GRSE lays keel of Navy's second stealth frigate

The Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE) on Friday laid the keel of the second of three advanced stealth frigates it is building for the Indian Navy, an official said here.

The keel is the lengthwise structure along the base of a ship, supporting the framework of the whole.

Vice Chief of Naval Staff (VCNS), Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar commended the city-based Defence PSU for its commitment in providing maintenance support to the ships built by it.

"GRSE can be proud of its achievements as it continues to build complex ships under stringent timelines," he said in his address during the keel laying ceremony.

The officer said the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard are on a growth path, thus boding well for the shipyard's future wherein quality ships are expected on time.

The keel laying for the second frigate was achieved ahead of schedule, a GRSE official said.

The contract of Rs 19,294 crore for construction of three highly advanced stealth frigates under Project 17A is the largest ever order won by the company, the official said.

The contract was signed between the Ministry of Defence and GRSE on February 20, 2015.

The first ship is expected to be delivered in 2023 and the next two ships in 2024 and 2025 respectively, the official said.

P17A ships are state-of-the-art guided missile frigates, each of which is 149 metres long, with displacement of approximately 6,670 tonnes and a speed of 28 knots.

These frigates are being built deploying the latest integrated construction methodology with enhanced pre- outfitting to enhance quality and reduce build periods considerably, the official said.