Defence minister Rajnath Singh, who presided over two multi-mission stealth frigates, INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri, each equipped with eight BrahMos missiles and featuring a suite of advanced weapons, on Tuesday, made an indirect reference to the US fifth-generation fighter jet F-35 and said India now has something similar.
The defence minister said one country has F-35 flying in the air while the Indian Navy made "F-35 warship", INS Udaygiri, that sails on the sea with 'Made in India' technology. He was referring to the fact that Udaygiri holds the distinction of being the fastest ship of her class to be delivered post-launch.
Udaygiri is the second ship from Project 17A stealth frigates and was built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai.
Speaking about the two frigates, Singh said, "These warships' weapons and sensor packages make them the unparalleled guardians of the sea. It has been told to me that these warships also include many advanced capabilities. These two warships, which can cover long distances, have advanced systems such as surface-to-surface air missiles, supersonic BrahMos missiles, torpedo launchers, combat management systems, and fire control systems."
The the 100th and 101st warships designed in-house by the Warship Design Bureau of the Indian Navy, INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri follow INS Nilgiri, the lead ship of the successor class to Project 17 (Shivalik class). The frigates, which have high indigenous content — exceeding 75 per cent—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.
Both frigates will join the Eastern Fleet under the Eastern Naval Command.