Recently awarded warship contracts include four more P-15B stealthy destroyers, with even more advanced weaponry and higher levels of automation than the P-15A destroyers. Two separate contracts are soon to be awarded for seven P-17A stealth frigates. MDL expects to build four ships, while GRSE will build three. The P-17A will be a larger and much improved version of the P-17 stealthy frigates. Italy’s Fincantieri is partnering with the Indian Navy and naval shipyards in modularizing the design so build times can be drastically reduced.
A concept of what the next generation frigates under Project 17A might look like. Fincantieri of Italy has been contracted to provide design and technical assistance to modularize the frigates’ design so build times can be brought down to standards prevailing elsewhere. Seven of these stealthy frigates are to be built by two or more shipyards. IN/DND photo
Amphibious warfare assets are set to be boosted with the addition of four large 20,000+ ton helicopter capable amphibious dock ships (LPD or LPH) along with large hovercraft. Two are to be built at the MoD-owned Hindustan Shipyard Ltd. (HSL) and two at a private yard. Several designs are under evaluation – including a variant of the American LPD-17 as well as flat tops such as DCNS’ Mistral class and others from Fincantieri, Navantia and TKMS. A down select followed by contract award could take place this year. Besides these ships, eight 63-meter, 830-ton landing craft utility (LCU) ships are on order from GRSE, with deliveries slated to begin around 2015.
Other projects that are in final price negotiations include one for eight mine counter measures vessels (MCMV) from Kangnam of South Korea as well as another for four 50-meter fast attack craft from GRSE. Six of the MCMV will be built locally at GSL.
Kamorta, the first of four P-28 ASW corvettes seen here outfitting at Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers in Kolkata, India in late 2011. GRSE plans on delivering the 109-meter, 3,100-ton full-load Kamorta by the end of this year. GRSE photo
Future warship projects on the anvil include sixteen 650-ton shallow water ASW ships, and eight follow-on large ASW corvettes under P-28A. It would appear that another Project 11356 Batch 3 frigate may well be on order, given that on May 18, 2012, the General Manager of Yantar shipyard in Russia announced that the shipyard is preparing to build another three 11356 for India.
Naval auxiliaries under construction include two 110-meter, 4,000 ton training ships from another private shipyard, ABG, as well as six 50-meter catamaran survey ships from a financially troubled government owned yard, Alcock Ashdown. As such, deliveries of these ships keep getting pushed to the right. The survey ships are to be equipped with Kongsberg Hugin autonomous unmanned vehicles (AUV).
There are a number of other projects in the pipeline. The most urgent of these is one for six AIP, missile equipped submarines under P-75I. To date, two separate RfI (requests for information) – the first for a bespoke design, the second for a “proven” design – have been issued. In spite of an urgent operational requirement to arrest falling force levels in the submarine service, the IN has yet to announce a design downselect from at least four contenders. It is very likely that two hulls will be built overseas (and four hulls in India) in a bid to fast track induction into the fleet.
Other key projects include two deep submergence rescue vessels (DSRV) as well as two large diving support vessels to carry these DSRV; one 86-meter survey/training ship; and several large survey ships, as well as an unspecified number of 175-meter long,, 25,000 ton fleet support vessels. All these projects are at an RfI stage, which means that it will be some time before tenders are issued and contracts are awarded.
The IN is seeking four large amphibious ships. They could be an LPD-17-type design or a flat top design like the French Mistral. There are indications the IN prefers a flat top design. DCNS photo
An RfP (request for proposal) for at least two special operations vessels – midget submarines, really – is expected to be released shortly. These are to be fitted with two Swimmer Delivery Vehicles and two torpedoes and be able to operate at depths of up to 100 meters. Italy’s Fincantieri has offered a design. Larsen and Toubro, which has been instrumental in fabricating the hull sections of the Indian SSBNs, is also offering a design in partnership with Russia’s Rubin Design Bureau, while other shipyards are seeking technical partners for this project.
This count ignores smaller vessels such as the eighty 13-meter-long force protection craft that are being procured from Solas Marine in Sri Lanka.
Minor auxiliaries and yard craft also have not been included, but several dozen of these craft – ranging from ammunition barges to water tankers – are under construction and inducted on a regular basis.
A rough estimate suggests the warship orders easily add up to around $60 billion USD. Clearly, this is a significant new build program by any measure. But what is less clear is whether the IN will get what it wants, when it wants it.
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Lt. Edward T. Kreiner, Sr., USN (Retired)
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Chuck Oldham (Editor)
2:13 PM June 26, 2012
With all the “foreign” procurement from foreign nations, it would appear that India will have a
verey difficult time with logistics, maintenance and the sustaining of readiness. Interesting, also, is the requirement for training of crews for these vessels. Also, of interest, is why does India find it necessary to build and acquire such a large force. Wonder what out National Security Agency and the Joint Chiefs of Staff thanink about these actions on the part of India. I faiil to see any American hardware involved……
8:54 PM June 26, 2012
India is certainly working on necking down the logistics streams, in part by building more and more of their own designs, including the upcoming carrier projects. As for your second question, about why India finds it necessary to build and acquire such a large force, the answer is China. And finally, with respect to American hardware, it isn’t for lack of trying on the American end. With the way the world is changing, I think we can expect American/Indian ties to grow closer.