Stealth Frigate Udaygiri Delivered to Indian Navy under Project 17A
In a significant shot in the arm to India's naval prowess, INS Udaygiri, the second stealth frigate of the Project 17A (P-17A) program, was formally joined to the Indian Navy on 01 July 2025. Constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai, Udaygiri is a major milestone in India's indigenous warship construction journey.
Legacy Meets Modern Power
Dedicated to its illustrious namesake—INS Udaygiri, a steam frigate that served the Navy for 31 years until it was decommissioned in 2007—the new incarnation symbolizes the smooth blending of heritage with innovation and indigenization.
Udaygiri is the second of seven frigates constructed under Project 17A, a follow-on to the successful Shivalik-class (Project 17). The next-generation frigates are being built at MDL, Mumbai, and GRSE, Kolkata, with emphasis on 'Blue Water' operations—capable of countering both traditional and asymmetric maritime threats across India's vast maritime interests.
Stealth. Speed. Strike. Superiority.
Designed with advanced stealth design, Udaygiri is outfitted with advanced weaponry and sensors that mark an improvement from its predecessors of the Shivalik-class. The warship features:
- Supersonic Surface-to-Surface Missiles
- Medium-Range Surface-to-Air Missiles
- 76 mm naval gun
- 30 mm and 12.7 mm close-in weapon systems
Its power system is the CODOG arrangement, a combination of diesel engines and gas turbines, each powering Controllable Pitch Propellers (CPP) on two shafts. This has been incorporated seamlessly with a cutting-edge Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS) to ensure optimal performance.
The P17A ship's structure is 4.54% larger than in the P17 class, ensuring improved endurance and survivability with added stealth and agility.
Record-Breaking Construction Timeline
What distinguishes INS Udaygiri is not only its technical excellence, but also its record delivery schedule—a short 37 months from the date of launch. It reflects the success of the 'Integrated Construction' strategy followed under Project 17A, which depends greatly on pre-outfitting at block construction phases to optimize build periods and optimize efficiency.
Aatmanirbhar Bharat in Action
Project 17A is a shining testament to India's emerging self-sufficiency in naval defense manufacturing. More than 200 Indian MSMEs have helped build Udaygiri, providing key weapons systems, sensors, and engineering items. Not only a warship—it's a beacon of indigenous talent and technological sophistication.
Nation-Building Through Naval Power
Apart from defense, the project is a major job creator. As many as 4,000 direct employment opportunities and more than 10,000 indirect opportunities have been generated by the P17A project, providing a major boost to India's defense manufacturing base.
Broader gains are:
- Economic growth
- Empowerment of MSME
- Growth of skills and innovation
- Indigenous defense industrial base strengthening
What Lies Ahead?
With five additional frigates currently under construction at MDL and GRSE, the Indian Navy is expected to have the complete complement of P17A ships by the end of 2026. Each ship will enhance the Navy's ability for sustained power projection and safe maritime supremacy in the Indian Ocean Region and beyond.
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