Launch of Advanced Frigate
Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd (GRSE) accomplished a key milestone in the prestigious Project 17A on July 15, 2022 with the launch of "Dunagiri" (Yard 3023) the second of GRSE’s three Advanced Frigates, by Shri Rajnath Singh, Hon'ble Minister of Defence, Government of India, the Chief Guest on the occasion. Upholding the best of maritime traditions, the ‘Naming Ceremony’ of the ship was performed by Smt Kala Hari Kumar, wife of Admiral R Hari Kumar, the Chief of Naval Staff, Indian Navy. Admiral R Hari Kumar, the Chief Of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, FOC-in-C Eastern Naval Command, Lt Gen RP Kalita GOC-in-C East, Cmde PR Hari, IN (Retd.), Chairman and Managing Director, GRSE, and other Senior Officials of Indian Armed Forces, GRSE and a host of other dignitaries were present at the occasion.
The Launch symbolises the ship's birth as she makes her first contact with water. The ceremony was conducted in true maritime Indian traditions with the application of vermillion, breaking of coconut on the ship's bow and chanting of Vedic mantras followed by the ship being floated out of her building dock.
With a value of around rupees nineteen thousand two hundred crores (Rs.19200+ crores) the contract for building three Frigates under Project 17A is the largest order ever won by GRSE. The first ship of the series, “INS Himgiri” was launched in 14 Dec 20, and is presently undergoing the ‘outfitting’ phase.
With a length of 149 metres, a displacement of over 6670 T, and a cutting-edge CODOG Propulsion system that allows for speeds of over 28 knots, P17A ships will be the most modern, cutting-edge Guided Missile Frigates in the Indian Navy’s fleet. These sophisticated weapon platforms are equipped with a powerful weapon & sensor package capable of neutralising threats in all three dimensions – Air, Surface & Sub-surface. To improve quality and shorten build times, P17A Advanced Frigates are being constructed using an Integrated Construction Methodology and improved pre-outfitting. M/s Fincantieri, an Italian company, is the project's know-how provider for technology upgrades and capability enhancement. Another distinctive feature of Project 17A is that construction is being carried out by GRSE simultaneously with MDL, based on the basic design created by the Directorate of Naval Design, Indian Navy. An intelligent PDM PLM system is also being implemented to manage the project and aid in its life cycle management.
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