New Delhi, Aug 26 (IANS) The Indian Navy on Tuesday commissioned two stealth frigates – INS Himgiri and INS Udaygiri, in a ceremony presided over by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, in Visakhapatnam.

The two ‘Made in India’ warships mark a new milestone in India’s maritime security and also give fresh impetus to ‘Atmanirbharta’ in the nation’s defence capabilities, as outlined and envisioned by the government.

Both the warships are homegrown with over 75 per cent indigenous component, sourced from Indian manufacturers as well as MSMEs.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hailed the induction of INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri into the naval fleet and termed this as a matter of pride for the nation and also a decisive step towards self-reliance in defence production.

“This is our firm resolve for self-reliance. INS Udaygiri and INS Himagiri are proof of that very resolve. Indian Navy has completed a century with the commissioning of these warships. In the construction of these warships, more than 75 per cent of the components are sourced from Indian manufacturers and MSMEs,” he said.

The Defence Minister also recalled the Indian Navy’s detailed planning during Operation Sindoor and lauded its quick execution and deployment of warships.

Underscoring the 21st-century challenges in national security, he called for harnessing new-age technology and emphasised the need to develop a modernised stock of weaponry and keep the forces future-ready.

“In today’s era, old thinking won’t work. We need to anticipate new threats and keep creating new solutions. Under the leadership of PM Modi, our government has given priority to research and development in the defence sector,” he said.

The Defence Minister further stated that changes are happening rapidly in the triangle of warfare, and this calls for stepping up our defences.

“Due to the constantly evolving nature of wars, it has become essential that we not only keep ourselves updated but also think in directions that are still unexplored and unexpected,” he said.

“Equipment that was previously only available to a few select countries, we are now designing and manufacturing ourselves. Today, we are strengthening our armed forces as under a futuristic vision,” he added.

The Defence Minister extended congratulations to Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers for developing indigenous warships – INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri, and said that their names themselves are an inspiration.

“Today, as INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri are being inducted into our fleet, I am reminded of a saying, “Old warships never die, they are resurrected in another avatar,” Rajnath remarked, in an apparent reference to INS Udaygiri (F35) and INS Himgiri (F34) which were inducted in 1974 and 1976 and decommissioned after serving the nation for 30 years.

–IANS

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