Two warships & 12 platforms, but China racing ahead

The Indian Navy today commissioned two warships and is on course to add 12 platforms - warships and submarines - this year, a feat never accomplished before. In comparison, neighbouring China is racing to bolster its naval fleet, already the largest in the world.

China does not publicly release the number of ship addition, but the US estimates that Beijing, by the end of 2025, will have a Navy with 395 ships and submarines, an increase of almost 25 platforms. A report “China Naval Modernization: Implications for US Navy Capabilities — Background and Issues for US Congress” in May this year said: “The overall battle force of China’s Navy is expected to grow to 395 ships by 2025 and to 435 ships by 2030”.

The US will have 294 ships by 2030. US military officials and other observers have expressed concern regarding the pace of China’s naval shipbuilding effort, the report said.

In contrast, India’s naval fleet now has 135 ships and submarines and is projected to have 175 platforms by 2035, or less than half of what Beijing will have then.

India speeds up process

INS Udaygiri and INS Himigiri - the two warships commissioned today - are part of the Nilgiri class, a series of seven ships being made with a ‘new method’ of ship building called ‘integrated construction’.

This entails making various parts of a ship, particularly its hull, superstructure and internal systems in blocks of 250 tonnes each. The blocks are built with precision to allow cabling and piping to pass through when two set of blocks are welded together seamlessly. Artificial Intelligence is applied to arrive at a ‘sequencing’ of putting together a warship, including sourcing of material and production timelines.

Indian shipyards have improved their processes and are now producing a ship in six years, down from the earlier period of 8-9 years. The speed stems from changes carried out by the Naval Warship Design Bureau, which has introduced the latest technology, brought in new design-software, used artificial intelligence and modern construction techniques.

The design bureau uses a software to predict what a ship will look like when it is ready to sail. It predicts the turning radius, a ship’s sailing ability and its infra-red signature besides the ability to sustain in water and what sort of power it needs. The equipment, layout of machinery, fluid dynamics is also predicted.

The target is now to further reduce build times and make each of the last four Nilgiri class ships in five years each. The Dunagiri, Taragiri, Vindhyagiri and Mahendragiri are to follow.

12 platforms this year

After today’s commissioning, the Navy will have commissioned eight ships this year, while another four ships are lined up.

Out of the 12 platforms that the Navy is commissioning this year, 11 are ‘make in India’ while a lone ship has been made in Russia.

The commissioned ships include - The INS Surat a guided missile destroyer; INS Arnala to detect enemy submarines in shallow waters; The INS Nistar for deep sea diving and submarine rescue operations; The INS Vaghsheer a Kalavari class submarine; and the INS Nilgiri a stealth frigate. The INS Tamal a frigate was built at the Yantar shipyard Russia.

The four more listed for commissioning include two sister-ships of INS Arnala – the Anjadip and the Amini; Survey Vessel Ikshak; and a Diving Support Craft.