Navy set to bolster posture in Indian Ocean with new warships, submarine

India's shipbuilding prowess and steps being taken to bolster its maritime posture in the vast Indian Ocean Region (IOR), where China is seeking to boost its influence, will be in sharp focus as the navy gets ready to commission three major combat platforms into service on January 15, officials aware of the development said on Wednesday.

- Rahul Singh

NEW DELHI:

The rare simultaneous induction of two warships and a submarine at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai will also put the spotlight on the navy's fast-paced indigenisation and how it is working on becoming fully self-reliant by 2047 when India celebrates 100 years of Independence—60 warships are under construction at various shipyards, the officials added.

The navy is also about to conclude two key deals with France for 26 new Rafale-M fighter jets and three more Scorpene-class submarines.

The upcoming commissioning of the frontline assets will provide a significant boost to the navy's combat potential as well as underscore the country's pre-eminent status in indigenous shipbuilding, the navy said in a statement on Wednesday.

It will induct Vaghsheer, the sixth and final Kalvari-class submarine; Surat, a destroyer; and Nilgiri, a frigate—all built at the Mumbai-based Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL)—on the same day, as previously reported by HT.

"January 15, 2025 is set to become a landmark day in India's history as the Indian Navy prepares to commission three frontline combat platforms—Nilgiri, the lead ship of the Project 17A stealth frigate class; Surat, the fourth and final ship of the Project 15B stealth destroyer class; and Vaghsheer, the sixth and final submarine of the Scorpene-class project—together at Naval Dockyard, Mumbai," the navy said.

The new platforms will boost the navy's operational capabilities and combat readiness in the IOR—a strategic maritime expanse where the challenges include China's carefully calculated power play for influence and defending the rules-based international order.

The move comes at a time when China is seeking to expand its maritime footprint in the region by setting up military bases, pushing countries to advance its maritime claims and forcing strategic concessions from vulnerable states.