Why in the News?
The Indian Navy has commissioned INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri, Nilgiri-class frigates built under Project 17A, at Visakhapatnam.
About INS Udaygiri & INS Himgiri:
| Feature | INS Udaygiri | INS Himgiri |
| Builder | Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd. (MDL), Mumbai | Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata |
| Series / Class | 2nd ship of Project 17A;
100th vessel designed by Navy’s Warship Design Bureau |
1st Project 17A frigate from GRSE |
| Naming | After Udaygiri mountain range (AP); earlier ship (1976–2007) | Legacy of original INS Himgiri (1974–2005) |
| Displacement / Size | ~6,700 tonnes | ~6,670 tonnes; Length: 149 m |
| Propulsion | CODOG (Combined Diesel or Gas) | CODOG; speeds 28+ knots |
| Stealth Features | Reduced radar, infrared, and acoustic signatures | Enhanced radar & IR signature reduction |
| Armament | BrahMos, Barak-8 SAMs, 76 mm gun, CIWS, advanced ASW weapons | BrahMos, Barak-8, CIWS, ASW rocket launchers, torpedo tubes, EW systems |
| Aviation Facilities | – | Flight deck + hangar for MH-60 Romeo, ALH Dhruv Mk-III, Sea King helicopters |
| Indigenous Content | ~75% (local sensors, systems, IPMS) | ~75% |
| [UPSC 2016] Which one of the following is the best description of ‘INS Astradharini’, that was in the news recently?
Options: (a) Amphibious warfare ship (b) Nuclear-powered submarine (c) Torpedo launch and recovery vessel* (d) Nuclear-powered aircraft carrier |
