Defence Minister A K Antony has said that in the aftermath of the November 2008 Mumbai terror attack, the challenge to guard India's sea lanes has increased considerably. Speaking after the commissioning of the INS Shivalik, country's first indigenous stealth frigate at Mazgaon docks in Mumbai yesterday, Mr.Antony said the Indian Navy's challenge to protect the country's sea lanes has increased as the situation across the region is becoming more and more tenuous and dangerous. He underlined that piracy is fast becoming a menace in the high seas of the region, and said the Indian Navy must be prepared to take on the challenge with full force in order to protect commercial interests also. Mr.Antony noted that with the changing scenario and increasing challenges, the modernisation of the naval force is also very important, and added that the government is aware of its responsibilities in this regard. <br/> Our correspndent reports that more than 60 percent of the components fitted in the brand new warship is indigenous.<br/>With the launch of its first indigenously-built stealth warship India has joined the top club of developed countries–U.S., the U.K., Russia, France, China, Japan and Italy–having such capability.The 143-meter-long 'INS Shivalik,' the first of the three-ship Project-17 frigates, with 6,000-ton displacement and sophisticated features to hoodwink enemy radars, is equipped with a mix of Indian, Russian, Israeli and Western weapons and sensors.Manned by a 250-member crew including 35 officers, INS Shivali has versatile control systems with signature management and radar cross-section reduction features. The first multi-role frigate with stealth features, INS Shivalik is<br/>largest in its class in the world andll form s a crucial component of the Indian Navy. The Navy will get as many as ten more stealth warships in next 9-10 years.The Shivalik-class vessels are being built entirely in India and have Klub anti-ship missiles,l surface-to-air missiles, Barak air and missile defense systems and anti-submarine warfare rockets. The warship is also equipped with state-of-the-art defense against nuclear, biological and chemical attacks. <br/>