Rajnath Singh Commissions INS Mahendragiri Stealth Frigate

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh commissioned the INS Mahendragiri, the sixth and final advanced stealth frigate of the Project 17A Nilgiri-class, into the Indian Navy's Eastern Fleet in Visakhapatnam on July 11, 2026. Built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited in Mumbai and designed by the Navy's Warship Design Bureau, the 6,670-tonne vessel features over 75 percent indigenous content under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative. The frigate is equipped with BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, Barak-8 surface-to-air missiles, and advanced electronic warfare systems for anti-air, anti-surface, and anti-submarine operations.

During the ceremony, Singh emphasized the navy's role as a guardian of economic interests, citing Operation Urja Suraksha, which escorted 18 merchant vessels carrying cargo worth over 9,000 crore during the West Asia conflict. He characterized the Indian Ocean region as increasingly challenging due to strategic competition from extra-regional powers and asserted India's role as a net security provider. Naval Chief Admiral Krishna Swaminathan highlighted significant efficiency gains in production, noting that construction timelines for the class dropped from 95 to 75 months, with the Mahendragiri specifically delivered in 31 months.

Singh also designated Andhra Pradesh as a defense manufacturing powerhouse, mentioning the AMCA center in Puttaparthi and a Bharat Dynamics facility in Anakapalli. While celebrating the induction, the navy faces broader strategic challenges, including a delay by the Cabinet Committee on Security regarding the acquisition of eight Next Generation Corvettes amid increasing Chinese assistance to Pakistan's submarine program.