By Nethra Sailesh
On Wednesday Prime Minister Narendra Modi commissioned three new frontline naval vessels at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai. This marks the first time an Indigenous destroyer, frigate, and submarine have been commissioned together in India, a huge step for India’s self-sufficiency in defense manufacturing.
The warships commissioned are INS Surat and INS Nilgiri, while the third vessel, INS Vaghsheer, is a submarine. As reported by the Press Information Bureau, INS Surat is the fourth and final Project 15B stealth-guided missile destroyer, preceding Visakhapatnam, Imphal, and Mormugao. INS Surat has been equipped with surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship missiles, and torpedoes. It also has been enabled with Indian-configured AI that enhances its efficiency, becoming the first of its kind.
On the other hand, INS Nilgiri is the first Project 17A stealth frigate or in other words a warship. It was designed by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau. It has been developed with surface-to-surface missile systems, medium-range surface-to-air missiles, a 76mm Upgraded gun, and rapid-fire close-in weapon systems. This is the first warship out of the total seven in this series currently under construction.
INS Vaghsheer is the sixth and final submarine of the P75 Scorpene project and was built in collaboration with the Naval Group of France.
During the Commission ceremony, the Prime Minister highlighted that this is a major step in establishing the country as a maritime power in the world. In his speech, he also pointed out that during his tenure, 33 ships and 7 submarines have been commissioned and the country exported military machinery to over 100 countries.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh added that this demonstrates India’s growing power in the Indian Ocean, an area rapidly becoming a space of strategic importance.
This new addition to the naval fleet is a step towards India’s journey in Atmanirbharta in defense. In the financial year 2023-2024, the value of defense production was Rs 1.27 lakh crore and is set to have a value of Rs3 lakh crore in defense production by 2029.