INS Mahendragiri to Join Navy on July 11

Indigenous stealth frigate ‘Mahendragiri’, endowed with state-of-the-art weapons, including surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missile systems, and a cutting-edge sensor suite, is set to be commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 11, officials said on Monday.

Designed by the Navy’s Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and built by MDL Mumbai, ‘Mahendragiri’ is the sixth ship of the Nilgiri-class (Project 17A). It is capable of undertaking anti-air, anti-surface and anti-submarine operations, and is equally suited for maritime security, power projection, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), search and rescue, and sustained presence missions, a Navy spokesperson said.

“The frigate is equipped with an advanced suite of indigenous and state-of-the-art weapons and sensors, including surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missile systems, sophisticated electronic warfare capabilities, comprehensive anti-submarine warfare systems and an integrated combat management system,” the official said.

Incorporating advanced stealth features, enhanced survivability, reduced radar signature and a high degree of automation, the frigate is powered by a modern Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) propulsion system, enabling high-speed operations with “exceptional endurance across the full spectrum of maritime missions”.

“With over 75 per cent indigenous content, ‘Mahendragiri’ exemplifies the Government of India’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative,” the Navy said.

Named after the Mahendragiri mountain range in the Eastern Ghats, the frigate embodies resilience, strength and unwavering resolve, the Indian Navy said.

It will serve as a “formidable force multiplier, safeguarding nation’s maritime interests and contributing to a secure, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” the Navy said.

The frigate was delivered on April 30 at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDSL), Mumbai. Its construction has brought together a vast network of Indian industries, including numerous Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), generating employment while strengthening the nation’s defence industrial base, it said.

The commissioning of this frigate marks another significant milestone in the successful execution of the Project 17A programme. The ships under this programme are fitted with an advanced weapon and sensor suite as compared to the P17 (Shivalik-class).

Indigenous stealth frigate ‘Dunagiri’, the fifth ship of Nilgiri-class (Project 17A) frigates, power-packed with state-of-the-art weapon and sensor suites and engineered for sustained operations, was commissioned into the Indian Navy in Kolkata on June 21.

The frigate, along with two other frontline platforms — Survey Vessel (Large) ‘Sanshodhak’ and the fourth of the Arnala-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft, ‘Agray ‘— was commissioned into the naval force in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

INS Nilgiri, the lead ship of P17A frigates, was commissioned on January 15, 2025. INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri were commissioned into the Navy on August 26, 2025.

INS Taragiri, the fourth potent platform of the Project 17A class endowed with a cutting-edge weapon suite, including supersonic missiles, was commissioned into the Navy in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, on April 3.