Nilgiri-class INS Taragiri to be commissioned on April 3

INS Taragiri, India's advanced Nilgiri-class frigate, will be commissioned on April 3, enhancing naval capabilities with indigenous technology.

The biggest advantage is that 75% of the ship is built indigenously; it can sail for days and cover vast areas; Its engine is powered by both gas and diesel (CODOG); it also has the capacity to carry at least one helicopter of any make, from Kamov to MH-60R.

INS Taragiri, the fourth of the seven multi-mission stealth guided-missile frigates built under Project 17 Alpha, will be commissioned and inducted into the Indian Navy on Friday (April 3) at the Naval Dockyard of the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam. Built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, it will be formally commissioned at a ceremony presided over by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Named after the hill ranges of Uttarakhand, the Nilgiri-class frigate is expected to add more teeth and punch to India’s naval might.

Speaking to The Hindu a day before the commissioning, the Commanding Officer of the ship, Capt. Hemanth, said that this cutting-edge platform is a class of its own. Fitted with the latest technology, the ships built under Project 17A have surpassed the era when it was asked, “What role a ship can undertake to what role it cannot undertake,” he said.

These Nilgiri-class frigates, including the latest Taragiri, can perform multiple duties across a wide spectrum.

"Not only can they serve as a screen for a 'Carrier Battle Group' or protect the carrier from all kinds of threats, but these ships can also undertake special operations on their own or with a small group of warships," said Capt. Hemanth.