Defence

Indian Navy to Commission Sixth Project 17A Stealth Frigate INS Mahendragiri on July 11

By TestNeeti Editorial TeamPublished Thursday, 9 July 2026 2 min readSource: The News MillArticle 19 of 20

The Indian Navy will commission its sixth indigenous Project 17A stealth frigate, Mahendragiri (F38), at Visakhapatnam on July 11. Named after the Mahendragiri mountain range in the Eastern Ghats, it is the first Indian Naval warship to carry this name. The frigate was designed in-house by the Navy's Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai. It features advanced stealth, a reduced radar signature, high automation and a Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) propulsion system. With indigenous content exceeding 75 per cent, Mahendragiri embodies the government's Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative and involved many MSMEs in its construction. The warship carries surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles, electronic warfare and anti-submarine systems and an integrated Combat Management System, and is capable of anti-air, anti-surface and anti-submarine operations.

Key Facts & Details

9 points

1
The Indian Navy will commission its sixth Project 17A stealth frigate, INS Mahendragiri (F38), at Visakhapatnam on July 11.
2
The frigate is named after the Mahendragiri mountain range in the Eastern Ghats and is the first Indian warship to bear the name.
3
It was designed by the Navy's Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai.
4
Mahendragiri has indigenous content exceeding 75 per cent, reflecting the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative, and its construction engaged many MSMEs.
5
It is powered by a Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) propulsion system enabling high-speed operations with long endurance.
6
The frigate carries surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles, electronic warfare and anti-submarine systems, and an integrated Combat Management System.

Deep Dive

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The vessel can conduct anti-air, anti-surface and anti-submarine operations and is suited to maritime security, power projection, HADR, and search-and-rescue missions.
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Its commissioning marks another milestone in the Project 17A programme, reinforcing India's standing as an indigenous warship builder.
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The ship carries the motto 'Mighty, Majestic, Matchless' and strengthens the Navy's presence in the Indian Ocean Region.

Exam Focus

INS Mahendragiri, commissioned in July 2026, is the sixth frigate of which class, and which shipyard built it?

Exam Relevance & Angle

Naval commissionings are high-yield Defence GA items. The cluster of testable facts here — ship name (Mahendragiri), class (Project 17A), builder (Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders), designer (Warship Design Bureau) and the 75%+ indigenous content under Aatmanirbhar Bharat — appears regularly in banking, SSC and defence-oriented exams.

Target Exams

SBI POIBPS POSSC CGLSSC CPORRB NTPCUPSC CSEState PCS

Background & Context

Project 17A is a class of guided-missile stealth frigates built for the Indian Navy as a follow-on to the earlier Shivalik-class (Project 17) frigates. The programme is executed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, with designs from the Navy's in-house Warship Design Bureau. Project 17A ships incorporate stealth features such as reduced radar cross-section and improved survivability, and are central to India's push for self-reliance in defence manufacturing under Aatmanirbhar Bharat. Indian warships are traditionally named after mountains, ranges, rivers, ports or historical figures. Commissioning is the formal induction of a ship into active naval service, after which it carries the prefix 'INS' (Indian Naval Ship).