On August 26, 2025, the Indian Navy will commission two cutting-edge frontline frigates, INS Udaygiri (F35) and INS Himgiri (F34), together at Visakhapatnam. This will be the first time that two major surface combatants, built in different Indian shipyards, would be entering service together. This twin commissioning is more than a ceremonial event. It reflects India’s ability to design, construct and introduce sophisticated warships indigenously. Thus, underlining the success of the Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative in the defence sector.
Frigates: The dose of stealth
Frigates fill a niche in naval force structures between destroyers and corvettes in terms of size and capability. Their multi-mission capability allows them for a variety of missions. They are equipped with anti-submarine warfare (ASW), monitoring and neutralising submarine threats to defend carrier groups and trade routes. In anti-air warfare (AAW), they deliver layered defence against hostile aircraft and missile attack. For anti-surface warfare (ASuW), frigates weaponize its powerful missiles and gun capabilities against enemy warships.
Frigates can conduct escort duties, protecting aircraft carriers, amphibious vessels and merchant convoys through hostile waters. Frigates play a role in maritime security, patrolling sea lanes, fighting pirates and defending exclusive economic zones (EEZs). Their combination of offensive potency, defensive strength and affordability makes frigates the pillar of most countries navy.
Udaygiri and Himgiri: A Capabilities Leap
The two frigates joining the fleet belong to the Project 17A of stealth frigate program, a generation ahead of the previous Shivalik-class. Displacing approximately 6,700 tons, they are five percent larger but have more streamlined hulls with smaller radar cross-sections, making them stealthier.
• INS Udaygiri, built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai, is the second of its class and the 100th ship designed by the Warship Design Bureau of the Navy.
• INS Himgiri, built at Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, is the third ship of the Nilgiri-class and the first of the series to roll off the Dock at GRSE.
Both of the ships utilise Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) propulsion with a combination of diesel engines and gas turbines for endurance and high speed up to 32 knots, with a range of 5,500 nautical miles. A fully integrated platform management system enables efficient management of propulsion, power and auxiliaries.
The combat system of these frigates indicate their multi-mission function. Their surface-to-surface supersonic missiles can target enemy warships at long ranges with accuracy. Medium-range surface-to-air missiles ensures solid air defence against aircraft and incoming missiles. For close defence, they are equipped with a 76 mm medium-range gun, supplemented with 30 mm and 12.7 mm close-in weapon systems (CIWS) as the final protective layer.
For underwater operations they are equipped with the advance torpedoes and rocket launchers, thus making them very effective in anti-submarine operations. The broad weapons capability enables the frigates to function independently on extended range deployments or smoothly as part of a carrier battle group.
Why Frigates Matter for India
India’s strategic geography makes frigates a necessity. The country is located around the most used sea lanes of communication (SLOCs), holding a major share of world energy and trade traffic. With a 7,500 km long coastline and island territories, which extend its maritime presence, the responsibility of defending the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) is highly required.
Frigates play a direct role in:
• Regional security, combating piracy, trafficking and sea-based terrorism.
• Harmonising naval strength, countering the actions of foreign powers in the IOR.
• Blue-water ambitions allow India to serve as a net security provider and engage with friendly navies throughout the Indo-Pacific.
• Cost-effectiveness, providing considerable combat potential without the cost implications of destroyers or aircraft carriers and facilitating balanced fleet expansion.
Frigates helps India to secure its maritime area and project its presence in the broader oceans area by playing both defense and diplomatic functions.
The two ships have come from two different yards, MDL and GRSE which has demonstrated India’s development of parallel capabilities in building advanced warships. The capability tight timeline increases production robustness and highlights the Navy’s efforts towards gaining strategic autonomy by depending on domestic expertise.
Self-Reliance drive of Naval Power
The induction of Udaygiri and Himgiri will be followed by a phenomenal line of domestic naval inductions in 2025 alone: destroyer INS Surat, frigate INS Nilgiri, submarine INS Vaghsheer, ASW vessel INS Arnala and diving support ship INS Nistar. These platforms as a combined one demonstrate the consistent advancement toward creating an indigenous maritime ecosystem.
The commissioning of Udaygiri and Himgiri signifies more than the fleet capability. The construction of these frigates has employed the services of over 200 MSMEs, creating 4,000 direct employments and over 10,000 indirect employments. It shows that naval shipbuilding projects support an extended industrial ecosystem and drive jobs nationwide.
Both Udaygiri and Himgiri have also endured intensive sea trials, which put their propulsion, damage control, communications and weapon systems to the test. Their induction into service signals not only the add strength of maritime, but it’s the confirmation of India’s design, engineering and operational capability.
When the twin grey hulls will be commissioned in Visakhapatnam, it will be more than a naval ritual. It will be a strategic message, that India can protect its maritime borders with Indian-built ships, Indian-designed ships and Indian-man crewed ships. The occasion will also be a reminder that modernisation is not about asset acquisition but developing lasting industrial and strategic capabilities.
Frigates continue at the heart of naval warfare due to their balance of firepower, flexibility and endurance. For India their significance is comprehended by geography, regional trends and global ambitions. The induction of INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri will be a milestone in India’s naval history pride.
With maritime challenges mounting in the Indian Ocean and well beyond, these indigenous frigates will be right at the front of defending the seas for the Tricolour. Their induction is not merely a fillip to the fleet’s size but also a demonstration of India’s increasing belief in its ability to determine its own future as a 21st-century maritime power.
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