NEW DELHI: India on Wednesday inducted three indigenous naval vessels – two warships and a submarine – into its fleet, boosting the capabilities of its navy and achieving the Age of Exploration. The commissioning of the indigenous warship highlighted India’s growing military manufacturing capabilities.
The move is seen as a strategic response to China’s growing influence in the Indian Ocean region and Pakistan’s naval expansion plans, which include Chinese support to build a 50-ship fleet.
“India is now becoming a major maritime power… (and) the commissioning of three frontline naval combatants strengthens our efforts to become a world leader and strengthens our quest for self-reliance. Prime Minister Modi said at the commissioning ceremony of INS Nilgiri. , INS Surat, and INS Vaghsheer.
“We have taken a major step toward preparing our Navy for this century,” he added.
Given the traditionally slow pace of domestic shipbuilding, the commissioning of these ships is of great importance to the Indian Navy, especially at a time when China continues its rapid naval expansion.
India’s naval expansion over the past decade has added 33 warships, while China reportedly brought in 148 warships during the same period.
Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi said these additions will strengthen the Navy’s operational capabilities to protect the nation’s maritime interests. He also confirmed that 62 warships and one submarine are currently under construction.
What is the newly introduced vessel: Details
INS Nilgiri is a stealth-capable ship that will lead Project 17A’s seven-ship frigate fleet and is a major advancement from the existing Shivalik-class ships.
Each ship in this series is designed by the Naval Warship Design Bureau and costs around Rs 4,000 crore. Featuring enhanced attack and stealth capabilities, these ships are under construction at shipyards in Mumbai and Kolkata.
Captain Nitin Kapur, who commands the Nilgiri, attributed the ship’s excellent stealth characteristics to its innovative deck design. He said traditional elements such as anchors are now housed in a hidden “mooring deck” to minimize radar detection.
INS Surat is a guided missile destroyer weighing approximately 8,000 tons and is the final ship of the Visakhapatnam class.
It integrates subsystems from Russian, Israeli and Ukrainian warships and is also India’s first warship with artificial intelligence capabilities.
The ship will cost Rs 8,950 crore and will complete the quartet of Project 15B ships.
Its predecessors, INS Visakhapatnam, Mormugao and Imphal, were commissioned in November 2021, December 2022 and December 2023, respectively.
Weapons include the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile for surface-to-surface engagements, the Barak-8 medium-range surface-to-air missile, and various on-board artillery systems.
INS Vagsheer is a submarine with advanced stealth features, including advanced sound absorption technology and an innovative air-independent propulsion system.
The ship is the final addition to the six new generation diesel-electric Scorpene class submarines. It has the ability to launch torpedoes and anti-ship missiles and can attack targets in both air and sea domains.
Official sources said these modern submarines are equipped for anti-surface and anti-submarine operations, intelligence gathering, mine deployment and surveillance operations. Each Scorpene class submarine comes with a price tag of Rs 3,942 crore.
