Nilgiri is the First of Class (FoC) ship of Project 17A.
Credit: Special Arrangement
Mumbai: In a significant development towards indigenisation, the Mumbai-based Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) has delivered Nilgiri, the first stealth frigate of Project 17A class warship and Surat, the fourth stealth destroyer of Project 15B class guided missile destroyer to the Indian Navy.
Both the warships have been designed by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau, constructed by MDL and overseen by Warship Overseeing Team, Mumbai.
The Acceptance Document was signed by Sanjeev Singhal, Chairman & Managing Director, MDL and Rear Admiral R Adhisrinivasan, CSO (Tech) at MDL in the presence of MDL Directors, Captain Sandeep Shorey Commanding Officer (Designate) of Surat, Captain Nitin Kapoor Commanding Officer (Designate) of Nilgiri, teams from Warship Design Bureau, Warship Overseeing Team (Mumbai), Project Team and Navy personnel on Friday.
Nilgiri is the First of Class (FoC) ship of Project 17A. This Ship features cutting edge advanced technology and is comparable to the finest ships of similar class anywhere in the world. Nilgiri is designed indigenously by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau, New Delhi. Nilgiri incorporates the design concepts for improved survivability, sea keeping, stealth and ship manoeuvrability. Nilgiri is state of the art having stealth feature and the same have been achieved through shaping of hull and use of radar transparent deck fittings which make ships difficult to detect.
This ship is packed with an array of state of the art weapons and sensors and has all-round capability against enemy submarines, surface warships, anti-ship missiles, and fighter aircraft. The ship is mounted with Guns for close-in defence capability and effective naval gunfire. Nilgiri is enabled to operate independently without supporting vessels, and also to function as the flagship of the Naval task force.
Surat is the fourth ship of Project 15B and is a potent platform capable of undertaking a variety of tasks and missions, spanning the full spectrum of maritime warfare. It is armed with supersonic Surface-to-Surface ‘Brahmos’ missiles and ‘Barak-8’ Medium Range Surface to Air Missiles.
Towards undersea warfare capability the Destroyer 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.
Significantly more versatile than the previous classes of Destroyer and Frigates in Naval inventory, 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.