Project 17A – Himgiri

Project 17A – Himgiri is a part of Project 17A that was imposed and approved by the Government of India. The decision to build and deliver seven Advanced Technology Frigates to the Indian Navy. The Seven Advanced Technology Frigates for the Indian Navy are being built by The Garden Reach ShipBuilders and Engineers (GRSE) and The Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders (MDL). Four out of Seven Advanced Technology Frigates are being built by The Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders (MDL). The other Three Advanced Technology Frigates that fall under Project 17A – Himgiri are being built by The Garden Reach ShipBuilders and Engineers (GRSE).

What is Project 17A?

Project 17A or Project 17 Alpha Frigates is a project approved by the Government of India. In Project 17A ships are being constructed by two major shipbuilding companies, The Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) and The Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders (MDL), responsible for constructing seven warships and frigates for the Indian Navy. Three of the Seven are being built by The Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), and Four of the Seven Project17A ships are being built by The Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders (MDL) w. The frigates which are being constructed are more advanced than the earlier warships and frigates.

The frigates and warships under Project 17A are also called Frigates from the Nilgiri Class. Nilgiri Class Frigates are modified versions of Leander Class Frigates, active in the Indian Navy and served in the Indian Navy until 2013. The first frigate under Project 17A, which was launched in December 2020, was the Himgiri. The Himgiri was launched in the water of the Hooghly River in Kolkata. The Ship is named INS Himgiri, on India’s Mountains Range.

What is Project 17A – Himgiri?

Project 17A – Himgiri is the first frigate out of the three frigates, which are being managed by The Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE). The Himgiri Frigate was launched on the water of the Hooghly River on 14 December 2014 in the Facility of The Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata to serve the Indian Navy. The frigate Himgiri is named INS Himgiri, and it falls under the Nilgiri Class – Stealth Guided Missile Frigates being built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers. The launch of Himgiri in Kolkata was celebrated very proudly.

Design and Features of Frigates under Project 17A- Himgiri

Designing of Project 17A Ships

The frigates that The Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers are building (GRSE) and The Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders (MDL) are designed by the Directorate of Naval Design (DND). Directorate of Naval Design (DND) contributed to designing India’s first Aircraft Carrier – The INS Vikrant, Frigates from the Shivalik Class, India’s first Frigates that hold the Stealth Technology and India’s first Nuclear-Powered Ballistic Missile Submarine.

Features of Project 17A Ships

Project 17A Ships constructed by The Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) and The Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders (MDL) under Project 17A are the advanced and improved versions with new features the earlier Nilgiri Class Frigates. 

The Frigates have advanced Stealth Technology, making the ship almost undetectable to a certain degree on the Radar. Advanced Stealth Technology is achieved because of certain new features: maintaining a low Radar Cross Section (RCS), a higher RCS increases the observability of the ship or frigate on the Radar; usage of Radar-Transparency Technology along with the Radar-proof Coatings on the Ships or Frigates. A significant level of Stealth can be achieved through the physical design of the Vessel that these frigates contain.

Capable of Anti-air Warfare, Anti-submarine Warfare, Anti-surface Warfare, Decoys. All frigates under Project 17A hold two generic electric LM2500 Gas Turbines and two MAN 12V28/33D STC Four-Stroke Engines.

Conclusion

Project 17A is a project that the Government of India approved. Project 17 A Ships which are constructed and being constructed are more advanced than the earlier warships and frigates. The first frigate under Project 17A, launched in December 2020, was the Himgiri. The Himgiri was launched in the water of the Hooghly River in Kolkata. Project 17A – Himgiri in Kolkata is the first frigate out of the three frigates managed by The Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE). The Himgiri Frigate was launched on the water of the Hooghly River on 14 December 2014 in the Facility of The Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata to serve the Indian Navy.