Navy to commission indigenous stealth frigate Mahendragiri this week

2 min readNew DelhiJul 6, 2026 02:14 PM IST

The Mahendragiri warship during its launch in Mumbai in 2023. (PTI)

The Indian Navy is set to commission its sixth Project 17A indigenous stealth frigate, Mahendragiri (F38), at Visakhapatnam later this week. It was designed by the Navy’s Warship Design Bureau and built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai.

According to the Navy, it exemplifies India’s growing expertise in indigenous warship design and construction.

The warship incorporates advanced stealth features, enhanced survivability, a reduced radar signature, and a high degree of automation. The frigate is powered by a modern combined diesel or gas propulsion system, enabling high-speed operations with exceptional endurance across the full spectrum of maritime missions.

The stealth frigate is equipped with an advanced suite of indigenous and state-of-the-art weapons and sensors, including surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missile systems, sophisticated electronic warfare capabilities, comprehensive anti-submarine warfare systems, and an integrated combat management system.

“Capable of undertaking anti-air, anti-surface, and anti-submarine operations, Mahendragiri is equally suited for maritime security, power projection, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, search and rescue, and sustained presence missions,” the Navy said in a statement.

Over 75% indigenous content

With over 75 per cent indigenous content, the construction of the stealth frigate has brought together a vast network of Indian industries, including numerous micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), generating employment while strengthening the nation’s defence industrial base, the statement added.

The Navy said the commissioning of Mahendragiri would mark another significant milestone in the successful execution of the Project 17A programme.

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“As successive frigates of the class join the Fleet, they continue to strengthen the Indian Navy’s combat capability while reinforcing India’s position as a leading indigenous warship-building nation,” the Navy said, adding that Mahendragiri will serve as a formidable force multiplier, safeguarding the nation’s maritime interests and contributing to a secure, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

The frigate is named after the Mahendragiri mountain range in the Eastern Ghats, and embodies resilience, strength and unwavering resolve, according to the Navy.

The frigate is the first naval warship to bear the name.

Amrita Nayak Dutta writes on defence and national security as part of the national bureau of The Indian Express. In the past, Amrita has extensively reported on the media industry and broadcasting matters, urban affairs, bureaucracy and government policies. In the last 14 years of her career, she has worked in newspapers as well as in the online media space and is well versed with the functioning of both newsrooms. Amrita has worked in the northeast, Mumbai and Delhi. She has travelled extensively across the country, including in far-flung border areas, to bring detailed reports from the ground and has written investigative reports on media and defence. She has been working for The Indian Express since January 2023. ... Read More

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