Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated three state of the art frontline naval combat vessel – destroyer INS Surat, stealth frigate INS Nilgiri and submarine INS Vaghsheer – to the nation at an impressive commissioning ceremony held at the Naval Dockyard on Wednesday morning.
The simultaneous commissioning of three naval vessels marked a new dawn of “Shaṁ No Varunaḥ” for the Indian Navy to have indigenous made in India warships and submarines in the sword arm of the naval fleet after 78 years of Independence.
The PM described the occasion as monumental for India’s maritime heritage invoking Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and said, “Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had given new strength and a new vision to the Indian Navy and today for the first time when a destroyer, a frigate and a submarine are being commissioned together on his holy land.”
Modi further added that the commissioning of the three frontline naval combatants will strengthen the country’s efforts towards being a global leader in defence and augment its strength towards self-reliance.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also joined the PM to laud the Indian Navy’s historic achievement. “The commissioning of INS Surat, INS Nilgiri and INS Vaghsheer is a testament not just to the Indian Navy but also to India’s growing strength in the Indian Ocean Region,” asserted Rajnath Singh.
The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi underscored the operational significance of these vessels and said, “INS Surat continues the proud tradition of Projects 15A and 15B destroyers, Nilgiri is the first of the Project 17A frigates, and Vaghsheer is the final submarine under Project 75. All three will bolster the Navy’s operational capabilities, ensuring the security of our maritime interests and advancing the Prime Minister’s vision of SAGAR — Security and Growth for All in the Region.”
All the three naval vessels are designed by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau and built at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) .
INS Nilgiri – The first among 7
INS Nilgiri | ANI
* The lead ship of the seven new stealth frigates under Project 17A
* Equipped with modern aviation facilities
* Can operate multiple helicopter types, including the newly inducted MH-60R
* Incorporates advanced features for enhanced survivability, seakeeping and stealth
* Dedicated to the maritime prowess of the Chola dynasty
INS Surat, the destroyer
INS Surat | x
* The fourth and final vessel of the Project 15B
* Has an indigenous content of 75%
* Equipped with state-of-the-art weapon-sensor packages and advanced network-centric capabilities
* Has commissioned crew of 350 sailors and 30 officers
* Armed with surface-to-surface ‘BrahMos’ Supersonic cruise missiles and ‘Barak-8’ medium-range surface-to-air missiles (MRSAM), indigenous 76 mm Super Rapid Gun Mount
INS Vaghsheer, the French Scorpene class
INS Vaghsheer | x
* The sixth and last of the French design Scorpene class submarine
* A diesel-electric submarine designed for multiple roles, including anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, and intelligence gathering
* Has modular construction, enabling future upgrades such as air independent propulsion technology
* Advanced firepower to challenge adversaries undetected underseas.
