Indian Navy launches its latest stealth frigate 'Mahendragiri' in Mumbai

India launched its new warship called Mahendragiri today, September 1, 2023. This is India's seventh warship of Project 17A series, and is named after mountain peak in the eastern Ghats of Odisha

India on Friday (on September 1) launched its latest warship, Mahendragiri, developed by Mazagon Dock shipbuilders, in Mumbai. The defence ministry said the addition of Mahendragiri is a major step towards the country's defence indigenisation programme.

Mahendragiri is India's seventh warship under Project 17A series of frigates, which is named after a mountain peak in the eastern Ghats of Odisha. It is India's latest addition to its fleet of advanced stealth frigates. 

Mahendragiri is a follow-on of the project 17A Class Frigates, which come with improved stealth features, sensors, platform management systems and advanced weapons.

India built its four warships at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited and the rest of the Ships at Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata.

The launch of the warship marks a significant milestone in the construction of a vessel that enters into the waters for the first time.

On August 17, President Draupadi Murmu launched India's sixth warship, Vindhyagiri, of Project 17A at GRSE.

The launch of the latest warship, Mahendragiri, comes at a time when self-reliance in defence is the government's top priority, and the power dynamics in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) are changing as Chinese People's Liberation Army-Navy (PLAN) is making efforts to expand its footprints.

According to the defence ministry, Project 17A ships have been designed by the Indian Navy's Warship Design Bureau, which is a key organisation for all design activities of warships.

Around 75 per cent of orders for warship equipment and systems of Project 17A ships have been ordered from indigenous firms, including Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

The defence ministry further said, “The launch of Mahendragiri is an apt testament to the incredible progress our nation has made in building a self-reliant naval force."

The Project 17A warships are in various stages of construction, and these ships may be delivered to the navy from 2024 to 2026.