The Indian Navy simultaneously commissioned two frontline frigates of the Nilgiri-class, INS Udaygiri (F35) and INS Himgiri (F34), on August 26, 2025.
An Indian MoD press releases stated that this is the first occasion when two frontline surface combatants, constructed at two different shipyards, were commissioned simultaneously. The two frigates were commissioned at Naval Base, Visakhapatnam in the east coast. These Project 17A frigates will be part of the Eastern Fleet of the Indian Navy, alongside the preceding three Project 17 Shivalk class frigates and the recently commissioned INS Nilgiri.
INS Udaygiri was built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai and INS Himgiri was constructed by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata. MDL was contracted to build four ships of the Nilgiri class while GRSE bagged the order for the remaining three vessels. The remaining four vessels will all be delivered by mid-2026.
INS Udaygiri’s keel was laid on May 07, 2019 and the ship was launched on May 17, 2022. INS Himgiri’s keel was laid on November 10, 2018 and the ship was launched on December 14, 2020. Both ships underwent a comprehensive schedule of trials in harbour and at sea prior delivery to the Indian Navy on July 01, 2025 and July 31, 2025 respectively.
Udaygiri is the quickest ship of her class to be delivered post-launch, a result of the modular construction methodology adopted by Indian shipyards commencing from the Nilgiri class. Udaygiri is also the 100th ship designed by the Navy’s Warship Design Bureau (WDB) which designed the Nilgiri class frigates. The ships have about 75% indigenous content.
Displacing about 6,700 tons, the P17A frigates are roughly 5% larger than their predecessor Shivalik-class frigates. The new frigates are sleeker with a reduced radar cross section and incorporate significant improvements in design, stealth, weapon and sensor systems.
The frigates are powered by Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) propulsion plants using diesel engines and LM2500 gas turbines that drive controllable-pitch propellers and are managed through an Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS). The weapon suite includes eight BrahMos supersonic surface-to-surface missiles, 32 MRSAM surface-to-air missiles, two L&T triple torpedo launchers, two L&T Indigenous Rocket Launchers, a 76 mm gun, two 30 mm AK-630 CIWS systems and multiple 12.7 mm guns.
Notably, Udaygiri is equipped with an older 76 mm BHEL – OTO Melara gun while Himgiri sports the upgraded OTO Melara Strales also made by BHEL. The primary sensors include IAI MF-STAR AESA radar partly made by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Indra Sistemas LANZA-N 3D air surveillance radar made by Tata and BEL HUMSA-NG hull mounted sonar.
Both frigates are named after the erstwhile INS Udaygiri (F35) and INS Himgiri (F34) that served in the Navy for over 30 years before being decommissioned.
The Indian Navy is also working on a follow-on class of ships to the P17A known as Project 17B. This order for seven frigates is expected to be split 4:3 between two shipyards. A Request for Proposal is expected to be released by the end of 2025. The expected value of this project is ₹70,000 crore (~ $8 billion).
During the commissioning ceremony, the chief of the Indian Navy also spoke regarding the role of the Indian Navy in Operation Sindoor; stating that “..swift deployment and aggressive posturing of our units, effectively constrained the Pakistan Navy, and forced them to request a cease of kinetic actions.”
The Indian Navy had deployed various assets including the indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant during Operation Sindoor, with satellite imagery suggesting that the Pakistan Navy dispersed several surface combatants to commercial terminals in Karachi and to the Gwadar port.
