Modernization of Indian Navy

The Indian Navy is one of the largest navies in the world. The primary objective of the Indian Navy is to safeguard the nation’s maritime borders.? It is also responsible for disaster relief operations and for showing the Indian flags all over the world.

Current Status of the Indian Navy

• The Indian Navy currently has a fleet of nearly 150 ships and just under 250 aircrafts in service.
• These include an operational fleet which consists of one aircraft carrier, one amphibious transport dock, eight landing ship tanks, eleven destroyers, thirteen frigates, one nuclear-powered attack submarine, and one ballistic missile submarine along with other support ships.

Future modernization Plans

• The Indian Navy needs to constantly build and induct new ships to replace all old ships which are retired.
• Currently, The Indian navy is building a new aircraft carrier (INS Vikrant) for adding to the service in Cochin Shipyard Limited.?
• It is also looking forward to inducting new destroyers (Visakhapatnam class), frigates (Project 17A class + Shivalik Class), submarines (Scorpene-class) etc.
• It is also planning to procure 22 General Atomics Sea Guardian drones at an estimated cost of $2 billion from the United States.
• The Indian Navy has built a new naval base at Karwar known as INS Kadamba and is also looking forward to inducting a new naval base at Rambili, Visakhpatnam known as INS Varsha. While INS Kadamba will host the lastest front-line warships of the Indian navy, INS Varsha will host the Arihant class nuclear ballistic missile submarines.

Why is it in the news?

The Chief of Indian Navy, Admiral Karambir Singh has stated that given the greater amount of resources China is pouring into its navy, the Indian Navy needs to step up its efforts to build & operate a greater amount of ships. For this, it will need to rely on the government’s long-term fiscal support.