New Delhi, September 1 : Mahendragiri, the last and seventh warship of the Project 17A frigates built for the Indian Navy, was launched into the Arabian Sea on Friday by pressing a remote button. Dr. Sudesh Dhankhar, wife of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, launched the ship in Mumbai. The ships for this project have been designed in-house by the Warship Design Bureau of the Indian Navy. The ship is named after a mountain peak in the Eastern Ghats located in Odisha, on which the Brahmos missile can also be deployed.
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar was the chief guest at the event. The launch ceremony was attended by the Governor of Mumbai, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, the Chief of the Naval Staff, senior ministers of the State Government, the Ministry of Defence, and senior officers of the Indian Navy. The Vice President highlighted that the launch of Mahendragiri is an important milestone in India’s maritime history. He appreciated the efforts of Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in warship production and enhancing the country’s defence capabilities. He said the shipyard has significantly enabled the Indian Navy to emerge as a formidable force in the Indian Ocean region. He hoped that Mahendragiri, after touching the waters of the mighty Arabian Sea, would derive strength from the same mountains after which it is named.
Navy Chief Admiral R. Hari Kumar said that the traditional security challenges in the Indian Ocean region and the larger Indo-Pacific region remain persistent. Apart from this, there is also the menace of non-traditional challenges like piracy, drug trafficking, natural calamities, etc. It has to be proactive in dealing with maritime interests as well as security threats affecting all in the region. He said the Indian Navy is deployed in a vast area of the ocean to safeguard national interests. For example, the Naval frigate deployed on an anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden can be redeployed to undertake disaster relief operations, search and rescue missions, emergency evacuation, provide assistance to friends, participate in exercises, and actually operate. Could.
Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) was awarded the construction of four ships and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE) three ships under the Project 17A programme. The first six ships of this project, Taragiri, Udayagiri, Dunagiri, Nilgiri, Himgiri, and Vindhyagiri, have been launched between 2019 and 2023. Vindhyagiri was launched by President Draupadi Murmu, Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces, on August 17 at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE), Kolkata. All these ships have been named after mountain ranges in India.
The ship ‘Mahendragiri’, launched within a fortnight, is the seventh ship of the Project 17A frigate. After the Shivalik class, these warships have better stealth features, advanced weapons and sensors, and platform management systems. The newly christened Mahendragiri is a technologically advanced warship and epitomises India’s determination to embrace its rich naval heritage while moving towards the future of indigenous defence capabilities. In line with the country’s strong commitment towards’self-reliance’, 75 percent of the orders for equipment and systems for Project 17A ships have been placed with indigenous establishments, including micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
