Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inducted two state-of-the-art multi-mission stealth frigates INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri into the Indian Navy’s Eastern Command.
Speaking on the occasion, he congratulated the Navy and said that they have built an indigenous warship that he can call a “floating F-35”, while some countries have a flying F-35. He expressed pride that this construction is an example of the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
Rajnath Singh’s statement was a reference to America’s state-of-the-art F-35 fighter jets, which are famous for their stealth and high speed capabilities.
He said that these warships are not only completely built in India, but the weapons and sensors installed in them make them invincible for the security of the maritime area. According to him, many advanced technologies have been included in these ships like long-range weapons, supersonic missiles, rocket and torpedo launchers, modern combat and fire control systems.
INS Udaygiri is the second frigate built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai under Project 17A, while INS Himgiri is the first frigate built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, Kolkata under the same project. Both these ships are technologically far more advanced than the older designs.
The two warships are named after older ships that served for decades and have now been decommissioned — INS Udaygiri (F35) and INS Himgiri (F34).
In his address, the Defence Minister also said that given the changing nature of modern warfare, we have to constantly innovate in the field of technology and prepare the defence sector for the future.
He stressed, “Old thinking will no longer work. We have to identify the changing threats in advance and develop new strategies for them. Our government has given top priority to defence research and development.” He also said that to understand the changing strategies of warfare, we not only have to adopt existing technologies but also develop thinking in areas which have been untouched till now.
Finally, he expressed confidence that India is fully capable of protecting its maritime borders and is ready to face any challenge promptly and effectively.
He said, “With the induction of these two warships into the Navy, the capabilities of the Indian Navy have been further strengthened, and it is now emerging even stronger as a true ‘Blue Water Navy’.”
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