Indian Navy gets twin power upgrade: INS Tamal, Udaygiri ready to dominate seas

On a day that the Russian-manufactured guided missile frigate INS Tamal was commissioned into the Indian Navy, the second ship of Project 17A stealth frigate, 'Udaygiri', equipped with state-of-the-art weapons and sensors, was also delivered to the Navy.
Built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL), INS Udaygiri is a follow-on to the Shivalik-class frigates and comes with a 4.54 per cent larger hull, improved stealth, and next-gen weapons.
'Udaygiri' is the second among the seven P17A frigates under construction at MDL, Mumbai and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata. The project is a follow-on to the Shivalik class (Project 17) frigates active in service. "The remaining five ships of the P17A class are at various stages of construction at MDL, Mumbai and GRSE, Kolkata, and would be delivered progressively by the end of 2026," the defence ministry said in a release.
Constructed in just 37 months, INS Udaygiri features state-of-the-art sensors and weaponry, including supersonic surface-to-surface missiles, a medium-range SAM system, 76mm main gun, and advanced close-in weapon systems.
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Powered by a Combined Diesel or Gas propulsion system and an Integrated Platform Management System, the ship is designed to operate in blue water environments and counter both conventional and non-conventional threats.
The delivery highlights India’s strides in indigenous warship design under the Warship Design Bureau and showcases aatmanirbharta in defence manufacturing, the ministry said.
According to the Navy, the ship, which has 75 per cent indigenous content, will boost the force's combat readiness and capability to safeguard our maritime interests in the Indian Ocean Region.
INS Tamal
Vice Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh, the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command, described the commissioning of Tamal in Russia as a "significant milestone" in India's maritime defence capabilities.
INS Tamal is the eighth Krivak class frigates to be inducted from Russia over the past two decades.
According to the Indian Navy, "INS Tamal is a formidable moving fortress at sea and is designed for blue water operations across the spectrum of naval warfare in all four dimensions that is air, surface, underwater and electromagnetic."
The 125m long, 3900-tonne warship has an impressive blend of Indian and Russian cutting-edge technologies, including an array of guns, surveillance systems and BrahMos supersonic missiles.
Defence