At the launch ceremony on Tuesday at Mazagon Dock. (Express photo by Pradip Das)Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched two frontline warships of the Navy – Surat and Udaygiri – at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai on Tuesday.
While Surat is the fourth guided missile destroyer of P15B class, Udaygiri is the second stealth frigate of P17A class. Both warships have been designed by the Directorate of Naval Design and built at MDL.
Singh said the two warships will add might to the Navy’s arsenal and represent to the world India’s strategic strength as well as the power of self-reliance. “INS Udaygiri and INS Surat are the shining examples of India’s growing indigenous capability. The warships will be among the most technologically advanced missile carriers in the world, catering to the present as well as future requirements. In times to come, we will not only fulfill our own needs but also meet the shipbuilding requirements of the world.”
“We will soon realise Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Make in India, Make for the World’,” he added.
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Singh said that the ever-evolving security scenario in the Indian Ocean and the Indo-Pacific region would demand an even more important role of the Navy in the times to come. “If a country wants to safeguard its national interests, it should project its military prowess in areas far beyond the mainland. To become a regional or global power, it is necessary to develop a strong naval force,” he said.
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