Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Jan 15: India made history on Wednesday by commissioning two indigenously developed and manufactured warships – a class-leading stealth frigate and guided missile destroyer – and an attack submarine.
This is the first time the country commissioned three warships – all built entirely in India – at one go and that is a significant statement of intent in itself, including a declaration of military self-sufficiency.
The three frontline platforms — INS Niligiri, INS Vaghsheer and INS Surat — were commissioned on the same day in the Indian Navy. Hailing the first tri-commissioning as a significant leap towards ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the three vessels to the nation. INS Niligiri is the lead ship of Project 17A frigates, INS Vaghsheer is the sixth and the final boat of Project 75 Kalvari class submarines, and INS Surat is the fourth and final ship of Project 15B destroyers.
“Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had given a new vision to the Navy. Today, this is a significant step towards empowering the Indian Navy of the 21st century. It is a big day for the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (indgenisation) vision. It is a massive step for strengthening our Navy. This is the first time that three frontline platforms are being commissioned on the same day. Make in India campaign connects our needs to our future vision.
“We are becoming a major maritime power by taking inspiration from our rich naval history. INS Niligiri is dedicated to the naval empire of the Cholas. INS Surat is dedicated to India’s ancient connection to West Asia through Gujarat. I was there was the commissioning of the first Kalvari submarine. I am blessed to commission the sixth one – INS Vaghsheer,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said while speaking at the Naval dockyard on Wednesday morning.
Outlining India’s vision as a global power, Mr Modi said, “India’s position is not expansionist, but development-oriented. Today’s India is emerging as a major maritime power in the world. Now, we are recognised as a reliable and responsible partner globally, especially in the Global South. We believe in an open, secure, inclusive Indian Ocean region. That is why we went ahead with the vision of SAGAR – Security and Growth for All In the Region.” He said, the country’s goal was to protect traditional, territorial waters, adding that India had emerged as the First Responder across the entire Indian Ocean Region, saving thousands of lives. “The sea routes should be safe from illegal drug trade, weapons’ trade, terror activities, human trafficking. We are global partners in safety.”
Speaking about the importance of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat abhiyan,’ he said the country’s dependence on other countries at the time of any tension should be minimum. “Today, there are 5,000 plus equipment which our defence personnel will not buy from other countries.” He highlighted that of the 40 platforms commissioned in the Navy in the last few years, 39 have been made in the Indian shipyards.
“When investment is made in ship-building, it has a doubly positive impact on the economy. New doors open for economic progress. Today, we are already exporting defence equipment to 100 plus countries. At present, 60 ships are under construction in the Indian shipyards. Their total value is ₹1.50 Lakh Crore. This leads to ₹3 Lakh Crore circulation in the economy. When it comes to employment, there is a six times multiplier effect. Port-led economic development model will further fuel our economy,” the PM said, giving the example of Vadhvan port in Maharashtra.
He said the future of technology and development was through space and deep sea exploration, highlighting the importance of India’s Samudrayaan project. “Be it land, water, air, the deep sea or the infinite space, India is safeguarding its interests everywhere. Samudrayaan project, which aims to take scientists to a depth of 6,000 meters in the ocean, is a feat achieved by only a few countries.”
The simultaneous induction of three attack vessels is a red-letter day for the Navy given the slow pace of manufacture of ships in the country, a point of concern at a time China is expanding rapidly. To underline that point, in the last decade India has inducted 33 warships. In that same period, China is believed to have onboarded a staggering 148 warships.
The additions will enhance its naval forces’ capabilities and make them even more effective in safeguarding the country’s maritime interests, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi said.A further 62 warships, and a submarine, are being built, he said.
The stealth-capable INS Niligiri is the flagship vessel of a new class of frigates – Project 17A – which will have seven ships and is a major evolution over the Shivalik-class currently in service.
Each ship in this class – designed by the Navy’s Warship Design Bureau and incorporating advanced features for enhanced attack and stealth capabilities, reflecting next-generation frigates – will cost an estimated Rs 4,000 crore. These are being built in dockyards in Mumbai and Kolkata.
Guided missile destroyer INS Surat, meanwhile, is larger than the Niligiri – at approximately 8,000 tons – and is the last ship of the Visakhapatnam class, which is seen as the Navy’s most powerful surface combatant. It features subsystems from Russian and Israeli warships, as also Ukrainian.
But perhaps most striking is the Surat’s tag as India’s first ‘AI-enabled’ warship. INS Surat will be the last of a class of four warships, each of which costs Rs 8,950 crore.
The Project 15B ships are a serious upgrade over the Kolkata-class destroyers, and the Surat has been hailed as the best of these four. The three others – INS Visakhapatnam, Mormugao, and Imphal – were commissioned in November 2021, December 2022, and December 2023, respectively.
These ships will stock, among other weapons, the surface-to-surface BrahMos supersonic cruise missile and Barak-8 medium-range surface-to-air missiles, as well as an array of mounted guns.
The INS Vagsheer already has a fearsome reputation – as a ‘hunter-killer’ submarine, thanks to superior stealth features like an advanced acoustic absorption technique and a revolutionary air-independent propulsion system. This is the last of six new-generation, diesel-electric submarines in the Scorpene class, which can fire torpedoes and anti-ship missiles, meaning it can target and destroy enemies from the air and sea.
India’s newest and deadliest subs can undertake both anti-surface and anti-submarine missions, as well as gather intelligence, lay mines, and take part in area surveillance, officials have said.