‘INS Mahendragiri’ inducted into Indian Navy. Amidst the growing strategic tension and global challenges in the Indian Ocean and Indo-Pacific region, the strength of the Indian Navy has further increased. In a grand ceremony held at the Visakhapatnam Naval Dockyard on Saturday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inducted the state-of-the-art stealth guided missile frigate ‘INS Mahendragiri’ (F-38) into the Indian Navy. On this occasion, the Defence Minister was presented with a ‘Guard of Honour’ at the dockyard. The commissioning of this warship has taken place at a time when concerns about maritime security have increased due to the US-Iran conflict and the situation in the Red Sea. The number of warships inducted into the Indian Navy has crossed 18 in the past year and the target is to induct a similar number of ships by the end of 2026.
Odisha’s Pride ‘Mahendragiri’:
The name of this powerful frigate is reminiscent of the famous peak of the Eastern Ghats ‘Mahendragiri’ located on the border of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, which symbolizes strength, courage and Indian heritage. INS Mahendragiri is a ‘Nilgiri-class’ stealth guided missile frigate. It was designed by the Indian Navy’s ‘Warship Design Bureau’ and built by Mumbai’s ‘Mazhagaon Dock Ship Builders Limited’. More than 75 percent of indigenous equipment and technology has been used in this warship, which has reduced India’s dependence on foreign defense imports.
‘Mahendragiri’s’ lethality:
INS Mahendragiri has been designed keeping in mind the modern naval warfare and long-range missions of the future. It has the ability to defeat the enemy on multiple fronts simultaneously. It can perform anti-air, anti-surface and anti-submarine operations with great precision. Due to its special stealth design, it is capable of obscuring the enemy’s radar, which will give India a strategic advantage during war. It is fully equipped with advanced surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missile systems, advanced radar, electronic warfare suite and integrated combat management system. It will play an important role not only in war, but also in long-range surveillance, maritime security and humanitarian assistance during disasters. With the increasing activity of other adversarial powers, including China, in the Indian Ocean, the induction of INS Mahendragiri is a stern warning to them. It has made it clear that India’s maritime borders are now completely secure and inviolable.
