India launches Stealth Frigate Taragiri: All you need to know!

The fifth Stealth Frigate of P17A, Taragiri has been launched on 11 September 2022 by Smt. Charu Singh, President NWWA in Mumbai. Vice Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command was the Chief Guest.

Due to the state-mourning declared by the Government of India, the event was limited to a Techincal Launch. VAdm Kiran Deshmukh Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition and other senior officers from the Indian Navy and MoD also witnessed the launch ceremony. Following the launch, “Taragiri’ will bond with its two sister ships at MDL for outfitting projects in the run-up to their delivery to the Indian Navy.

LAUNCH OF YD 12653 (TARAGIRI)

The fifth Stealth Frigate of P17A, being built at MDL was launched today by President NWWA (Western Region)

Read here: https://t.co/ucSvQSk9je pic.twitter.com/uvlHakyCqq

— PIB India (@PIB_India) September 12, 2022

Taragiri the fifth Stealth Frigate of P17A: Key Features

• Taragiri has been named after a hill range in the Himalayas situated at Garhwal. The ships of project 17A Frigates are the advanced versions of the P17 Figrates (Shivalik Class).
• The ships have improved stealth features, state-of-the-art weapons and sensors, and platform management systems.
• Taragiri and other ships have been constructed in-house by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau which is the pioneer organization for all warship design activities of the Nation.
• The keel of ‘Taragiri’ was laid on September 10 and is expected to be delivered by August 2025.
• Taragir’s air defense capabilities, designed to face the threat of enemy aircraft and anti-ship cruise missiles, will revolve around the vertical launch and long-range surface-to-air missile system.
• Indigenously developed triple tube lightweight torpedo and rocket launchers will add punch to the ship’s anti-submarine capability.
• The ships are propelled by two gas turbines and 2 main diesel engines that are designed to attain a speed of over 28 knots.
• The steel used in the hull construction of P17A frigates is indigenously developed DMR249A, a low carbon micro-alloy grade steel manufactured by SAIL.

Significance of P17A ships

A total of 7 ships, under the P17A program with 4 at MDL and 3 at GRSE are still under construction. However, four P17A ships have been launched between 2019 and 2022. Indigenous construction of complex Stealth Frigates has catapulted the nation to a higher pedestal in the arena of shipbuilding.

These provide extra benefits including economic development, employment generation for Indian Shipyards, their sub-contractors, and ancillary industry. Moreover, 75% of the orders of Project 17A have been placed on indigenous firms such as MSMEs, thus accelerating the country’s quest for ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’.

The keels of the 6th and 7th ships were laid in 2021 and 2022 and they will be named INS Vindhyagiri and INS Mahendragir.

Background

In a statement, the Ministry of Defence stated that Taragiri is the reincarnation of erstwhile ‘Taragiri’, the Leander Class ASW Frigate, which saw various challenging operations in its illustrious service to the country spanning over three decades from 16 May 1980 to June 27, 2013.

As per the officials, the total value of Project 17A is around ₹25,700 Crore. The second ship of P17A class ‘Udaygiri’ was propelled on May 17 this year and is estimated to start sea trials during the second half of 2024. The keel of the fourth and final ship was laid on June 28.