The Next Generation Corvette (NGC) project, which will give a new edge to the maritime power of the Indian Navy, may soon reach the threshold of final approval. This ambitious project of about Rs 40 thousand crore is now only awaiting the final approval of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), which can be received soon. According to sources, the Indian Navy wants a total of 8 state-of-the-art Next Generation Corvette warships. In this project, government shipbuilding company Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) has emerged as the lowest bidder and is likely to get the order to build 5 warships. The remaining 3 warships can be built in Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL).
Big firepower in small size
These new warships are being developed on the “Distributed Lethality” concept. This means that despite being relatively small in size, they will have the ability to attack the enemy tremendously. Weighing approximately 3,500 tonnes, these corvettes will be able to move at a maximum speed of up to 32 knots and will be able to remain deployed at sea for about 30 days without any external logistics support.
Will be equipped with BrahMos and state-of-the-art air defense system
The biggest strength of these warships will be their weapon systems. Each corvette will be deployed with 8 extended range BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, which are capable of delivering long-range precision strikes. For protection from air threats, they will have 16 to 32 Vertical Launch Short Range Surface-to-Air Missiles (VLS-SR SAM). AK-630 close-in weapon system will be installed, which will be capable of destroying missiles and enemy fighter planes. These warships will also be extremely lethal for submarines.
To deal with enemies hidden under the sea, these warships will be installed with advanced hull-mounted sonar, active towed array sonar and triple-tube torpedo launchers. Apart from this, multi-role helicopters like ALH Dhruv or Sea King can also be operated on them, which will further strengthen their anti-submarine capability. It will be equipped with state-of-the-art radar and electronic warfare system.
Modern electronic warfare systems like ELM-2248 MF-STAR AESA radar, VARUNA ESM and SHAKTI and advanced target tracking systems will be installed in the next generation corvette.
The special thing is that all these technologies will play an important role in dealing with enemy weapons and electronic attacks during the war.
What will be the timeline of the project?
If this project is approved by CCS in 2026, then the contract with GRSE and Goa Shipyard can be signed this year itself. After this, construction work is likely to start with detailed design and steel cutting in 2027.
According to sources, the first warship can be launched by 2028-29, while it can be inducted into the Indian Navy by 2031-32. The remaining seven warships can be handed over to the Navy in a phased manner between 2032 and 2036.
India’s strength will become stronger in the Indian Ocean
This project will prove to be a big step towards the modernization of the Indian Navy. Equipped with BrahMos missiles, state-of-the-art air defense systems and anti-submarine capabilities, these warships will further strengthen India’s maritime security and strategic edge in the Indian Ocean region.
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