India Navy Frigates

[Gessler]

INS Nilgiri, the first of seven 6700-ton Project-17A frigates, has started its sea trials:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1827750485350375750

 

[Nilgiri]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1830534577154326632

 

[Jammer]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1830803504086016386

I have a gut feeling that these frigtes in end are gonna be much bigger than even Visakhapatnam class destroyers @Nilgiri

 

[Jammer]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1831266086983282701

 

[Nilgiri]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1830803504086016386

I have a gut feeling that these frigtes in end are gonna be much bigger than even Visakhapatnam class destroyers @Nilgiri

I don't think much bigger if they are bigger. Why not just call them destroyers at that point.

The heaviest FREMM/FFG-X are about Vizag displacement.

If IN wants to move frigates into 7k - 8k ton displacement and move destroyers from 8k ton - 10+k ton etc....its still frigates that would not be much bigger than Kolkata/Vizag destroyers.

 

[Jammer]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1832382144586367184

 

[Jammer]

While the government is tight-lipped over the DAC meeting, HT learns that Singh will also take a call on approving the construction of seven more Project 17 B stealth frigates at a cost of ₹70,000 crore. The new frigates will weigh around 8000 tonnes each and are expected to have significant strike capability.

 

[Gessler]

While the government is tight-lipped over the DAC meeting, HT learns that Singh will also take a call on approving the construction of seven more Project 17 B stealth frigates at a cost of ₹70,000 crore. The new frigates will weigh around 8000 tonnes each and are expected to have significant strike capability.

I've read the report stating they will be displacing ~8000T.

That is significant, they'll be bigger than our current destroyers (~7500T), just as well considering rumours also state that NGD is going to be between 11-13,000T. That would be in line with how surface combatants are shaping up around the world.

I've wondered for a long time how we'll be dividing the strike roles however. Earlier we had a very multi-purpose setup for both frigates & destroyers...which led to the requirement of a dedicated ASW corvette like Kamorta class.

But we aren't considering a continuation of that role (there's no P28A) so it's possible a reassessment of the roles has been done. If we go down the same path as US/UK, it could mean future DDGs will focus on AAW & Land attack while future FFGs take care of ASW & ASuW.

That would mean P17B would have to increase its SSM load from 8 to 16-32 like on City-class. SAM load can either stay the same 32, reduce to 16 or even downgrade to VL-SRSAM instead of Barak-8 as it would only really need them for self-defence & not area-defence.

We've seen NGD renders from WESEE showing 72-144 VLS which anyway indicates a huge SAM+BMD loadout along with LACMs. With just a couple box launchers for small SSMs (maybe NASM-MR) as a last ditch offensive ASuW weapon.

But then again, we're going to induct large hypersonics that only destroyers can carry. So that LACM load may have to be swapped for a different, larger VLS to accommodate the hypersonics...unless the NGF/P17B shapes up to be able to accommodate them instead.

 

[Nilgiri]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1838479755751874726