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CSB IAS ACADEMY

TOPIC OF THE DAY (DATE: 17.08.2023)
PROJECT 17A -VINDHYAGIRI
WHY IN NEWS?
Today, President Droupadi Murmu is set to launch the sixth vessel of the Project 17 Alpha Frigates
– the all new ‘Vindhyagiri’ at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited in Kolkata.

BACKGROUND
 Project 17A or Project 17 Alpha Frigates is a project approved by the Government of India in
2015.
 It involves the building of seven stealth frigates at an estimated cost of Rs 50,000 crore.
 The Project 17A ships have been designed in-house by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design
Bureau. According to the Navy, as much as 75% of the orders for equipment and systems of
Project 17A ships are from indigenous firms, including MSMEs.
 Project 17A ships are being constructed by two major shipbuilding companies, The Garden
Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) and The Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders (MDL),
responsible for constructing seven warships and frigates for the Indian Navy. Three of the
Seven are being built by The Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), and Four of
the Seven Project17A ships are being built by The Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders (MDL) w. The
frigates which are being
constructed are more NAME BUILDER COMMISSIONING
advanced than the earlier Nilgiri Mid 2024 (expected)
warships and frigates . Udaygiri 2024(expected)
Mazagon Dock
WHAT IS A FRIGATE ? Shipbuilders August 2025
Taragiri
Limited (MDL) (expected)
 They’re built to be agile and February 2025
fast, capable of operating Mahendragiri (expected)
independently but also as part
Himagiri Garden Reach 2025 (expected)
of an overall fleet.
Shipbuilders &
 Frigates are usually equipped Dunagiri 2025 (expected)
with different weapons, Vindhyagiri Engineers (GRSE) 2026 (expected)
including guns, torpedoes, missiles, and anti-aircraft systems.
 Armed with superb anti-air and ASW systems, they are specialized for fleet defense from air
attacks and submarines.
 Frigates also have advanced sensors and communications technology, which allow them to
locate the presence of enemy ships and aircraft at long distances. They are typically employed
for reconnaissance, surveillance, transporting convoys, and offering protection for larger
vessels.
 Thus, these are used for patrol missions and to escort larger ships.

Phone No: 9966436874, 8374232308 1

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CSB IAS ACADEMY

 Alongside their weapons and sensors, frigates also have diverse support systems, such as
repair shops, medical facilities, and storage areas for food and other supplies. This lets frigates
operate on their own for a prolonged time without replenishing from shore.
 Frigates are employed in maritime security operations, for example, anti-piracy patrols and
counter-narcotics missions. Their agility and speed are ideal for chasing smaller vessels, which
are more agile, and their weapon systems and sensors enable them to track and detect illicit
activity on the sea.
 Additionally, frigates are utilized for humanitarian operations like disaster relief and search
and rescue missions. The ability of frigates to operate on their own for long periods and their
medical facilities and other support systems make frigates valuable assets in natural disasters
or other emergencies.

Frigate Vs. Destroyer Vs. Corvette

1. Frigate: A small, swift, and maneuverable warship mostly
used for escorting tasks in anti-submarine warfare.
2. Destroyer is a fast and powerfully armoured warship
designed to provide anti-aircraft and anti-submarine
defense to larger vessels in the fleet. A warship with a
medium size specifically designed for long-range and
autonomous operations, is usually employed for
surveillance, patrol, and escort duties.
3. Corvette: A small, lighter-armed warship designed to
perform coast defense and escort functions usually used
in anti-submarine warfare and maritime interdiction.

NAMING OF INDIAN NAVAL SHIPS

The Internal Nomenclature Committee (INC) at the Ministry of Defence is responsible for naming
ships and submarines
 Destroyers are named after cities like INS Delhi, INS Mysore, INS Mumbai etc.
 Frigates- The Talwar class is named after weapons,Mountain Ranges, like INS Talwar, INS Trishul
etc., Also, INS Nilgiri,INS Vindhyagiri.
 Landing Craft – Named mainly after animals like INS Cheetah.
 Corvettes- These are named after Personal Arms like INS Veer, INS Ajay, INS Abhay etc., Also
there is INS Khukri which gets its name after a weapon.
 Minesweepers get back to cities. INS Pondicherry, INS Kozhikode etc
 The submarines of the Indian Navy are named after predatory fish or abstract names
associated with the ocean.like INS Arihant.
 India’s multi-purpose patrol vessels are named after islands, while offshore patrol vessels
have names from Indian mythology.
 Indian Navy’s amphibious ships are named after ferocious animals or amphibians. Older
amphibious landing ships carried names such as INS Gharial and INS Guldar from the Polnocny
class, and INS Ghorpad, INS Kesari, INS Shardul, INS Sharab, and INS Mahish from the Kumbhir
class.

Phone No: 9966436874, 8374232308 2