INS Vindhyagiri – On 17 August 2023 (Thursday), President Droupadi Murmu launched INS Vindhyagiri. It is the Indian Navy’s newest warship. It was launched on the banks of the Hooghly River in Kolkata at the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd’s (GRSE) facility.
To enhance the power, self-reliance, and maritime capabilities of the Navy, INS Vindhyagiri was built under Project 17A and is an advanced stealth frigate. In addition to this, it adds to the country’s determination and embraces the heritage and future of the Indian defense capacities.
Features of INS Vindhyagiri
The citizens of India are thrilled after the amazing launch to empower the Indian Navy. However, the name of the warship has become one of the most interesting topics. So, let me inform you that the warship INS Vindhyagiri was named after Karnataka’s mountain. As the traditions of other warships such as INS Nilgiri, Taragiri, Dunagiri, and Udaygiri.
So, INS Vindhyagiri has been named to pay tribute to its predecessor who served the country for 31 years from 1981 to 2012. It has also taken part in various wars and challenging operations. Furthermore, INS Vindhyagiri has been designed by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau, which has designed a lot of amazing warships as well.
This Vindhyagiri has been equipped with advanced weapons, sensors, a platform management system, stealth features, and much more so that it can be operated in the 3 dimensions including surface, air, and subsurface. The ship has a speed of 28 knots, a displacement of 6670 tonnes, and is 149 meters long.
Key Features
- Weapons: INS Vindhyagiri is equipped with several weapons that can provide much strength to the Indian Navy. Some of the weapons include eight BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, four torpedo launchers, 76 mm Super Rapid Gun Mount (SRGM), two rocket launchers, two AK-630 Close-In Weapon Systems (CIWS), and much more.
- Stealth: In addition to this, the warship has a significant degree of stealth. Also, it has low radar-observability via the use of composite materials, low-observable/radar-transparent technologies, radar-absorbent coatings, and much more.
- Platform Management Systems: It has an IPMS, which means an integrated platform management system. It monitors various functions of ships such as electrical, damage control, propulsion, auxiliary systems, etc, and also controls it. It has also helped in enhancing operational efficiency.
- Sensors: The sensors installed in the warship provides situational awareness and target acquisition capabilities. It also has electronic warfare systems like Kavach decoy launchers and Ajanta EW suite. The sensors include MF-STAR multifunction radar, an EL/M-2248 MF-STAR S-band AESA radar, an EL/M-2238 L-band STAR surveillance radar, a HUMSA-NG hull-mounted sonar, an EL/M-2221 STGR fire control radar, an ATAS towed array sonar, and more.
Significance of Project 17A
Project 17A has a lot of importance for building the strength of the Indian Defense System. The main objective of the project is to build 7 advanced stealth frigates which will boost the Navy’s strength and cost around INR 50,000 Crores.
The four ships are built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) in Mumbai and the other three were built by GRSE in Kolkata. The main objective of Project 17A is to provide strength to the Indian defense system by providing them with amazing and effective warship weapons and some amazing technological ships.
- INS Nilgiri: The project’s first ship was launched in September 2019 by MDL. By 2024, it will be commissioned.
- INS Himgiri: It is launched in December 2020 by GRSE and is to be commissioned by 2025.
- INS Udaygiri: The third project was started in July 2021 by MDL and is expected to be commissioned by 2026.
- INS Taragiri: In March 2022, the third project was launched by GRSE, and the possibility that it will commission by 2017.
- INS Dunagiri: MDL launched another project in June 2022. Sources claimed that it will be commissioned by 2028.
