The Indian Navy is preparing to take its maritime power to new heights in the coming years. According to defense sources, the Navy is moving ahead with the plan to build 16 new indigenous warships under Project-15C, Project-17B and Project-18A at a cost of about Rs 1 lakh crore. These will include new generation guided missile destroyers, stealth frigates and huge surface combatants.
If this plan moves forward on time, then this project will not be limited to just the modernization of the Indian Navy, but will also give a new direction to India’s maritime power amid the changing strategic equations in the Indian Ocean and the entire Indo-Pacific.
Why is this mega project important?
China has expanded its navy rapidly in the last decade. China is also continuously increasing its presence in the Indian Ocean. Chinese warships, submarines and surveillance ships are regularly visible in the Indian Ocean region. Its first overseas naval base in Djibouti is already active, while China’s increasing investment in Pakistan’s Gwadar Port, Sri Lanka’s Hambantota and other ports in the Indian Ocean is considered a strategic challenge for India.
In such a situation, it is not enough for the Indian Navy to merely maintain its current strength. It needs more modern, long range operating and multi-level warships according to future needs.
3 mega projects, three big strengths
#Project-15C
Under this project, 4 new generation guided missile destroyers will be built at a cost of Rs 50,000 crore. These warships will have state-of-the-art radar, electronic warfare systems, better air defense and long-range precision attack capability. These will be more modern than the existing Kolkata and Visakhapatnam class destroyers.
#Project-17B
In this project, 6 stealth frigates will be built at a cost of Rs 40,000 crore. Of these, 3 warships will be built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) and 3 by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE). Due to stealth technology, it will be difficult to identify them on enemy radar. They will be used in many missions like escort missions, anti-submarine operations, air defense and maritime surveillance.
#Project-18A
This is considered to be India’s most ambitious surface warfare project. Under this, 6 huge warships will be built, whose weight will be 14 to 15 thousand tons. These will be among the largest surface warships ever built in India. These will have the ability to include long-range operations, strong air and missile defense, modern command and control systems and future weapons.
India’s maritime strategy against China
The competition between India and China is no longer limited to just the Himalayan border. In the coming years, the Indian Ocean and Indo-Pacific will become the most important areas of this competition. About 95 percent of India’s trade (by volume) and a large amount of energy imports are carried through sea routes. If the dominance of any rival country increases in the Indian Ocean, it can have a direct impact on India’s economy and national security.
The expansion of ports and infrastructure in the Indian Ocean region as part of China’s “String of Pearls” strategy has been a matter of concern for India. In such a situation, the new warships will give the Indian Navy the ability to protect maritime trade routes, long-range deployment, protect the Carrier Battle Group and respond rapidly in case of any crisis.
Self-reliant India will also get big benefits
A major objective of these projects is also to strengthen India’s defense manufacturing. Government shipyards like Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) will play an important role in the construction of these warships.
set timeline
• Project-15C: RFP likely to be issued in the next one year, construction will start in about three years.
• Project-17B: RFP in the next 18 months, construction will start in about four years.
• Project-18A: RFP will be held in the next three years, the plan is still in the initial phase.
However, these three plans are still in the initial stage and the final decision will be taken only after the approval of the Defense Ministry and the Central Government.
What will be the biggest benefit?
If these three projects are completed on time, the Indian Navy will get 16 state-of-the-art warships. This will strengthen India’s maritime power and deterrence in the Indian Ocean region, increase its ability to give a balanced response to China’s growing naval presence, and India will be able to further strengthen its position as a major maritime power in the Indo-Pacific.
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