Mumbai: The fifth stealth frigate of Project 17A, ‘Taragiri’ being built at MDL was launched in Mumbai on September 11, 2022. The ship was named by Charu Singh, President, Navy Wives Welfare Association (Western Region), wife of Vice Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh, FOC-in-C Western Naval Command, who was the chief guest.
In compliance with the notification issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India declaring a state-mourning on September 11, 2022, the event was limited to a technical launch as the event is tide dependent, any change in the schedule was not possible. VAdm Kiran Deshmukh, Controller Warship Production and Acquisition and other senior officers from the Indian Navy and MoD were amongst the dignitaries who witnessed the launch ceremony.
The Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and the MDL teams having demonstrated multiple successful conventional launches in the past, have honed their expertise further and performed yet another pontoon assisted launch with panache. Following the launch, ‘Taragiri’ will join its two sister ships at MDL for outfitting activities towards the run up for their delivery to Indian Navy.
Seven P17A Frigates are under various stages of construction at MDL and GRSE. Indigenous construction of complex frontline ships such as Stealth Frigates has catapulted the nation to a higher pedestal in the arena of shipbuilding. It provides additional benefits such as economic development, employment generation for Indian Shipyards, their sub-contractors and ancillary industry. Further, 75% of the orders of the Project 17A have been placed on indigenous firms including MSMEs, thus reinforcing the country’s quest for ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.
Speaking on the occasion, Vice Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh, FOC-IN-C, Western Naval Command praised the efforts of Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Warship Design Bureau and other Naval Teams in realizing the nation’s quest for self-reliance with regard to warship building. He added that ‘Taragiri’ will surely add to Indian Navy’s forte as and when it makes its way into the blue waters.
Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders (MDL) in a statement said that the ship has been built using an integrated construction methodology which involves hull block construction in different geographical locations and integration and erection on the slipway at the MDL.
The keel of ‘Taragiri’ was laid on September 10, 2020. The ship is expected to be delivered by August 2025. The total value of Project 17A is around Rs 25,700 crores.
‘Taragiri’ is named after a hill range in the Himalayas located at Garhwal. These Project 17A ships are the advanced versions of the P17 Frigates (Shivalik Class) with improved stealth features, state-of-the-art weapons and sensors and platform management systems, world class modular living spaces, sophisticated power distribution system and a host of other advanced features. It will be fitted with supersonic surface-to-surface missile system.
