The warships project displays India’s strategic strength & self-reliance prowess

by May 23, 2022Defence & Foreign Policy0 comments

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched two frontline warships of the Indian Navy – ‘Surat’ and ‘Udaygiri’ – at Mazagon Docks Limited (MDL), Mumbai on May 17, 2022.

‘Surat’ is the fourth Guided Missile Destroyer of P15B class, while ‘Udaygiri’ is the second Stealth Frigate of P17A class.

Both warships have been designed in-house by the Directorate of Naval Design (DND) and built at MDL, Mumbai.

Singh has described the warships as an embodiment of the Government’s unwavering commitment to enhance the country’s maritime capability, with focus on achieving ‘Aatmanirbharta’, at a time when the world is witnessing disruption in global supply chain due to COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. He congratulated the MDL for continued ship production activities despite the pandemic and meeting the strategic requirements of the Indian Navy in the current geo-political scenario.

According to the Defence Minister, the two warships will add might to the Indian Navy’s arsenal and represent to the world India’s strategic strength as well as the power of self-reliance.

“INS Udaygiri and INS Surat are shining examples of India’s growing indigenous capability. The warships will be among the most technologically advanced missile carriers in the world that will cater to the present as well as future requirements. In the times to come, we will not only fulfill our own needs, but will also meet the shipbuilding requirements of the world. We will soon realise Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Make in India, Make for the World’,” the Defence Minister said.

He lauded the Indian Navy for responsibly discharging its duties of keeping the Indo-Pacific region open, safe and secure.

“The Indo-Pacific region is important for the economy of the whole world. India is a responsible maritime stakeholder in the region. We support consensus-based principles and peaceful, open, rule-based and stable maritime order. Being an important country in this region, it is the primary objective of our Navy to keep the Indo-Pacific open, safe and secure. The Prime Minister’s vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) is based on the spirit of friendship, openness, dialogue and co-existence with the neighbours. With that very vision, the Indian Navy is effectively discharging its duties,” he said.

Rajnath Singh was of the view that the ever-evolving security scenario in the Indian Ocean and the Indo-Pacific region would demand an even more important role of the Indian Navy in the times to come. He called for devising policies which focus on bolstering the country’s presence in the region, its role during disasters, economic wellbeing and carrying forward the foreign policies.

He also praised the Indian Navy for playing a crucial role in carrying forward the Government’s policies such as Act-East, besides strengthening relations with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) countries.

Recalling his recent visit to the Headquarters of United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) in Hawaii, Singh said that they expressed their willingness to work with India, which symbolises the competence of the Indian Armed Forces; especially the commendable work being carried out by the Indian Navy.

“If a country wants to safeguard its national interests, it should project its military prowess in areas far beyond the mainland. If a country has aspirations to become a regional or global power, it is necessary to develop a strong Naval force. Government is making all efforts in this direction. We want to make a strong, secure and prosperous India, which is recognised as a global power,” Rajnath Singh pointed out.

Asserting that global security, border disputes and maritime dominance have led nations around the world to modernise their military, the Defence Minister exhorted the public and the private sectors to make full use of the capabilities by taking advantage of the Government’s policies and contribute towards making India an indigenous shipbuilding hub. He assured of all possible support of the Government in this endeavour.

The Defence Minister appreciated the fact that the Indian Navy has always been at the forefront in ensuring self-reliance through manufacturing of indigenous ships, submarines etc. “Joining hands with initiatives like ‘Make in India’, Navy has given 76% Acceptance of Necessity (AON), and 66% cost-basis contracts to Indian vendors in 2014 and indigenisation of about 90% Naval ammunition has taken place. In addition, more than two-thirds of the Navy’s Modernisation Budget has been spent on indigenous procurement in the last five financial years. Of the 41 ships and submarines ordered by the Navy, 39 are from Indian shipyards. This is a testament to the Navy’s commitment to achieving ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’,” he said, expressing confidence that the steps taken by the government to achieve self-reliance will give all support to their efforts.

Rajnath Singh made special mention of Indigenous Aircraft Carrier ‘INS Vikrant’, terming it as a major milestone in the Indian Navy’s path of ‘Aatmanirbharta’. He hoped that the carrier would increase India’s reach from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean. The commissioning of ‘INS Vikrant’ will be a golden moment in Indian defence history, he said.

A precise evolution, the ‘Launching’ was carried out in tandem with the rising and receding tides. The DND and MDL teams have once again demonstrated their capabilities for designing and building quality warships. This launch also marks the commencement of the next phase involving extensive outfitting activities by the Shipyards readying these ships for delivery.

It may be noted that the Project 15B class of ships are the next generation stealth guided missile destroyers of the Indian Navy being built at the Mazgaon Docks Ltd, Mumbai. ‘Surat’ is the fourth ship of Project 15B Destroyers which heralds a significant makeover of the P15A (Kolkata Class) Destroyers and is named after the commercial capital of the state of Gujarat and also the second largest commercial hub of western India after Mumbai.

Surat city has a rich maritime & ship building history and vessels built at the city in the 16th and 18th centuries were known for their longevity (of more than 100 years). The ship Surat has been built using the Block construction methodology which involved hull construction at two different geographical locations and has been joined together at MDL, Mumbai. The first ship of this class was commissioned in 2021. The second and third ships have been launched and are at different stages of outfitting/ trials.

On the other hand, ‘Udaygiri’, named after a mountain range in the state of Andhra Pradesh, is the third ship of Project 17A Frigates. These are follow on of the P17 Frigates (Shivalik Class) with improved stealth features, advanced weapons and sensors and platform management systems.

It is said that ‘Udaygiri’ is the reincarnation of erstwhile ‘Udaygiri’, the Leander Class ASW Frigate, which saw numerous challenging operations in its illustrious service to the country spanning over three decades from 18 Feb 1976 to 24 Aug 2007.

Under the P17A program, a total of seven ships, with 04 at MDL(Mumbai) and 03 at GRSE (Kolkata) are under construction. Various novel concepts and technologies like Integrated Construction, Mega Block Outsourcing, Project Data Management/ Project Lifecycle Management (PDM/PLM) etc have been adopted for the first time in indigenous Warship Design and Construction in this project. It may be recalled that the first two ships of P17A Project, were launched in 2019 and 2020 at MDL and GRSE respectively.

Both 15B and P17A ships have been designed in-house by the Directorate of Naval Design (DND), which has been the fountainhead for all warship design activities of the Nation and during the building phase at the Shipyard, around 75% of the orders for equipment and systems have been placed on indigenous firms including MSMEs which is a true testament of ‘Atmanirbharta’ in the country.

0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x