‘You have built a floating F-35’: Rajnath Singh lauds Navy stealth frigates at launch
The Indian Navy commissioned two multi-mission stealth frigates, INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri, at the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday lauded the Indian Navy at the commissioning of the two advanced stealth frigates — INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri — at the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam.
Indirectly referring to the US, he said there's a country that has F-35 (fifth-generation fighter jet) flying in the air, while the Indian Navy has made a “floating F-35 warship”.
"Today, you have launched the indigenous F-35 warship. One nation has a flying F-35 and you have built a floating F-35, that too Made in India," Rajnath Singh said at the event, according to ANI.
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The two warships, part of the Indian Navy’s state-of-the-art Project 17A, mark the first time that frontline surface combatants built at two different shipyards have been commissioned simultaneously.
While Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders in Mumbai built INS Udaygiri, Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers in Kolkata built the INS Himgiri.
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Lauding the two new frigates, Rajnath Singh said the commissioning of INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri will significantly enhance the Indian Navy's strength, reach and resilience.
"[It] is a dream come true towards Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India). I can say with confidence that both these warships will prove to be a milestone in the country's security," he said, according to PTI.
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Singh said he is confident that these two warships will prove to be a game-changer in very complex and risky operations in the sea. "I believe that their commissioning in the Indian Navy is a step that will strengthen our neighbourhood first and mutual and holistic advancement for security and growth for all in the region," Singh said.
The defence minister also emphasised that India will no longer depend on foreign shipbuilding for its Navy.
“INS Tamal was the last foreign order for the Indian Navy. We have decided that no future ship for the Indian Navy will be built abroad; we will build our ships in India. This is a very decisive step towards self-reliance in defence manufacturing,” Singh said, adding, “The Indian Navy has completed a century with the commissioning of these warships.”
All about INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri
INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri follow INS Nilgiri, the lead ship of the successor class to Project 17 (Shivalik class).
According to the ministry of defence, they incorporate improved stealth features, reduced radar signatures, advanced surveillance radars and electronic warfare suites, supersonic surface-to-surface missiles, surface-to-air missiles, and rapid-fire gun systems.
Both ships have Combined Diesel or Gas propulsion plants and a cutting-edge Integrated Platform Management System, allowing for higher speeds and better fuel efficiency.
The ministry added that the multi-mission frigates are crucial operational enablers that will enhance the Navy’s ability to safeguard national interests across the full spectrum of maritime missions.
