Indian Navy commissions Made-in-India advanced stealth frigate ‘INS Mahendragiri’

The Indian Navy inducted the indigenously built advanced stealth frigate INS Mahendragiri into its Eastern Fleet during a ceremony held at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, on 11 July 2026, in the presence of the Defence Minister.

• INS Mahendragiri is named after the Mahendragiri mountain peak located in the Eastern Ghats in Gajapati district, Odisha.
• It is the sixth Project 17A indigenous stealth frigate inducted into the Indian Navy within a span of 1.5 years.
• The earlier Project 17A frigates inducted are:
  • INS Nilgiri (January 2025)
  • INS Udaygiri (August 2025)
  • INS Himgiri (August 2025)
  • INS Taragiri (April 2026)
  • INS Dunagiri (June 2026)

About INS Mahendragiri

• INS Mahendragiri has been designed by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai.
• The warship has more than 75% indigenous content, reflecting India’s growing self-reliance in defence manufacturing under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
• It has a displacement of approximately 6,670 tonnes and can achieve a maximum speed of about 28 knots.
• The frigate is capable of undertaking the full spectrum of maritime operations, including:
  • Fleet Air Defence
  • Anti-Surface Warfare
  • Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW)
  • Maritime Interdiction
  • Surveillance and Reconnaissance
  • Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR)

Key Features

• The ship is equipped with:
  • Supersonic surface-to-surface missiles, including the BrahMos cruise missile.
  • Medium-range Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) systems.
  • Advanced anti-submarine warfare capabilities.
  • An embarked multi-role helicopter.
  • Advanced stealth features to reduce radar detectability.
  • Modern multifunction radar, network-centric combat systems, and state-of-the-art weapon suites.
• Its integrated radar and air defence systems enable it to detect, track, and neutralise aerial threats at extended ranges, significantly enhancing the Indian Navy’s operational capability in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

Source: PIB

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