched by Dr Sudesh Dhankhar, wife of Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, on Sept 1 at Mazagon Dock, Mumbai.

Classified as Project 17Alpha frigates, the Nilgiri class of stealth guided missile warships, four of which are being built by MDL and three by the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, are considered in naval fraternity as the fiercest of all. The frigates are designed by the Warship Design Bureau of Indian Navy, earlier called the Directorate of Naval Design, which was given the mandate of designing warships. This decision to set up an in-house design bureau has now not only made India self-sufficient in warship production without outside help, but is also capable of supplying products to India’s international partners. With the Gulf region emerging as India’s new strategic partner, Indian naval shipyards hope to bag big-ticket deals from the region in near future.

The first of the seven Project 17A Nilgiri stealth frigates was launched in 2019, and within a span of only four years the two Indian shipyards have been able to launch the last of the seven Project 17A stealth frigates named Mahendragiri. Just a fortnight ago, on August 17, Indian President Droupadi Murmu launched a similar class of warship, Vindhyagiri, to be soon equipped with most modern sensors and weapons. The last frigate under Nilgiri class completes the Indian Navy’s major warship building programme with in-house capability. When all the seven frigates are finally deployed in high seas, these will deny space to enemy movements in the Indian Ocean and if need arises can cross the Malacca Strait to safeguard India’s maritime trade and other interests of high strategic value in South China Sea. They are also capable of blocking any inward movement via Malacca Strait to the Indian Ocean.

Stealth Frigates Redefining Maritime Warfare

Though India has shown its warship building capabilities with the induction of 45,000 tonne gigantic aircraft carrier INS Vikrant in September 2022, the country has built many other advanced ships even like guided missile destroyers. Project 17A class frigates followed the Kolkata class destroyers of 7500 tonnes displacement. With a displacement of 6670 tonnes, the Nilgiri class Project 17A warships can be described as the most complex of warships built by Indian shipyards, equipped with most sophisticated electronic warfare systems and defensive missiles like Barak anti-air and anti-ship versions and supersonic cruise missiles BrahMos. The Barak has been co-developed and produced in India with Israeli collaboration whereas BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile built under Indo-Russian joint venture. Over 75 percent of the warship’s components have been acquired from Indian manufacturers.

A shining example of a made in India warship, the seven Nilgiri class of frigates would dominate the Indian waters from the coast of Africa to Malacca strait to the Gulf region. Such is the firepower of the frigates that they would not allow the enemy naval activity to go unchallenged within a vicinity of 300 km. If given a defensive air envelope, the frigate can expand its area of operation to almost 1,000 km, and can pose a big challenge for the enemy naval activities, covering most of Indian waters. The stealth frigate can easily be described as “terror in high sea”, which can keep the enemy movements at a safe distance.

Before Mahendragiri, the first six such warships under Nilgiri class were named Nilgiri, Himgiri, Taragiri, Udaygiri, Dunagiri and Vindhyagiri. Built with a cost of USD 6 billion, the seven warships would be extremely versatile in anti-surface warfare capabilities. The ship can accommodate eight Mach 3 speed BrahMos anti-surface cruise missiles. To neutralise aerial threats, the frigate has been loaded with 32 Barak 8 ER anti-air missiles, which has also been classified as LR-SAM (Long Range Surface to Air Missile), which can tackle any anti-ship missiles, fighter aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and UAVs within a range of 150 km. The warship is also capable in anti-submarine warfare, on the strength of its two triple tube light weight torpedo launchers, which are capable of firing anti-submarine torpedoes.

Naval Self-Sufficiency: The Role of India's Design Bureau

The design of advanced stealth frigates also showcases the prowess of the Warship Design Bureau in producing technologically advanced warships for the Indian Navy. With the completion of the Project 17A programme, the country's indigenous expertise and engineering capabilities have received a major boost, reducing dependence on imports, promoting self-reliance and fostering a robust defence industrial base, which yields positive spinoffs.

The warship is equipped with a helicopter deck and a hangar which can carry two multirole helicopters, which may perform air surveillance or anti-submarine roles. An indigenous Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv-Mark-3 maritime reconnaissance helicopter is likely to be deployed on the frigate. Its radar belongs to the most modern AESA class(Active Electronically Scanned Array ) which can deal with scores of multiple air targets simultaneously. AESA has been developed indigenously by the Defence Research and Development Research Organisation ( DRDO), a prized asset of Indian defence.

The Nilgiri class of warships followed the Shivalik class of Project 17 warships. Under this, the three warships built during 2010-12 were the first stealth warships produced in India. In fact, the P-17-A Nilgiri class of warships are an advanced modified version of the Shivalik class with much more destructive fire power. Its invincibility in the high seas should be a matter of concern for adversaries.

At a time when the Indian Ocean is emerging as a playground of warships of non-littoral states, India needs to fast track the induction of more such highly lethal warships in its inventory. Not only India needs to clear the Indian Ocean of enemy activity but the South China Sea maritime region also merits Indian naval presence, as almost half of Indian maritime trade is transported through South China Sea, a large part of which China has just shown included in its official map. This should alert India to take appropriate measures to ensure that the trade routes, especially through Malacca Strait, remain free of any Chinese blockade or interference.

The author is a senior journalist and strategic affairs analyst.

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