Future of the Indian Navy

The Indian Navy has been focusing on developing indigenous platforms, systems, sensors and weapons as part of the nation's modernisation and expansion of its maritime forces. As of 2020 the Indian Navy has 43 vessels of various types under construction, including an aircraft carrier; destroyers; frigates; corvettes; and conventional-powered and nuclear-powered submarines. In 2013 a senior naval official outlined the Indian Navy's intention to build a 200 ship navy over a 10-year period.[1] According to Chief of Naval Staff's statement in December 2020,[2] India has transformed from a buyer's navy to a builder's navy.[3] All 41 ships under construction are being produced in Indian shipyards, both publicly and privately owned.[2] However some projects have suffered from long delays and cost overruns.[4]

Naval Ensign of India
Indian navy Carrier Battle Group in formation, showing some of the latest additions to the fleet.

The increasing interest of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy in the Indian Ocean region[5] has led the Indian Navy to invest more in anti-submarine ships, such as the Kamorta-class corvette, long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft such as P-8I Neptune and ships such as the Saryu-class patrol vessel[6] and unmanned aerial vehicles such as the IAI Heron-1.[7] However the lack of a strong submarine fleet has diminished its capabilities to some extent.[8] Post-Chinese intrusions into Ladakh in 2020, it has been announced that the Indian Navy plans to upgrade the military facilities in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on the eastern seaboard as well as Lakshadweep on the western seaboard, with the aim of having a network of island airbases in both the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal which provides an infrastructure which will guarantee freedom of navigation and overflight to all Indian territories.[9]

Submarines

  This indicates that a Request For Information (RFI) has currently been issued for this project. The issue of an RFI is not a commitment for procurement.

Nuclear Submarine
Class Picture Type No. of Boats Origin Displacement Status Note
Arihant class Ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) 4  India 7,000 tonnes 1 in service, 1 Ready For Induction , 2 under advanced stage of construction A total of four submarines planned in two flights.[10] The first boat of the class, inducted in service.
S5 class Ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) 3  India 13,500 tonnes 3 planned Project was approved with a budget of ₹10,000 crore (US$1.4 billion).[10][11][12]
Chakra III (Akula) class Attack submarine (SSN) 1  Russia 12,770-13,800 tons 1 on order On 7 March 2019, India and Russia signed a $3 billion deal for lease of another Akula-class nuclear-powered attack submarine. The submarine, dubbed as Chakra III, should be delivered to the Indian Navy by 2025.[13][14]
Project 75 Alpha Attack submarine (SSN) 6  India 6,000 tonnes 6 planned 6 boats are planned and are expected to be constructed at the Shipbuilding Centre (SBC) at Visakhapatnam.[15] Project clearance was granted by the Cabinet Committee on Security in February 2015.[16]

Conventional
Class Picture Type No. of Boats Origin Displacement Status Note
Kalvari class Attack submarine 6  India

 France

 1,800 tonnes 2 inducted and 2 undergoing sea trials
1 launched[17]
1 under construction[18][19][20]		 All deliveries are expected to be completed by 2022.[21][17]
Project 75I class Attack submarine 6  India 3,000 - 4,000 tonnes 6 planned Defence Acquisition Council cleared the purchase of six submarines worth ₹53,000 crore (US$7.4 billion) in October 2014.[22] In April 2019, an Expression of Interest was issued for twelve stealth submarines capable of remaining underwater for much longer period and firing land-attack and anti-ship cruise missiles.[23] Official bidding process to start very soon as of Aug 2020.[24]

Midget submarines
Class Picture Type No. of Boats Origin Displacement Status Note
Swimmer Delivery Vehicle Midget submarine 2  India 150 tonnes 2 planned Hindustan Shipyard Limited[25] will construct two midget submarine at an estimated cost of ₹ 2,000 crore. SOVs will be used by MARCOS for conducting special operations.[22]

Ships

  This indicates that the project a Request For Information (RFI) has currently been issued for this project. The issue of RFI is not a commitment for procurement.

Aircraft carriers
Name Picture No. of Ships Origin Displacement Status Note
INS Vikrant 1  India 45,000 tonnes[26] In Sea trials[27] Delivery scheduled for 2021.[28]
INS Vishal 1  India 65,000 tonnes Planned to be inducted in the 2030s[29]

Amphibious warfare ships
Class Picture Type No. of Ships Origin Displacement Status Note
Multi-Role Support Vessel Landing helicopter dock 2  India 21,000 to 27,000 tonnes 2 planned Only Indian shipyards partnered with an international shipyard can participate in the programme. The Indian Navy is yet to select a design which meets its specification. Scrapped in October 2020.[30]
High Speed Landing Craft 6  India 285 tonnes 6 planned In September 2017, Indian Navy issues a RFI to acquire six landing craft capable of supporting assault missions and transporting equipment, vehicles & troops.[31][32]

Destroyers
Class Picture Type No. of Ships Origin Displacement Status Note
Visakhapatnam class Stealth guided missile destroyer 4  India 7,400 tonnes 1 in sea trials
2 launched
1 under-construction		 Follow on of the Kolkata-class destroyer with improved stealth features. Visakhapatnam started its sea trials.[33]
Project 18 Class Next generation stealth guided missile destroyer 6  India 13,000 tonnes 6 planned Project-18 aims to launch the lead ship in 2028.[34]

Frigates
Class Picture Type No. of Ships Origin Displacement Status Note
Nilgiri class Stealth guided missile frigate 7  India 6,670 tonnes 2 launched
4 under construction

1 more planned

 Four ships will be constructed by Mazagon Dock while the remaining three by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers.[35][36][37]
Talwar class Stealth guided missile frigate 4  Russia
 India		 4,035 tonnes 2 launched and 2 under construction Four additional vessels to be built in a joint partnership between Russia and India in an Indian shipyard.[38][39][40]

Corvettes
Class Picture Type No. of Ships Origin Displacement Status Note
Anti Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft Corvette (ASW) 16  India 700 tonnes 2 under construction[41]
14 planned		 Eight vessels each constructed by GRSE and Cochin Shipyard, to be delivered between 2022 and 2026.[42][43][44]
Next Generation Missile Vessels Corvette (ASuW) 6  India 2,000-2,200 tonnes 6 planned In January 2015, the Ministry of Defence issued Request For Information (RFI) for six next-generation missile vessels under the "Buy Indian and Make Indian" category.[45] An RfP worth $2.2 billion was filed by government of India to various Indian shipyards seeking for various warships including missile boats.[46]

Mine countermeasure vessels
Class Picture Type No. of Ships Origin Displacement Status Note
GSL Mine Counter-Measure Vessels Minesweeper 12  India 12 planned In February 2015, the Ministry of Defence approved the building of 12 minesweepers at a cost of ₹ 32,000 crore in Goa Shipyard Ltd. In January 2018, Indian government cancelled the deal

[47]

Patrol vessels
Class Picture Type No. of Ships Origin Displacement Status Note
Next Generation OPV Offshore patrol vessel 11  India 2,500 tonnes 11 planned [48]

Utility and special mission ships
Class Picture Type No. of Ships Origin Displacement Status Note
DRDO Technology Demonstration Vessel Missile range instrumentation ship 1  India 11,300 tonnesUnder construction Under construction at Cochin Shipyard. Also referred to as Ship No. 20[49][50][51][52]
VC11184 Ocean Surveillance Ship Ocean surveillance ship 1  India 10,000 tonnes Undergoing sea trials[53] Project VC11184 was sanctioned ₹1,500 crore (US$210 million) by the Indian Government with delivery scheduled in 2018.[54][55][56][57]

Replenishment ships
Class Picture Type No. of Ships Origin Displacement Status Note
Replenishment ship 5  India 45,000 tonnes 5 planned Approved in 2014, originally planned to be built by Hindustan Shipyard with Hyundai Heavy Industries as technology partner.[58][59] After their agreement fell through, a consortium of Turkish shipyards replaced Hyundai.[60]

Survey vessels
Class Picture Type No. of Ships Origin Displacement Status Note
GRSE class Survey vessel 4  India 3,000–3,500 tonnes 4 under construction In September 2017, GRSE won a bid for ₹2,500 crore (US$350 million).[61][62] Contract signed in October 2018.[63] Keel for first vessel laid down in November 2019.[64] Construction of second, third and fourth ship began on 29 November 2019, 16 November 2020 And 1 February 2021 respectively.[65][66]

Miscellaneous
Class Picture Type No. of Ships Origin Displacement Status Note
Tugboat 4  India Under construction 10-tonne bollard pull tugs being constructed at Hindustan Shipyard[67][68]
Diving support vessel 2  India 7,650 tonnes[69] 2 under construction In December 2017, Hindustan Shipyard won a bid to build two ships for ₹2,019 crore (US$280 million). Contract for the same was signed in September 2018. Keel laid for the first vessel in December 2019. The first ship is expected to be delivered in three years.[70][69][71]

Aircraft
See also: Indian Naval Air Arm § Future aircraft
Type Picture Role No. of airframes Origin Status Note
Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter (TEDBF) Carrier Borne Multi-role Fighter Unspecified  India Design Phase The design of the Omni Role Combat Aircraft (ORCA), an Air Force variant of the Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter (TEDBF), with significant design differences, was being studied as of 2020. The first flight of the TEDBF is targeted for 2025-26 with the fighter expected to be inducted into the Navy by 2031.
Multirole Carrier Borne FIghter Carrier Borne Multi-role Fighter 36 Planned In late January 2017, the Indian Navy released an international Request for Information (RFI) for 57 "Multi-Role Carrier Borne Fighters" (MRCBFs). The main contest is between Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and Dassault Rafale-M

Number revised to 36 from 57 in mid 2020

Naval Shipborne Unmanned Aerial System Shipborne UAV 10 Planned A proposal moved in fast track mode by the Indian Navy before the Defence Ministry, under which it will buy 10 Naval Shipborne Unmanned Aerial Systems for around ₹ 1,300 crores has been cleared by the government[72]
MQ-9A Reaper
Unmanned combat aerial vehicle 2 in service

10 more planned

 United States Planned India has planned to purchase 30 MQ-9A Reaper UAV, out of which 10 are for Army, Air force and Navy each[73]
Boeing P-8I Neptune Reconnaissance, ASW, ASuW 9 in service

3 on order

6 more planned

 United States 9 in service

3 on order

6 more planned

 Four ordered in 2016 at a cost of US$1.1 billion, ten more planned to be procured at a cost of US$3 billion.
Sikorsky MH-60R
Multi-Role Helicopter 24 United States 24 on order The helicopters will replace the ageing Sea King helicopters.They will be equipped with anti-submarine Mark 54 torpedoes and Hellfire air-to-surface missiles, along with precision-kill rockets. A contract for 24 helicopters was signed on US president Donald Trump's visit to India.
Kamov Ka-31
Airborne early warning and control 10 Russia Planned Ministry of Defence has approved purchase of 10 helicopters for $500 million.
Naval Multi-Role Helicopter Multi-Role Helicopter 123 Planned To replace Westland Sea King helicopters
Naval Utility Helicopter Utility helicopter 111 Planned To replace HAL Chetak helicopters.

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