The advanced stealth frigate INS Vindhyagiri was officially launched on Thursday by President Droupadi Murmu at the facility of Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd (GRSE) in Kolkata, which is located on the banks of the River Hooghly.
During the launch ceremony, important authorities such as the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, the Governor of West Bengal, SCV Ananda Bose, and the Chief Admiral of the Indian Navy, R Hari Kumar, were all present.
The sixth stealth frigate to be constructed at the GRSE as part of Project 17A is the INS Vindhyagiri.
Following the completion of the launching procedure, INS Vindhyagiri will proceed to the outfitting jetty at GRSE, where it will meet its two other sister ships in order to continue working on the last operations and conducting equipment tests in preparation for their delivery and commissioning.
The Project 17A Frigates are the follow-on class to the Project 17 (Shivalik Class) Frigates, and they have better stealth capabilities, as well as updated weapons and sensors and platform management systems.
Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) and GRSE now have seven Project 17A Frigates in various stages of development at their respective facilities.
Officials from the Ministry of Defense have stated that the inauguration of INS Vindhyagiri will strengthen India’s defense industrial foundation. This will, in turn, lessen India’s dependency on suppliers from other countries, develop greater levels of self-reliance, and create a more robust defense industrial basis.
Under the terms of the deal, the Kolkata-based warship constructor was given the contract to construct three stealth frigates for the Navy, and this one would be the final one. Before being turned over to the Indian Navy for the purpose of being commissioned into service, the cutting-edge vessel will be outfitted with the most cutting-edge technology and will go through intensive testing.
Over seventy-five percent of the orders for Project 17 A have been placed on domestic companies, including micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) as well as ancillary industries in the country. This is in accordance with the ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India) initiative of the union government led by Narendra Modi.
During the ceremony, President Droupadi Murmu emphasized the significance of Vindhyagiri and expressed his hope that as INS Vindhyagiri touches the waters of the mighty Hooghly for the first time, it will draw strength from the very mountains that it is named after, sailing with unwavering determination, and upholding the values that we hold dear.
