The Indian Navy will add more firepower through double launch in one day! Indigenous
The stage was set for a major event in the history of domestic shipbuilding on Tuesday when two frontline warships will be launched for the Indian Navy. Surat, the fourth ship is Project 15B Destroyer and Udayagiri, a Project 17A frigate will be launched at Mumbai-based Mazgaon Docks Limited (MDL) in the presence of Defense Minister Rajnath Singh.
More about Surat
The warships under Project 75B class, according to the Indian Navy, are the next generation stealth guided missile destroyers being built at MDL. Surat, named after the commercial capital of Gujarat, is the fourth ship of the Project 15B Destroyer and a makeover of the P15A (Kolkata Class) Destroyer.
Why Surat?
The city of Surat has a rich maritime and shipbuilding history, according to an official note issued by the Indian Navy. And the ships that were built in that city in the 16thM And 18M Centuries were known for their longevity – more than 100 years.
Shipbuilding procedures
Block construction method has been used for construction of Surat. This means that the hull construction was done in two different locations and then merged into the MDL. The first ship of this class was launched in 2021 and the second and third ships of this class have been in various stages of equipment / trial since its launch.
Project 17A frigates
Another ship that will be launched is ‘Udayagiri’, which according to the Indian Navy is named after a mountain range in Andhra Pradesh. This will be the third ship to be launched in this division and it is a follow-on of P17 frigates (Shivalik class). They will be equipped with advanced weapons and sensors and platform management systems as well as advanced stealth features.
Seven ships are under construction in the P17A program. Four are under construction at MDL and three are under construction at GRSE.
For the first time in the design and construction of domestic warships, various ideas and technologies are being integrated in these ships. These include Mega Block Outsourcing, Project Data Management / Project Lifecycle Management (PDM / PLM), Integrated Construction and more.
The Financial Express Online previously reported that the first two ships under Project 17A were launched in MDL and GRSE in 2019 and 2020, respectively.
More about Udayagiri
This is the rebirth of the previous ‘Udayagiri’, the Leander class ASW frigate. The ship witnessed a number of challenging operations in the service of the nation for more than three decades from February 1976 to August 24, 2007.
Native design
The Directorate of Naval Design (DND) 15B and P17A are the brains behind the design of both ships. All warships in service were originally designed by DND. And about 75 percent of orders for equipment and systems will be sourced locally from the private sector, including MSMEs.
More about MDL
A day before the two launches, MDL said in an official statement that three major projects for the Indian Navy, including frigates, destroyers and submarines, were at various stages of construction in the yard.
The shipyard is a strong competitor for the construction of six submarines for the Indian Navy under Project 75 (I) which will be fitted with AIPS, New Generation Corvettes and New Generation Destroyer.
Leave a Reply