Warships are an important component of a navy’s surface fleet and can be of many shapes and sizes based on their capabilities and functions.

Frigate Vs. Destroyer Vs. Corvette

Frigates and destroyers are the two most frequent types of warships in most navies. Frigates and destroyers are two of the most prevalent types of warships in the fleet of a navy. Both are built for speed and can be used to escort and protect larger vessels from air, surface, and subsurface threats.

Frigate

A small, swift, and maneuverable warship mostly used for escorting tasks in anti-submarine warfare. Frigates are the smallest of the three and possibly the smallest “blue water” ocean-spanning warships. Initially, the Frigate was a style of design, long, low and fast. Some long fast ships of the line were called “frigate-built”.

•A frigate is a type of warship.

•A frigate is a fairly small ship owned by the navy that can move at fast speeds.

•Frigates are often used to protect other ships.

•Frigates are larger than Corvettes but smaller than Destroyers.

•Frigates are anywhere between 3000 to 5000 tons.

Destroyer

Destroyer is a fast and powerfully armored warship designed to provide anti-aircraft and anti-submarine defense to larger vessels in the fleet. A warship with a medium size specifically designed for long-range and autonomous operations, is usually employed for surveillance, patrol, and escort duties. Destroyers are much smaller than battleships but larger than frigates. They usually have one smaller gun (5 inches compared to Iowa’s 16-inch beasts) and lots of missiles, including anti-ship, surface-to-air, and cruise missiles (Tomahawks in the American case).

Corvette

A small, lighter-armed warship designed to perform coast defense and escort functions usually used in anti-submarine warfare and maritime interdiction.

Frigates of Indian Navy

Destroyers of the Indian Navy

Project 17A

•Project 17 Alpha frigates (P-17A) were launched by the Indian Navy in 2019.

•The project was launched by the defence forces of India to construct a series of stealth guided-missile frigates, which are currently being constructed by two companies – Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders (MDL) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE).

•These guided-missile frigates have been constructed with a specific stealth design, which has radar-absorbent coatings and is low-observable which can make its approach undetectable for the enemies. The new technology also reduces the infrared signals of the ship.

•Under the P17A program, a total of seven ships, with four at MDL and three at GRSE are under construction.

•The ships have been named INS Nilgiri, INS Himgiri, INS Udaygiri, INS Dunagiri, INS Taragiri, INS Vindhyagiri and INS Mahendragiri after the names of hill ranges in India.

Project-15B Class Destroyer Ship

•India’s indigenous Destroyer construction programme commenced in the late 1990s with the three Delhi class (P-15 class) warships and this was followed by three Kolkata class (P-15A) destroyers commissioned a decade later.

•Presently, under the P-15B (Visakhapatnam Class), a total of four warships are planned (Visakhapatnam, Mormugao, Imphal, Surat).