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Indian Navy’s warship Mahendragiri, developed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL), was launched in Mumbai on Friday, with Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankar describing it as a “significant milestone in our maritime history”. One of the reasons for that, as per the Vice President was, a substantial 75 per cent of orders for equipment and systems of the Nilgiri class have been made to indigenous firms.
“I am sure that Mahendragiri, once commissioned, will proudly fly the tiranga (national tricolour) across the oceans, as an ambassador of India’s maritime might,” Dhankhar, whose wife Sudesh launched the warship, told the gathering that included Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar.
Congratulating the maritime force, the Vice President also stated that “With a strong presence of over 10,000 women across the army, navy and air force, the Indian armed forces have made considerable strides in gender equality”. Mahendragiri, named after mountain peak in the Eastern Ghats of Odisha, is the last of the 7 warships of the Nilgiri-class stealth frigates built under Project17A and is empowered with stealth features, advanced weapons, sensors and platform management systems, as per the Indian Navy.
Security challenges
The Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Hari Kumar stated that the launch comes at an important time to fulfil the need for an assured umbrella of security which is a must for sustaining the aspirational trajectory of our nation. “At sea, the traditional security challenges in the Indian Ocean Region, and the larger Indo-Pacific continue to persist. Add to it, the scourge of non-traditional challenges such as piracy, drug smuggling, natural disasters, etc. continues,” the Navy chief said.
He observed that the “Navy has a mandate to not only pursue, protect, preserve, and promote India’s national maritime interests, but also to be proactive in tackling security threats that affect all in the region”. In that context the Admiral referred to Prime Minister’s vision of SAGAR — Security and Growth for All in the Region — which, as per him, incidentally has just completed 100 months in existence.
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