Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday launched Y-3023 Dunagiri in Kolkata. Dunagiri is a Project 17A frigate built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders Limited (GRSE). Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of Naval Staff and other senior officers from the Indian Navy and Ministry of Defence attended the ceremony.
P17A Frigates (a warship) are a follow-on class of the P17 (Shivalik Class) Frigates with improved stealth features, advanced weapons and sensors and platform management systems. Seven P17A Frigates are under various stages of construction at Mazagaon Dock Limited (MDL) and GRSE.
Speaking at the event, the Defence Minister complimented the Directorate of Naval Design’s and other naval teams’ efforts to realise the nation’s goal of warship building independence.
He also praised GRSE for its unwavering support in the ship production industry despite numerous difficulties and for assisting the Indian Navy in achieving its ship induction target. According to the Defence Minister, “Dunagiri” will be a top-tier stealth frigate with multidimensional capacity to annihilate adversaries from the sea, sky and underwater.
Rajnath Singh added that trade, political and economic connections between different nations are continually changing while discussing the necessity to upgrade our infrastructure and assets in light of the changing global environment.
The Indo-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions are experiencing an increase in security challenges. The Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard and other organisations must increase their infrastructure and assets in order to achieve the Prime Minister’s vision of “SAGAR,” or “Security and Growth for All in the Region,” as well as to protect, preserve, and promote India’s national maritime interests. This will help the nation stay on top of these challenges.
The Defence Minister highlighted Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Khudiram Bose and Jatindranath Mukherjee (Baga), three courageous sons of Bengal, on the occasion and mentioned their unforgettable contributions to the nation when our country is celebrating the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’. He also praised the role of brave women from Bengal, Begum Rukaiah, Bina Das and many others, who brought laurels not only to Bengal but to the whole country.
While the Indian Navy’s principal responsibility is to conserve, safeguard, and advance the nation’s maritime interests, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R. Hari Kumar noted that the Indian Navy also makes a significant contribution to the development of the nation’s economy.
According to him, the Dunagiri project created more than 3000 jobs for local residents. Twenty-nine Indian OEMs in addition to MSMEs from all over the nation are collaborating in this project. As a result, the Navy’s budget includes a sizable “plough-back” into the economy and nation-building. He continued, “Indian Enterprises are progressing 88% of Navy’s future contracts, equating to investments of almost Rs 1,75,000 crore.”
The ship was christened Dunagiri by Kala Hari Kumar, President of the Navy Wives Welfare Association (NWWA), in accordance with the custom.The ship received a thunderous cheer from the jubilant gathering as she embraced the welcoming waters of the River Hooghly.
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