Indian Navy to commission indigenous stealth frigate INS Mahendragiri on July 11
New Delhi, July 6. The Indian Navy will commission INS Mahendragiri (F38), the sixth indigenous stealth frigate under the Project 17A programme, at Visakhapatnam on July 11, marking another milestone in India’s drive towards self-reliance in defence manufacturing and the modernisation of its naval fleet.
Designed by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai, INS Mahendragiri represents the latest addition to a new generation of advanced multi-role stealth frigates that are expected to significantly enhance the Navy’s operational capabilities across the Indian Ocean Region and the wider Indo-Pacific.
Named after the Mahendragiri mountain range in the Eastern Ghats, the warship is the first vessel in the Indian Navy to bear the name. According to the Ministry of Defence, the frigate symbolises resilience, strength and determination, and is expected to establish its own distinguished legacy in the Navy’s service.
INS Mahendragiri incorporates advanced stealth technologies designed to minimise radar detection, improve survivability and enhance combat effectiveness. The warship also features a high degree of automation and is powered by a modern Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) propulsion system, enabling high-speed operations and extended endurance during a wide range of maritime missions.
With more than 75 percent indigenous content, the frigate reflects the government’s emphasis on ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-reliant India) in the defence sector. Its construction involved an extensive network of Indian industries, including numerous micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), contributing to employment generation while strengthening the country’s defence industrial ecosystem.
The stealth frigate is equipped with an advanced suite of indigenous and modern weapons and sensors, including surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missile systems, sophisticated electronic warfare equipment, integrated anti-submarine warfare systems and an advanced combat management system.
Designed as a versatile frontline warship, INS Mahendragiri is capable of conducting anti-air, anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare operations. It can also undertake a broad spectrum of missions, including maritime security operations, power projection, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), search and rescue (SAR) operations and sustained deployments in strategically important maritime regions.
The commissioning of INS Mahendragiri marks another significant achievement under the Project 17A programme, which is aimed at equipping the Indian Navy with next-generation stealth frigates built using advanced indigenous technologies.
The Ministry of Defence said the induction of successive Project 17A frigates is steadily strengthening the Navy’s combat capability while reinforcing India’s position as a leading indigenous warship-building nation.
As India expands its maritime role as the preferred security partner in the Indian Ocean Region, INS Mahendragiri is expected to serve as a force multiplier, safeguarding the country’s maritime interests and contributing to peace, security and stability across the Indo-Pacific.
Describing the vessel as a mission-ready combat platform, the ministry said the new frigate is prepared to uphold its motto – ‘Mighty-Majestic-Matchless’ – while serving the nation as one of the Indian Navy’s most advanced indigenously built warships.
