What is INS Himgiri Project 17 A Stealth Frigate?

Why in News?

INS Himgiri, the Project 17A which is a Nilgiri-class frigate for the Indian Navy has been launched today, on December 14, 2020, in the presence of Chief of Defence Staff.  

Launching Location:

The Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) facility in Kolkata

About INS Himgiri:

1. The INS Himgiri is a follow-up of the Project 17 Shivalik-class frigate
2. It is the first of three such Project 17A (P17A)-class advanced stealth warships
3. The armed forces have contracted the GRSE and Mazagon Dock to build the 7 ships under Project 17 A 
4. The ships are named after Indian Hills like Shivalik, Himgiri, Nilgiri, Taragiri, Udyagiri etc.
5. Three ships under INS Himgiri would be made. It was laid down on November 10, 2018, and it has been launched on December 14, 2020. It would be commissioned in August 2022. 

INS Himgiri: Structural details

The project is demonstrating India's indigenous capabilities in designing, building and integrating systems for modern stealth combat ships.

1. INS Himgiri is a guided missile frigate
2. It is 149 metres long and has a displacement of 6670 tonnes with a  speed of 28 knots.  
3. The P 17 class of the frigates are using indigenously developed steel and are being fitted with weapons and sensors and Integrated Platform Management System
4. These ships would also be loaded with an indigenous state of art electronic systems and sensor suites. 
5. Weapons are in integration with BrahMos and LRSAM with MF STAR radar and indigenous Sonar system. 
6. P17A frigates will be "powered by two GE LM2500 marine gas turbines and two diesel engines in a combined diesel or gas (CODOG) turbine configuration," as stated in the report by Defence Ministry.  RELATED| Know the difference between ISRO and DRDO

INS Himgiri: Weapons

1. The P17A-class will be armed and ready with the state-of-the-art Barak 8 and BrahMos surface-to-air and supersonic cruise missiles. This would help it in defending any type of airborne threats be it from aircraft, helicopters, anti-ship missiles, and UAVs as well as ballistic missiles, other cruise missiles or combat jets
2. The weapons would be flush deck mounted that would ease the vertical launch of missiles from under the deck.
3. Amplifying the stealth measures, the Project 17A-class would also have a covered mooring deck.
4. The number of antennae on the ship would be reduced using the EL/M-2248 MF-STAR multi-function Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar system. 

This is GRSE’s first ship of Project 17 A which was announced by it on December 4, 2020. It was launched on the banks of Hooghly. The indigenous docks with such heavy orders signify the Government’s trust and step towards Make in India.

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