Indian Navy to Commission Mahendragiri, Sixth Project 17A Indigenous Stealth Frigate

The Indian Navy is commissioning its sixth Project 17A indigenous stealth frigate, Mahendragiri (F38), at Visakhapatnam on July 11, 2026. Designed by the Indian Navy's Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai.  

INS Mahendragiri Key Features

Mahendragiri is the first Indian naval warship to carry this name, drawn from the Mahendragiri mountain range in the Eastern Ghats, symbolising resilience and strength.

1. The frigate carries the motto "Mighty–Majestic–Matchless."
2. Mahendragiri is a technically advanced warship built for the full spectrum of naval operations. 
3. Advanced stealth features with reduced radar signature
4. Enhanced survivability systems and high degree of automation
5. Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) propulsion system
6. Built for high-speed operations with exceptional endurance.
7. Mahendragiri and India's Aatmanirbhar Bharat Initiative - Over 75% indigenous content built with contributions from a wide network of Indian industries and MSMEs

Weapons and Sensors

1. Surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missile systems
2. Sophisticated electronic warfare capabilities
3. Comprehensive anti-submarine warfare systems
4. Integrated Combat Management System

Operational Capabilities

1. Anti-air, anti-surface, and anti-submarine operations
2. Maritime security and power projection
3. Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR)
4. Search and Rescue (SAR) and sustained presence missions

What is Project 17A?

1. Project 17A is a ₹45,000-crore Indian Navy program to build seven advanced indigenous stealth guided-missile frigates, collectively known as the Nilgiri-class.
2.  Designed by the Navy's Warship Design Bureau, the ships are being constructed across two domestic shipyards, Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders (MDL) in Mumbai and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata. 
3. All seven ships are named after Indian mountain ranges. The seven ships are:

• INS Nilgiri (Built by MDL)
• INS Himgiri (Built by GRSE)
• INS Udaygiri (Built by MDL)
• INS Dunagiri (Built by GRSE)
• INS Taragiri (Built by MDL)
• INS Vindhyagiri (Built by GRSE)
• INS Mahendragiri (Built by MDL)