New Delhi: Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) has officially handed over INS Taragiri, the third stealth frigate of the Project 17A Nilgiri-class, to the Indian Navy. This delivery marks a significant boost to India’s modern naval fleet, enhancing its multi-role and stealth warfare capabilities.
Built under the ambitious Project 17A, these advanced frigates are far more powerful, stealthy, and indigenously designed compared to the older Shivalik-class (Project 17) vessels. INS Taragiri (Yard 12653) was designed by the Warship Design Bureau and monitored by the Warship Overseeing Team, Mumbai. The keel-laying ceremony took place on September 10, 2020, followed by its launch on September 14, 2022, and completion of all successful sea trials. The ship is expected to be commissioned in early 2026.
The new INS Taragiri carries forward the legacy of its namesake, the former Leander-class INS Taragiri, which served the Indian Navy from 1980 to 2013. Approximately 75% of the frigate is indigenously built, measuring 149 meters in length and displacing around 6,670 tons. The stealth design significantly reduces its radar, thermal, magnetic, and acoustic signatures, making it difficult for enemy sensors to detect.
In terms of firepower, INS Taragiri is equipped with a 32-cell vertical launch system for Barak-8 and Barak-8ER missiles, capable of neutralizing aerial threats up to 150–200 km. The ship also carries eight supersonic BrahMos cruise missiles, a 76mm Super Rapid Gun Mount, two AK-630 close-in weapon systems, RBU-6000 anti-submarine rockets, and torpedo tubes. Advanced sensor systems include India’s MF-STAR AESA radar, indigenous HUMSA-NG sonar, and Advanced Towed Array Sonar (ATAS), all integrated through an indigenously developed combat management system.
INS Taragiri is part of a fleet of seven Project 17A frigates, with three being built at MDL and four at Garden Reach Shipbuilders Limited, Kolkata. The project significantly enhances the Indian Navy’s multi-role capabilities, including air defense, surface warfare, land attack, and anti-submarine operations.
The delivery also demonstrates India’s growing shipbuilding capabilities. MDL has delivered four Project 17A frigates in the past 11 months, reducing construction time from 93 months for the first ship to just 81 months for Taragiri. Over 200 MSME companies contributed to the project, providing direct employment to 4,000 people and indirect employment to 10,000 individuals.
INS Taragiri represents a major milestone in India’s indigenous naval modernization, combining stealth, firepower, and multi-role versatility in a formidable maritime platform.
