India has attained another milestone in ‘Aatmnirbhar Bharat’ Raw; Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today unveiled two Indian Navy frontline warships, the ‘ Surat ‘ and ‘Udayagiri,’ at Mazagon Docks Limited (MDL) in Mumbai, appreciating the Indian Navy’s initiatives for ‘Aatmanirbharta.’
Mumbai:
The two indigenously built warships ‘Surat’ and ‘Udayagiri’ were launched at the Mazagon Docks in Mumbai on Tuesday by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, He stated the warships will add power to the Navy’s armament and signify India’s strategic power to the world. He also appreciates the initiatives of the Indian navy towards “Aatmnirbhar Bharat”.
The Defence minister Said during the unveiling ceremony;
- The Defence Minister applauded the Navy for always being at the forefront of ensuring self-reliance through the production of indigenous ships, submarines, and other military equipment.
- In his address He raised the possibility of the government’s efforts to attain self-sufficiency, saying, “Furthermore, in the last five fiscal years, the Navy has spent more than two-thirds of its modernization budget on indigenous acquisition. The Navy has ordered 41 ships and submarines, 39 of which will be built in India. This demonstrates the Navy’s dedication to making ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ a reality.”
- He said that The two warships, would strengthen the Indian Navy and demonstrate India’s strategic strength and power of self-reliance — Make in India and Make for the World.
- India’s rising indigenous capabilities are demonstrated by the INS Udaygiri and INS Surat. The warships will be among the world’s most technologically advanced missile carriers, capable of meeting both current and future requirements.
- The minister applauded the Indian Navy for keeping the Indo-Pacific area safe and secure, saying the region is vital to the world’s marketplace and that India is a responsible maritime stakeholder in the region.
- The Indian Navy was also lauded for playing a crucial role in implementing government programs such as Act-East, increasing ties with Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) countries, and ASEAN (ASEAN)
Defense minister mainly focused on “Aatmnirabhar Bharat” and “Make In India” in his address during the launch ceremony.
Points to know about INS Surat;
- ‘Surat’ is the fourth Guided Missile Destroyer of the Indian navy.
- Other warships of this class are; INS Vishakhapatnam, INS MorMugao, and INS Imphal.
- INS Surat’s framework was laid down in 2018.
- Built by using the block construction methodology involving hull construction in two different locations and later they are about to join together at MDL.
- The successor of P15A (Kolkata class) destroyers, Project 15B is the next generation of stealth guided missile destroyers
Points to know about INS Udayagiri;
- ‘Udaygiri’ is the second Stealth Frigate in P17A class.
- The third ship of Project 17A Frigates, ‘Udaygiri,’ is named after a mountain range in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
- Improved stealth features, modern weapons and sensors, and platform management systems have been installed on the Shivalik Class frigate.
- The ship is the regeneration of the Leander Class ASW Frigate ‘Udaygiri,’ which faced multiple difficult operations during its historic service to the nation, which extended three decades from 18 February 1976 to 24 August 2007
It is important that the 15B and P17A project ships have been designed in-house by the Directorate of Naval Design (DND), which has been the fountainhead for all warship design activities in India. Importantly, during the building phase at the Shipyard, around 75% of the orders for equipment and systems were placed from domestic firms including MSMEs, which is a true testament to the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make in India’ initiatives.
