About Mahendragiri Frigate:
- It is the seventh and last stealth frigate of Project 17A Frigates.
- It is named after a mountain peak in Eastern Ghats located in Odisha.
- The ship is being built by the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai.
What is Project 17A?
- The project was launched by the defence forces of India to construct a series of stealth guided-missile frigates.
- Under the Project 17A programme, four ships by Mumbai-based Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) and three by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE) are being built.
- These warships follow the Project 17 Class Frigates (Shivalik Class) and boast enhanced stealth features, advanced weapons, sensors, and platform management systems.
- Project 17A ships have been designed in-house by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau WDB.
- As much as75% of the orders for equipment and systems of Project 17A ships are from indigenous firms, including MSMEs.
- The first six ships of the project have been launched so far by MDL & GRSE between 2019-2023.
