Nilgiri Class... A Great Indian Frigate

The Project 17 family illustrates a case for building flexible frigates around India's expectation of operating independently across the Indian Ocean and farther afield.

Successive frigate designs combine reduced acoustic and infrared signatures with a recognizably Indian appearance.

Projected figures for Project 17B lead into a personal argument for larger missile magazines in frigates, destroyers and cruisers.

BrahMos anti-ship missiles and Barak 8 surface-to-air missiles underpin a favourable assessment of the frigate's balance of offensive and defensive weapons.

A preference for at least three 76 mm guns links the frigate's gun armament to its role in Indian task groups.

A hypothetical procurement choice would increase the stated eight BrahMos cells to at least 16 missiles, alongside at least 48 Baraks and additional gun mounts.

The AK-630 receives a qualified endorsement for its volume of fire, with good maintenance treated as a condition of that assessment.

A tentative comparison of AK-630, Goalkeeper and Dardo mount movement separates wide elevation arcs from the ability to traverse continuously through a full circle.

A target-switching example explains why a mount can cover every bearing yet still need a long traverse between two targets, supporting a preference for more mounts.

RBU-6000 anti-submarine rockets receive a favourable assessment for inshore and shallow-water engagements, including a suggested use against drones.