Indian Navy’s last Project 17A frigate launched

Mahendragiri, the Indian Navy’s last Project 17A frigate, was launched today at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited in Mumbai.

ahendragiri, named after a mountain peak in Eastern Ghats located in the state of Orissa, is the seventh ship of the Project 17A Frigates.

These warships are follow-ons of the Project 17 Class Frigates (Shivalik Class), with improved stealth features, advanced weapons and sensors and platform management systems.

“The newly christened Mahendragiri is a technologically advanced warship and stands as a symbol of India’s determination to embrace its rich naval heritage, while propelling itself towards a future of indigenous defence capabilities,” the navy stated.

Under the Project 17A program, a total of four ships by M/s MDL and three ships by M/s GRSE are under construction. The first six ships of the project have been launched so far by MDL & GRSE, between 2019-2023.

Project 17A ships have been designed in-house by Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau, India’s organisation for all warship design activities.

Two weeks ago, the 6th Project 17A frigate Vindhyagiri was launched at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata.