Three Indigenous Naval Ships Commissioned by PM

Key Facts

Ships Commissioned

• INS Dunagiri: Project 17A stealth guided-missile frigate
• Largest and most heavily armed among the three vessels
• Designed for blue-water operations (can operate far from coast)
• Equipped with BrahMos surface-to-surface missiles
• MFSTAR radar system
• Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) system
• Advanced sonar and electronic warfare systems
• Anti-submarine weapons

• INS Sanshodhak: Survey Vessel Large (SVL)
• For coastal and deep-water hydrographic surveys
• Maps seabed features, water depths, navigational routes
• Surveys approach channels to ports
• Collects oceanographic data
• Equipped with Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs)
• Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs)
• Multi-beam echo sounders

• INS Agray: Arnala-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft
• Designed for littoral/coastal waters
• Detects and engages submarines in shallow waters
• Lightweight torpedoes
• Indigenous anti-submarine rocket launchers
• Shallow-water sonar systems

Builder

• Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata
• Indigenous content: More than 75%

Background and Context

Indigenous Shipbuilding Ecosystem

• GRSE is a premier shipyard under the Ministry of Defence
• Part of India's push for defence indigenization under Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat
• Indigenous content of 75%+ demonstrates significant progress in domestic shipbuilding technology

Project 17A Frigates

• INS Dunagiri is part of Project 17A (next-generation stealth frigates)
• Features reduced radar cross-section for stealth operations
• Integrates advanced weapons and sensor suites

Strategic Significance

Maritime Capability Expansion

• Blue-water operations: INS Dunagiri extends India's reach in distant seas
• Maritime Domain Awareness: INS Sanshodhak provides critical hydrographic data
• Littoral Defence: INS Agrray strengthens coastal and shallow-water security

Indian Ocean Region Dynamics

• Growing strategic competition in the Indian Ocean
• China's expanding naval presence (String of Pearls strategy)
• Increasing naval activities by Pakistan
• Need for comprehensive maritime coverage

Operational Coverage

The ships together provide:

1. Surface warfare capability (INS Dunagiri)
2. Sub-surface detection (INS Agrray)
3. Hydrographic survey support (INS Sanshodhak)

Related Initiatives

• Maritime Capabilities Perspective Plan: Long-term naval capability building roadmap
• Naval Indigenization Plan: Reducing dependence on foreign suppliers
• Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO): Indigenous weapon systems development
• BrahMos Missile: Jointly developed with Russia, equipped on INS Dunagiri

Key Technologies