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The Indian Navy will commission Taragiri, the fourth stealth frigate under the Project 17A programme, on April 3, marking another milestone in what has emerged as the Navy’s most ambitious indigenous warship construction programme.
Taragiri becomes the fourth Project 17A vessel to be delivered within the last eleven months, a pace of induction the Indian Navy has rarely achieved for complex frontline combatants. The frigate displaces about 6,670 tonnes and represents a significant step forward in design, stealth, and combat capability compared with earlier classes.
Built with a redesigned hull and reduced radar cross-section, the ship is engineered to operate with far greater stealth than its predecessors. Its propulsion system uses a Combined Diesel or Gas configuration, enabling both endurance and high-speed operations.
The frigate carries a formidable weapons suite. Its primary strike capability comes from the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system, while air defence is provided through medium-range surface-to-air missiles guided by the EL/M-2248 MF-STAR multi-function radar. The ship is also equipped with a Super Rapid Gun, anti-submarine rocket launchers, torpedoes and an advanced combat management system capable of tracking and engaging threats across the air, surface and subsurface domains simultaneously.
Stealth features extend beyond hull shaping. Enclosed mooring decks, reduced infrared signatures and carefully engineered deck fittings are designed to limit both radar and thermal detection during combat operations.
With more than 75 per cent indigenous content, Taragiri reflects the growing depth of India’s naval industrial base and supports the government’s push for defence self-reliance. The Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers are undertaking warship construction under Project 17A.
The next ship in the class, INS Mahendragiri, is expected to join the fleet later this year. The remaining three frigates — one being built at Mazagon Dock and two at Garden Reach — are scheduled for delivery by August 2026.
Overall, the Navy expects around 15 new vessels to enter service during 2026 from ongoing construction programmes. These include the Arnala-class anti-submarine corvette as well as the deep-submergence rescue vessel INS Nipun.
Taragiri’s commissioning comes at a time when the Navy is maintaining an elevated operational tempo in the Indian Ocean. Indian warships continue escort missions under Operation Sankalp, safeguarding shipping lanes amid heightened tensions across the wider region.
Designed and built in India and armed with one of the Navy’s most capable strike missiles, INS Taragiri enters service as the maritime security environment grows increasingly contested — precisely the circumstances for which the new generation of stealth frigates was conceived.
Team BharatShakti
