Navy Welfare and Wellness Association President Charu Singh launches Fifth Stealth Frigate of P17A, YD 12653 (Taragiri)
The fifth
Stealth Frigate of P17A, being built at MDL was launched today by Charu Singh,
President, Navy Welfare and Wellness Association (Western Region) who named the
ship ‘Taragiri’. In compliance with Government
of India’s state mourning on 11 September 2022, the event was limited to a
Technical Launch. As the event is tide dependent, any change in the schedule
was not possible. Vice Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh, Flag Officer
Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command was the Chief Guest, Vice Admiral
Kiran Deshmukh, Controller Warship Production and Acquisition other senior
officers from the Indian Navy and Defence Ministry were amongst the dignitaries
who witnessed the launch ceremony.
The Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and the MDL teams having
demonstrated multiple successful conventional launches in the past, have honed
their expertise further and performed yet another pontoon assisted launch with
panache. Following the launch, ‘Taragiri’ will
join its two sister ships at MDL for outfitting activities towards the run up for
their delivery to Indian Navy.
Seven P17A Frigates are under various stages of
construction at MDL and GRSE. Indigenous construction of complex frontline
ships such as Stealth Frigates has catapulted the nation to a higher pedestal
in the arena of shipbuilding. It provides additional benefits such as economic
development, employment generation for Indian Shipyards, their sub-contractors
and ancillary industry. Further, 75% of the orders of the Project 17A have been
placed on indigenous firms including MSMEs, thus reinforcing the country’s
quest for ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’.
Speaking on the occasion, Vice Admiral Ajendra Bahadur
Singh, FOC-IN-C, Western Naval Command praised the efforts of Mazagon Dock
Shipbuilders Limited, Warship Design Bureau and other Naval Teams in realizing
the nation’s quest for self-reliance with regard to warship building. He
added that ‘Taragiri’ will
surely add to IN’s forte as and
when it makes its way into the blue waters.