Indian Navy has launched first stealth P-17A Nilgiri-class frigate INS Nilgiri.

On September 28, 2019, the Indian Navy has launched its first stealth P-17A Nilgiri-class frigate INS Nilgiri at the dockyard of the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai, India.

On September 28, 2019, the launching of the stealth P-17A Nilgiri-class frigate INS Nilgiri in Mumbai, India. (Picture source: Twitter account of Rick Joe)

The Nilgiri-class frigate or Project 17A is follow-on of the Project 17 Shivalik-class frigate for the Indian Navy. A total of seven ships will be built at Mazagon Dock and GRSE.

The INS Nilgiri Shivalik-class frigate is build based on a stealth design with a covered mooring deck and the number of antennae on the ship will be reduced by using EL/M-2248 MF-STAR AESA radar. The P17A will also feature better roll stabilization and a discreet visual profile. The weapon platform in the P17A ships is compact and armed with 32 Barak 8 and 8 BrahMos missiles.£

The Barak-8 missile is fired from a vertical launch system, which consists of multiple individual missiles in separate container-launcher silos installed in the hull of the ship. A vertical launch system enables multiple missiles to be fired simultaneously.

The Project 17A frigate is also armed with one Oto Melara 127 mm main gun, unlike the Indian Navy existing fleet of ships that use 76 mm and 100 mm guns.

The Nilgiri-class frigate powered by two General Electric LM2500 gas turbines and two MAN manufactured diesel engines. This will help the frigate achieve a top speed of 28 knots and a range of 5,500 nautical miles at a speed of 10-15 knots.

The INS Nilgiri frigate has a crew of 150 sailors including 35 officers.

Scale model of P-17A frigate (Picture source: Twtitter account LiveFist)