Nilgiri-class frigate (1972)

Class overview
Name	Nilgiri class
Builders	Mazagon Dock Limited
Operators	Indian Navy
Succeeded by	Template:Sclass-
Completed	6
Retired	6 (INS Vindhyagiri was sunk but salvaged and later retired)
General characteristics
Type	Frigate
Displacement	2,682 tons (standard) 2,962 tons (full load)
Length	113 m (371 ft)
Beam	13 m (43 ft)
Draught	4.3 m (14 ft)
Propulsion	2 × 550 psi (3,800 kPa) boilers 2 × 30,000 hp motors
Speed	28 kn (52 km/h; 32 mph)
Range	4,000 nmi (7,400 km; 4,600 mi) at 12 kn (22 km/h; 14 mph)
Complement	267 (incl 17 officers)
Sensors and processing systems	Signaal DA05 / BEL PFN513 radar Signaal LW08 / BEL RAWL02 surface radar Signaal ZW06 / BEL RASHMI navigation radar Signaal M-45 navigation radar Westinghouse SQS-505 / Graesby 750 sonar Type 170 active attack sonar
Armament	2 × MK.6 Vickers 115mm guns 2 × AK-630 6-barreled 30 mm gatling guns 2 × Oerlikon 20mm guns 2 × triple ILAS 3 324 mm torpedo tubes with Whitehead A244S or the Indian NST-58 torpedoes
Aircraft carried	1 Westland Sea King or HAL Chetak

The Nilgiri-class frigates are updated versions of the Template:Sclass-, designed and built for the Indian Navy by Mazagon Dock Limited in Mumbai. Six ships were built between 1972-81. Vessels of the class formed the 14th Frigate Squadron. The lead ship INS Nilgiri was the first major warship to be built in India in collaboration with Yarrow Shipbuilders of the United Kingdom.

The class and its lead ship, INS Nilgiri are named for the Nilgiri Hills. Subsequent ships in the class are also named for hill ranges of India.

When the British refused to provide license production of the radar suite, the Indian Navy teamed up with Signaal of Netherlands to license-build a similar radar search, tracking and fire control suite in India, which went into the latter five ships. Improved versions of the Signaal search radar continues to be fitted in later classes of Indian Navy ships. The last two ships, INS Vindhyagiri and INS Taragiri were modified significantly with the addition of a Sea King ASW helicopter, a collapsible Canadian hangar, ILAS 324 mm triple torpedo tubes and a Bofors ASW twin barrel mortar. This re-design was done indigenously by the Indian Navy and gave it much needed experience and confidence in ship-design and modification. They were also fitted with an indigenous ASW fire control action information system which was a first for the Indian electronics industry. This project was led by the late Captain (later Rear Admiral) Prakash N Gour. The British categorically refused to extend their design warranty to the Indian modifications which nevertheless proved to be a success.

The Nilgiri class has been decommissioned by the navy, with the entry into service of the Template:Sclass-. Five ships have been decommissioned and one sunk in an accident. INS Taragiri was the last ship of the class to be decommissioned, on 27 June 2013 in Mumbai, after serving 33 years in the navy.

History

The Nilgiri-class frigates served as the mainstay and workhorse of the Indian Navy during the 1980s and early 1990s and they formed the 14th Frigate Squadron. The last two vessels (Taragiri and Vindhyagiri) had more powerful engines than the earlier vessels.

Taragiri had a serious fire in July 1994, but was repaired and was back in active service in 1995. Westinghouse supplied the Indian Navy with ASW sonar systems, two hull mounted arrays and three variable depth sonar arrays which are installed inside towed bodies built by Fathom Ocean Ltd. Transducer elements in both cases are identical. INS Udaygiri underwent a refit at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai. The remaining vessels in the series were expected to have their armaments brought into line with later ships.

INS Himgiri was used as a trial ship for the indigenous APSOH (Advanced Panoramic Sonar Hull) sonar.

Ships

Name	Pennant	Commissioned	Decommissioned	Comments
Nilgiri	F33	23 June 1972	31 May 1996	Sunk on 24 April 1997, by a Sea Eagle AShM fired from a Sea Harrier Frs Mk.51 of the Indian Navy.
Himgiri	F34	23 November 1974	6 May 2005	The vessel holds the distinction of having the maximum number of days at sea in single commission and was the first to shoot down a pilotless aircraft in 1976. Captain K N Zadu, VrC, (Retd.) who served as her first commanding officer, was the chief guest at the decommissioning ceremony along with Commander Ravneet Singh who served as her last commanding officer.
Udaygiri	F35	18 February 1976	24 August 2007
Dunagiri	F36	5 May 1977	20 October 2010	Named after one of the Himalayan peaks. Her crest depicts the Osprey, a Himalayan bird and the ship's motto is 'Victory Is My Profession'.
Taragiri	F41	16 May 1980	27 June 2013	The last ship to be decommissioned.
Vindhyagiri	F42	8 July 1981	14 Jun 2012 (15 Feb 2011 recovered)	The ship suffered a collision with MV Nord Lake at Mumbai harbour on 30 January 2011 and sank after a fire on board. No casualties were reported. It was re-floated by TITAN Salvage and was decommissioned later with full honours in 2012.

External links

• Bharat Rakshak
• Video of INS Dunagiri