Indian Navy Commissions INS Mahendragiri, Sixth Project 17A Stealth Frigate, at Visakhapatnam

The Indian Navy commissioned INS Mahendragiri (F38) on 11 July 2026 at the Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam, in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Navy Chief Admiral Krishna Swaminathan. It is the sixth of the Project 17A (Nilgiri-class) indigenous stealth guided-missile frigates, designed by the Navy's Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai, with over 75% indigenous content. Named after the Mahendragiri range in the Eastern Ghats, it carries BrahMos and Barak-8 missiles and joins the Eastern Fleet. Its motto is 'Sthitpragyah, Raneshu, Aprajitah' (steadfast, wise, invincible in battle). Project 17A frigates are all named after Indian mountain ranges.