Article Posted on : - Jun 25, 2009

Project 17 Shivalik Class Frigate of Indian navy. A File photo.

NEW DELHI (BNS): The Indian government will invest $9 billion to manufacture seven advanced stealth frigates for Indian Navy, at shipyards in Kolkata and Mumbai.

According to Defence Online report, the project has been cleared by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), this ambitious project called the 'P17 A warship' project will give India its most advanced stealth frigates.

Previously Indian Navy had issued a Request for Information (RFI) in 2007 but later dropped the idea. DAC has clearly ruled out the possibility of any foreign manufacturer and the indigenously designed P-17 A frigates will be manufactured in Mazagon Dock Limited, Mumbai (MDL) and the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, the report said.

The P17A frigates will be even more advanced than the P17 Shivalik class warships that are currently being inducted by the Indian Navy.

It may be noted that the P-17 A warship project will apply modular manufacturing. The frigates will be put together using 300-ton blocks that will be fitted together, similar to the construction style used to manufacture the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) in Kochi.

According to the Defence Ministry, the frigates are expected to be inducted by 2021. The project is expected to start by 2011 when both GRSE and MDL complete an upgrade which will enable them to start modular construction and the first frigate will roll out approximately four years after the project work is initiated.