Indian Navy Developments & Discussions

[rohitb3]

Yes, Sadly no major combatant joining the fleet for atleast 6-7 years after 2028. Project 17B construction wont start before 2028, with first ship delivered around 2034-35. And Project 18, well cant see its construction anywhere in the near future. Serious cause of concern.

Best we can see is the Next Generation Corvettes, which are actually Frigates in terms of size and tonnage, to start construction by 2027 and get delivered by 2031-32. It was approved by DAC in 2022, been almost 3 years. Orders should come anytime now.

With the growth of the Chinese Navy, India seems to be investing more in smaller "defensive" vessels, in larger numbers. 22 lethal corvettes coming in the next 5 years, but again these arent Blue water ships.

 

[shade2]

Yes, Sadly no major combatant joining the fleet for atleast 6-7 years after 2028. Project 17B construction wont start before 2028, with first ship delivered around 2034-35. And Project 18, well cant see its construction anywhere in the near future. Serious cause of concern.

Best we can see is the Next Generation Corvettes, which are actually Frigates in terms of size and tonnage, to start construction by 2027 and get delivered by 2031-32. It was approved by DAC in 2022, been almost 3 years. Orders should come anytime now.

With the growth of the Chinese Navy, India seems to be investing more in smaller "defensive" vessels, in larger numbers. 22 lethal corvettes coming in the next 5 years, but again these arent Blue water ships.

Mostly these are ASW-SWC, for surface warfare you only have 6 NGMVs coming up, ideally it should be like 12-16 but then when is all you have to plonk on these it gets expensive.

They need to seriously speed up these bureaucratic procedures now.

 

[Bleh]

View: https://www.reddit.com/r/WarshipPorn/comments/1i48qdw/mediterranean_navies_circa_2035_1920x1080/

Y'all nibbiars know where i can get silhouettes for IN ships like the above plebbit post showing foreign navy silhouettes?

I made a post, will share... Gimme an hour

 

[Indianhawk]

Yes, Sadly no major combatant joining the fleet for atleast 6-7 years after 2028. Project 17B construction wont start before 2028, with first ship delivered around 2034-35. And Project 18, well cant see its construction anywhere in the near future. Serious cause of concern.

Best we can see is the Next Generation Corvettes, which are actually Frigates in terms of size and tonnage, to start construction by 2027 and get delivered by 2031-32. It was approved by DAC in 2022, been almost 3 years. Orders should come anytime now.

With the growth of the Chinese Navy, India seems to be investing more in smaller "defensive" vessels, in larger numbers. 22 lethal corvettes coming in the next 5 years, but again these arent Blue water ships.

P17A delivery will continue till 2026-2027 itself. So continuity will be there.

Regarding matching up to Chinese, as I posted in air force thread military expansion will follow the pace of economic expansion.

Still navy has lots going for it all it has to do is finalise p75i fast and order vikrant part 2 before the end of this decade.

 

[Ayan Barat]

There isn't much of resources available for IN vessels even on large databases, so obviously some Chill Guy had to step in

​

Spoiler: NOTE

• These are not supposed to be accurate technical drawings, rather these are just scaled pictorial representation meant for things like size or number estimation.
• Only "combatants" were included; support or patrol vessels were intentionally omitted.
• Rajput, Brahmputara, Abhay and Khukri are more or less retired so left them. Also as this point adenosine has won over all the caffeine in my brain...
• In terms of future ships, NGC, NGMV and ASW-SWC were left and only S4 and Nilgiri were included as we still don't have much resource to do drafting.
• Feel free to use it however you wish, just credit when reposting
• Thak gaya hu Vro

Ab khush @shade2 ??

 

[vampyrbladez]

The Malacca Strait chokepoint (4) question has been weighing on my mind for some time and the main problem Indian Navy will face is that PLAN will deploy merchant vessels with containerized C-802, YJ 12, YJ 18 missiles before sending in their main fleets.

The Chinese merchant fleet has grown rapidly in recent years, doubling in capacity over the past decade. The average size of a Chinese merchant ship is easily ~ 40,000 tons. Even if built to commercial standards (likely), capable of surviving multiple hits from most AShM (Harpoon-KH 35-Exocet class).

To reduce casualties, the Indian Navy can deploy sensor-shooter USV (unmanned surface vessel) and UUV (unmanned underwater vessel) teams to pick apart this merchant vessel and force PLAN fleets to stand and fight Indian Navy-Australian Navy-US Navy joint fleets as the second line of defence.

Another advantage would be to ensure resupply and refueling lines are kept open for use and prevent the Chinese from sneaking a submarine fleet and blockading the Indian Navy out of reach of it's home bases.


Sensor Team :

• A large unmanned surface combat vessel can be mounted with an 'S-Band, X-Band' AESA radar like the Chinese JARI-USV-A "Orca" .

The Orca also integrates an advanced "S-band + X-band" AESA radar system with conformal antenna technology for communication, electronic warfare, and data link operations, as well as infrared and electro-optical sensors for extensive situational awareness.

https://armyrecognition.com/news/navy-news/2024/chinas-jari-usv-a-orca-unmanned-vessel-with-vls-revealed-at-zhuhai

• Unmanned Underwater Vessels can be launched from unmanned surface combat vessels or an XUUV like the Manta Ray uncrewed underwater vehicle to conduct hydrographic surveys.

Unmanned underwater vehicles are typically torpedo-shaped devices that can be equipped with various instrument packages including cameras, sonar, and other sensors to collect data, for example, on fishery populations, oceanographic conditions, ecosystem status, or impacts of fishing gear on habitat.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topic...logical-sciences/unmanned-underwater-vehicles


Shooter Team :

• Different hull forms of tons and VLS configurations can be used to launch coordinated attacks on the merchant vessels and even ASROC/SMART style torpedos may be deployed to deter Chinese submarine packs.

As recently as the fiscal year 2025 budget request, the Navy had unique specifications for its large and medium USV programs, calling for an LUSV up to 300 feet long with a displacement of up to 2,000 tons that could be outfitted with payloads for anti-surface warfare and strike and carry a vertical launch system (VLS) with as many as 32 cells.

https://www.twz.com/air/navy-to-sim...cus-on-containerized-payloads-that-look-alike

• Unmanned Surface Vessels could be equipped containerized UVLM/SLS systems that can launch BrahMos missiles or cheaper, smaller and more short ranged munitions like NASM-SR can be quad packed

The Lockheed Martin OUSV model fits within the U.S. Navy’s optionally unmanned surface vessel program of Medium Unmanned Surface Vessels (MUSV) as the “sensors” and Large Unmanned Surface Vessels (LUSVs as the “shooters”) to form the U.S. Navy’s “Kill Web” network to link “sensors-to-shooters” for an optionally unmanned fleet.

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-new...tins-optionally-unmanned-surface-vessel-ousv/

• Kamikaze AUV/UUVs may also be deployed to make interception difficult and add a new dimension to the offensive.

The AUV would be seen as a platform for a range of missions. And it will be able to carry stand-off weapons such as mines or torpedoes, or even submarine launched missiles. Capitalizing on existing developments, a range of sensors could be fitted. As well as attack, it will be able to conduct intelligence missions.

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-new...ater-drone-project-to-dominate-the-black-sea/


Loader/Control Team :

• Optionally manned (highly automated) motherships can be used to deploy and control the LUSV/SUSV and UUVs and cause maximum damage while minimizing casualties.
  
  
• Additional sensors like "S-band + X-band" AESA radar system and EO/IR may be deployed on these motherships to detect threats and take decisions as necessary or seek help from the main Indian naval forces deployed nearby.

During the press conference, the Navy chief apparently alluded to the Indian Navy’s plans to acquire UUVs instead of minesweepers. “The Naval force, which currently did not have any single minesweepers, was having a rethink on the whole process…rather than building new minesweepers, the Navy was looking at the possibility of having a mothership that can carry out missions using autonomous technology”.

https://www.defstrat.com/magazine_articles/drone-motherships-make-debut/

• Using modular payloads, the motherships can rapidly resupply and return the USV/UUV back into the fight and ensure that force presence is effective in the theatre.

Production Capability

• While MDL and GRSE are expected to be occupied with P 17B, P 18A/B, Scorpene Follow-On, P 75I, NGC, etc and CSL with IAC-2 and NGMV, smaller shipyards like GSL and L&T Kattupalli may be used to churn out these ships and deploy them by the early 2030s.

 

[Ayan Barat]

The Malacca Strait chokepoint (4) question has been weighing on my mind for some time and the main problem Indian Navy will face is that PLAN will deploy merchant vessels with containerized C-802, YJ 12, YJ 18 missiles before sending in their main fleets.

The Chinese merchant fleet has grown rapidly in recent years, doubling in capacity over the past decade. The average size of a Chinese merchant ship is easily ~ 40,000 tons. Even if built to commercial standards (likely), capable of surviving multiple hits from most AShM (Harpoon-KH 35-Exocet class).

To reduce casualties, the Indian Navy can deploy sensor-shooter USV (unmanned surface vessel) and UUV (unmanned underwater vessel) teams to pick apart this merchant vessel and force PLAN fleets to stand and fight Indian Navy-Australian Navy-US Navy joint fleets as the second line of defence.

Another advantage would be to ensure resupply and refueling lines are kept open for use and prevent the Chinese from sneaking a submarine fleet and blockading the Indian Navy out of reach of it's home bases.


Sensor Team :

• A large unmanned surface combat vessel can be mounted with an 'S-Band, X-Band' AESA radar like the Chinese JARI-USV-A "Orca" .

https://armyrecognition.com/news/navy-news/2024/chinas-jari-usv-a-orca-unmanned-vessel-with-vls-revealed-at-zhuhai

• Unmanned Underwater Vessels can be launched from unmanned surface combat vessels or an XUUV like the Manta Ray uncrewed underwater vehicle to conduct hydrographic surveys.

View attachment 22502

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topic...logical-sciences/unmanned-underwater-vehicles


Shooter Team :

• Different hull forms of tons and VLS configurations can be used to launch coordinated attacks on the merchant vessels and even ASROC/SMART style torpedos may be deployed to deter Chinese submarine packs.

https://www.twz.com/air/navy-to-sim...cus-on-containerized-payloads-that-look-alike

• Unmanned Surface Vessels could be equipped containerized UVLM/SLS systems that can launch BrahMos missiles or cheaper, smaller and more short ranged munitions like NASM-SR can be quad packed

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-new...tins-optionally-unmanned-surface-vessel-ousv/

• Kamikaze AUV/UUVs may also be deployed to make interception difficult and add a new dimension to the offensive.

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-new...ater-drone-project-to-dominate-the-black-sea/


Loader/Control Team :

• Optionally manned (highly automated) motherships can be used to deploy and control the LUSV/SUSV and UUVs and cause maximum damage while minimizing casualties.
  
  
• Additional sensors like "S-band + X-band" AESA radar system and EO/IR may be deployed on these motherships to detect threats and take decisions as necessary or seek help from the main Indian naval forces deployed nearby.

https://www.defstrat.com/magazine_articles/drone-motherships-make-debut/

• Using modular payloads, the motherships can rapidly resupply and return the USV/UUV back into the fight and ensure that force presence is effective in the theatre.

Production Capability

• While MDL and GRSE are expected to be occupied with P 17B, P 18A/B, Scorpene Follow-On, P 75I, NGC, etc and CSL with IAC-2 and NGMV, smaller shipyards like GSL and L&T Kattupalli may be used to churn out these ships and deploy them by the early 2030s.

Or use your soft power (food grain, cheap medicines, culture, education) to get a base on some small island of Indonesia/Philipines/Malaysia and completely change the dynamics of any possible Chinese incursion.

The ideal situation would be a forward base even before the obvious forward base of Andaman & Nicobar, armed with the typical trifecta of BrahMos-SMART-LR-AShM; together these two would form a layered "filtration system" and also help in enforcing a choke point.

But obviously this might get into troubles because of multiple reasons like civilian protest or nearby nations objecting so atleast have a defensive, early warning base equipped with radars and listening arrays.

There are so many things that can be done but end of day it's just the question of how serious our institutions are.

 

[shade2]

There isn't much of resources available for IN vessels even on large databases, so obviously some Chill Guy had to step in

View attachment 22490​

Spoiler: NOTE

• These are not supposed to be accurate technical drawings, rather these are just scaled pictorial representation meant for things like size or number estimation.
• Only "combatants" were included; support or patrol vessels were intentionally omitted.
• Rajput, Brahmputara, Abhay and Khukri are more or less retired so left them. Also as this point adenosine has won over all the caffeine in my brain...
• In terms of future ships, NGC, NGMV and ASW-SWC were left and only S4 and Nilgiri were included as we still don't have much resource to do drafting.
• Feel free to use it however you wish, just credit when reposting
• Thak gaya hu Vro

Ab khush @shade2 ??

Great job my guy, the silhouettes look clean and sharp, did you draw them yourself?
I was thinking of using the drawings from shipbucket but those don't have the current Nilgiris and all.

 

[shade2]

This is actually a very good concept to bulk up LHDs without adding traditional VLS and all, the Turkans, Chings, Koreans already plan to launch UAV drones from their LHDs.

The Portuges have already ordered an LHD-like ship for drone-maxxing

Portuguese Navy signs contract with Damen Shipyards for innovative Multi–Purpose Vessel

www.spsnavalforces.com

For the oceanic research and monitoring scope of operations, the vessel will be equipped with laboratories and accommodation for scientific staff. For the naval support aspect, the Damen-built vessel will have numerous design features to enable such operations. This will comprise a stern ramp for UUVs and USVs (Unmanned Underwater Vehicles and Unmanned Surface Vehicles) as well as a 94x11-metre flight deck and hangars for UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles).

The new vessel will be classified by the Portuguese Navy as a Multifunctional Naval Platform (PNM). To fully match this vessel designation, Damen has collaborated closely with the Portuguese Navy to incorporate future-versatility into the design. This consists of a 650m² cargo deck and space for twelve 20-foot containers. Modular systems such as containerised hospital facilities, hyperbaric chambers, or ROV equipment can therefore be installed as required

This ship displaces only 7000 tons but it is a good concept, has all manner of drone deployment options, USV, UUV, UAV, wiki also says they have a catapult to launch fixed wind drones but idk

Damen unveils new Multi-Purpose Support Ship | Damen

Damen unveils the MPSS, a new ship co-developed with the Portuguese Navy. It supports drone tech and offers versatile, cost-effective solutions.

www.damen.com

 

[vampyrbladez]

This is actually a very good concept to bulk up LHDs without adding traditional VLS and all, the Turkans, Chings, Koreans already plan to launch UAV drones from their LHDs.

The Portuges have already ordered an LHD-like ship for drone-maxxing

Portuguese Navy signs contract with Damen Shipyards for innovative Multi–Purpose Vessel

www.spsnavalforces.com

This ship displaces only 7000 tons but it is a good concept, has all manner of drone deployment options, USV, UUV, UAV, wiki also says they have a catapult to launch fixed wind drones but idk

View attachment 22517

Damen unveils new Multi-Purpose Support Ship | Damen

Damen unveils the MPSS, a new ship co-developed with the Portuguese Navy. It supports drone tech and offers versatile, cost-effective solutions.

www.damen.com

Indian Navy can even look to L&T Kattupalli's Samarthak-class Multi Purpose Vessel for this role.

 

[shade2]

Indian Navy can even look to L&T Kattupalli's Samarthak-class Multi Purpose Vessel for this role.

This MPV is planned to deploy ROV/USVs but I was talking about something the size of an LHD.

Whenever it is not carrying troops, vehicles, landing crafts etc it can carry a similar load of USV, UUV and fixed wing UAVs, you could possibly have boat drone swarms on demand with such a setup.

The Belgians-Dutch-French have a similar drone mothership concept for Minehunting, they are actually building these ships

 

[vampyrbladez]

This MPV is planned to deploy ROV/USVs but I was talking about something the size of an LHD.

Whenever it is not carrying troops, vehicles, landing crafts etc it can carry a similar load of USV, UUV and fixed wing UAVs, you could possibly have boat drone swarms on demand with such a setup.

The Belgians-Dutch-French have a similar drone mothership concept for Minehunting, they are actually building these ships

A full size LHD is still some years away. CSL will possibly construct it alongside IAC 2.

In the meantime, a 8000-9000 ton small drone mothership with an MF-STAR AESA is easily doable.

The Al Fuk Class of the Qatari Navy is a perfect example.

 

[125mm_Smoothbore]

View: https://x.com/lca_tejas_/status/1881358078559621257

 

[Ayan Barat]

Great job my guy, the silhouettes look clean and sharp, did you draw them yourself?

Yup...things like Nilgiri, Vikrant or Tushil are perhaps getting drawn for the very first time.

Easier way was to use some AI tool to convert actual pictures into silhouette but those are good for selfies or portraits; in these kinds of small, fine detailed models you start to get just a blob of black paint (attached an image from Reddit). So went old school and drew everything using an advanced application from Microsoft called MS-Paint.

When there's images of NGC, NGMV and ASW-SWC then maybe I'll make one chart with all the ships of IN; like you occasionally see for USN or PLAN.

 

[shade2]

A full size LHD is still some years away. CSL will possibly construct it alongside IAC 2.

In the meantime, a 8000-9000 ton small drone mothership with an MF-STAR AESA is easily doable.

HSL and L&T can also construct them, both are the domestic shipyard partners for Naval Group and Navantia respectively for the 2021 LHD RFI so I don't think shipyard capacity is the problem here.

Problem is Navy not wanting to use their budget for LHD, perhaps they want to have a sizeable fleet of missile and torpedo firing warships on order first.

View: https://x.com/lca_tejas_/status/1881358078559621257

Like similarly they do not seem to have a sense of urgency in getting minesweepers, most likely because it will eat into their budget for warships.
A recent RFI for MCMV is also for the minehunter Mothership concept for which there is only one class of ship in production, all other vendors are still in planning and design phase.

 

[Bleh]

LMAO y'all have such high expectations from Indian Navy. They may be our better one but they're still ours!

Let me explain.....

Anyone here remembers her?

That flush-decked beauty was a 2800ton light-Frigate design GRSE blew my mind by suddenly coming up with completely out of the blue based on Kamorta class, for the Phillipines & Brazilian tenders. Without any support, they ofcourse list but it was valiant effort... very unlike Indians.

So what are we doing now?.. Did we go for a readymade design based on an existing platform with minor modifications. Ofcourse not. They probably forgot this exists & will take a decade to come-up with a NGC design while Kavaratti's drydock goes to rot.