- India
- Apr 04
Indian Navy commissions stealth frigate ‘INS Taragiri’
• INS Taragiri, the latest stealth frigate of the Project 17A class, was commissioned into the Indian Navy in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh on April 3.
• It has been designed by the Warship Design Bureau and built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, with the support of MSMEs, for multi-role operations.
Project 17A frigates
• Project 17A frigates are a follow-on class of the P17 (Shivalik Class) frigates with improved stealth features, advanced weapons and sensors and platform management systems.
• The Navy had placed orders for seven stealth frigates, four of which are being developed by Mazagon Dock Ltd (MDL) and three by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE).
• P17A ships have been designed in-house by Navy’s Warship Design Bureau.
• Around 75 per cent of the orders for equipment and system of P17A ships are being placed on indigenous firms.
• The first ship of Project 17A, ‘Nilgiri’ built by MDL, was launched on September 28, 2019.
On January 15, 2025, the Indian Navy commissioned INS Nilgiri, the lead ship of the Project 17A class frigates.
• ‘Himgiri’, built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE), Kolkata was launched on December 14, 2020.
• The third ship ‘Udaygiri’ under the project was launched on May 17, 2022.
• Both these multi-mission stealth frigates were commissioned into the Indian Navy on August 26, 2025.
• ‘Dunagiri’ was launched in July 2022. It was named after a mountain range in Uttarakhand.
• ‘Taragiri’, named after a hill range in the Himalayas located at Garhwal, was launched in September 2022.
• ‘Vindhyagiri’, named after the mountain range in Karnataka, was launched in August 2023.
• ‘Mahendragiri’ is the last of the seven warships under Project 17A. It was launched in September 2023.
• Displacing about 6,700 tonnes, the P17A class frigates are roughly five per cent larger than their predecessor Shivalik-class frigates, incorporating a sleeker form with a reduced radar cross section.
• 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.
Key points on INS Taragiri:
• Taragiri represents a generational leap over earlier designs, offering a sleeker form and a significantly reduced Radar Cross-Section that allows it to operate with lethal stealth.
• Driven by a Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) propulsion plant, Taragiri is designed for ‘High-Speed – High Endurance’ versatility and multi-dimensional maritime operations.
• The ship’s weapon suite is world-class, featuring supersonic surface-to-surface missiles, medium range surface-to-air missiles, and a specialised anti-submarine warfare suite.
• These systems are seamlessly integrated through a state-of-the-art combat management system, ensuring that the crew can respond to threats with split-second precision.
• Beyond its role as a premier hunter of the seas, Taragiri is built for the complexities of modern diplomacy and humanitarian crises.
• Its flexible mission profile makes it ideal for everything from high-intensity combat to Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR).