India to Strengthen Naval Power with ₹70,000 Crore Stealth Frigate Order

The Indian Ministry of Defense is poised to approve a significant ₹70,000 crore (approximately US$8.4 billion) contract for the construction of advanced stealth frigates for the Indian Navy.

This ambitious project, designated Project 17B, will produce the most sophisticated warships ever built in India, advancing the capabilities established by the Nilgiri-class frigates currently under construction.

State-owned shipyards Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), both of which are actively engaged in building Nilgiri-class frigates under Project 17A, are anticipated to be the primary contenders for this substantial order.

While official details are pending government clearance, it is possible that the contract could be divided between the two yards to expedite delivery timelines, mirroring the approach taken with Project 17A.

The Project 17B frigates are expected to feature a high degree of indigenous content, incorporating domestically developed fire control systems, BrahMos cruise missiles, anti-submarine weapons, and electronic warfare systems.

This initiative will not only bolster India's naval prowess but also significantly benefit numerous sub-suppliers and vendors within the country's defense industrial base.

MDL, recognized as one of India's most advanced shipyards, boasts a robust order book that could be further augmented by this contract. The Mumbai-based yard is presently engaged in the construction of Kalvari-class submarines, Project 17A frigates, and has recently completed the construction of Project 15B destroyers.

Additionally, MDL is expected to secure a contract for three more advanced Kalvari-class submarines in the current financial year, estimated to be worth around ₹35,000 crore.

GRSE, located in Kolkata, is actively involved in the production of next-generation offshore patrol vessels and anti-submarine warfare corvettes. The shipyard has also demonstrated success in securing export orders, with more potential contracts in the pipeline.

 

[Anant]

I sincerely hope that the P-17B frigates will be considerably up-armed. The VL-SRSAM should be ready for use by the time these ships are built, so having something like 64 VL-SAMs would be a good start.

Secondly, I am fairly certain that Nilgiri will not be delivered by August. As of April, she is still fitting out, and to my knowledge, hasn't started sea trials yet. As a result, a 2024 delivery is next to impossible, let alone delivery by August.

 

[Superpower Bharat]

I sincerely hope that the P-17B frigates will be considerably up-armed. The VL-SRSAM should be ready for use by the time these ships are built, so having something like 64 VL-SAMs would be a good start.

Secondly, I am fairly certain that Nilgiri will not be delivered by August. As of April, she is still fitting out, and to my knowledge, hasn't started sea trials yet. As a result, a 2024 delivery is next to impossible, let alone delivery by August.

It also includes indigenous radar system

 

[sanket]

similar decision should also b taken while Inducting Subs Fast speedy without wasting Time & Nos

 

[Bailbuddhi Padhoria]

By doing internal rearrangenent on P-17B, just put as many VLS as possible — on foredeck, on amidship, on bridge, on helicopter hangar, in the well-deck — atleast 150 VLS missile. 🚢🚀

This will mollify defence community's insecurity that Indian warship are poorly defended. 😉😉

 

[Anant]

By doing internal rearrangenent on P-17B, just put as many VLS as possible — on foredeck, on amidship, on bridge, on helicopter hangar, in the well-deck — atleast 150 VLS missile. 🚢🚀

This will mollify defence community's insecurity that Indian warship are poorly defended. 😉😉

150 VLS would be too much. We need a warship that can defend itself well, not a floating powder keg.

Something along the lines of 8-12 AShMs plus 64-80 VL-SAMs is sufficient for a ship of this size and capability.

 

[GMR]

This is why i respect the visionary IN...👍👍
Wish our IA & IAF learn something from it

 

[Kira]

Hopefully they are adequately armed and not underarmed like like all of INs present capital ships.

 

[Anant]

It also includes indigenous radar system

Which indigenous radar system, exactly?

 

[Superpower Bharat]

Which indigenous radar system, exactly?

The radar used in INS Anvesh

 

[ABHIJIT APSINGIKAR]

Which indigenous radar system, exactly?

No name yet, but a 6M aperture Active Aperture Antenna Unit (AESA) radar is under testing at naval testing labs at present. That thing is completely fabricated and manufactured by Astra Microwave.

 

[Sandeep]

India needs to increase the size of our next generation frigates rather than order the same sized ship which doesn’t have much room for more missiles that we need. In the last decade the goal post on the size of frigates and destroyers has changed. The size of our destroyer is the size of a USA frigate which can hold more missiles so we need much larger ships. If anyone conducted a saturated attack of 20-30 missiles in one go then we would run out of the number of SAM we can fire to intercept them and our ship will get hit as we wouldn’t be able to reload our missiles in enough time.

 

[kumar]

Hope nirbhay cruise missiles get installed on these warships.

 

[NSR]

It is a great to have more P-17B Frigates, but India should seriously consider moving to P-18 with 144 vertical launching missile silos and an entirely Indian developed and large AESA radar which is undergoing trials as I write.

 

[Anant]

India needs to increase the size of our next generation frigates rather than order the same sized ship which doesn’t have much room for more missiles that we need. In the last decade the goal post on the size of frigates and destroyers has changed. The size of our destroyer is the size of a USA frigate which can hold more missiles so we need much larger ships. If anyone conducted a saturated attack of 20-30 missiles in one go then we would run out of the number of SAM we can fire to intercept them and our ship will get hit as we wouldn’t be able to reload our missiles in enough time.

There is plenty of room on our present warships. There is a fair bit of deck space available on the P-15A, P-15B, P-17, and P-17A ships. That space can be utilised for more VLS cells for SAMs (and potentially AShMs) with some internal rearrangement and external bulwarks.

Increasing the size of the ships may be necessary for destroyers, but not for frigates. Our destroyers, if larger, can accommodate more VLS cells. On the other hand, significant size increases to our frigates will just push them into destroyer size territory with nowhere near the same amount of weaponry.

 

[Anant]

It is a great to have more P-17B Frigates, but India should seriously consider moving to P-18 with 144 vertical launching missile silos and an entirely Indian developed and large AESA radar which is undergoing trials as I write.

The P-18 NGDs are under development, and based on conference calls from MDL, GRSE, and CSL, the RfP for those is expected in late 2025, with an estimated contract award in 2027-28, and the ships to start entering service from 2035-36.

 

[Aayush Pratap]

Same design? What's the point, then? Taking nothing away from the navy, the design bureau seems to be clearly out of ideas as all the warships in our inventory look like a facsimile of each other.

 

[ASHOK CARROL]

The Destroyers need to be built continuously in BLOCK P-15, 15A, B ,15C,15D ,E,F,15G with nos increased to 6 to 8 as the navy of 2045 will require over 55 to 60 destroyers in addition to 15 to 18 P-18 .
The frigates need to be built after P-17A,B, C,D,E,F, G,H as over 60 to 75 frigates will be required for a 350 -400 ship navy for global operations. AT 60 % availability the navy will need 45 destroyers and 60 frigates at any one time to overcome emerging situations and securing sea lines of communications in a strife conditioned world where Indian trade and business houses , expatriates will need to be secured for exports of over 2to 3 trillion and similar imports of over 3trillion $ From hostile and emerging situations to protect indian interests world wide .

 

[Alok Gupta]

If it has less than 50 VLS, i would not call it a formidable ship at all. There should be enough missiles of various ranges on the ship that it strikes fear in the enemy. Even if the ship is struck, it can fire the long range ones to strike at the enemy. For the longest time the IN and GoI have kept minimum number of missiles on these ships to save money. However, it is time to get over that mentality and be aggressive and pack as much punch as possible in each ship.

 

[Swanand Kulkarni]

Same design? What's the point, then? Taking nothing away from the navy, the design bureau seems to be clearly out of ideas as all the warships in our inventory look like a facsimile of each other.

NGD class is under design phase..