WHAT HAS HAPPENED ?
Taragiri, the indigenously-designed Nilgiri-class stealth guided-missile frigate constructed by Mazgaon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), was launched in Mumbai Sunday morning.
Taragiri is the frigate built as part of Project 17A under which a series of such guided-missile frigates are being constructed for the Navy.
The event was held without celebrations due to the "national mourning" announced by the central government in the wake of Queen Elizabeth's death.
It was limited to a technical launch as being tide-dependent, a change in the schedule was not possible, officials added.
WHAT IS A FRIGATE ?
Frigates and destroyers are designed for quick manoeuvrability and can be used to escort and protect larger vessels from air, surface and underwater threats.
The similarities between frigates and destroyers have led to some European navies using the terms interchangeably.
On the other hand, frigates are more common, with almost every navy in the world in possession of a frigate as part of its navy fleet, while only 13 nations possess destroyers
PROJECT 17A
"Taragiri', the fifth stealth guided-missile frigate built under the Indian Navy's Project 17A, was launched in Mumbai on Sunday.
Under the Rs 50,000-crore Project 17A programme, a total of seven ships -- four at MDL and three at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) - Are being built with enhanced stealth features, advanced indigenous weapons, along with several other improvements
The first ship of Project 17A, 'Nilgiri', was launched on September 28, 2019, and is expected to undergo sea trials in the first half of 2024.
The second ship, 'Himgiri', was launched on December 14, 2020, and is expected to be commissioned by August next year.
The third ship, 'Udaygiri', was launched on May 17 this year and it is expected to start sea trials during the second half of 2024.
The fourth ship,'Dunagiri', was launched on July 15, 2022. The keel of "Taragiri' was laid on September 10, 2020, and is expected to be delivered by August 2025.
The ships under Project 17A are all named after hill ranges in India. "Taragiri' is named after a hill range in the Himalayas located in Garhwal, Uttarakhand.
The keels of the sixth and seventh ships were laid on March 5, 2021, and June 28, 2022. They will be named INS Vindhyagiri and INS Mahendragiri.
MADE IN INDIA
Project 17A ships are sourcing 80% of the material/ equipment required for the projects from indigenous vendors.
The steel used in the hull construction of P17A frigates is indigenously developed DMR 249A, which is a low carbon micro-alloy grade steel manufactured by the Steel Authority of India Limited. It is also generating employment for over 2,000 Indian firms and MSMES.
SIZE AND SPEED
The 149-metre-long and 17.8-metre-wide ship is propelled by a combination of two gas turbines and two main diesel engines, Which are designed to achieve a speed of more than 28 knots at a displacement of as much as 6,670 tonnes.
WEAPONS IN TARAGIRI
The indigenously designed Taragiri will have state-of-the-art weapons, sensors, advanced action information system, integrated platform management system, world-class modular living spaces, sophisticated power distribution system and a host of other advanced features. It will be fitted with a supersonic surface-to-surface missile system.
The ship's air defence capability, designed to counter the threat of enemy aircraft and anti-ship cruise missiles, will revolve around the vertical launch and long-range surface-to-air missile system.
Two 30 mm rapid-fire guns will provide the ship with close-in-defence capability while an SRGM gun will enable her to provide effective naval gunfire support.
Indigenously developed triple tube lightweight torpedo launchers and rocket launchers will add punch to the ship's anti-submarine capability.
