Three indigenous warships join Navy fleet as India accelerates naval expansion

In 2025, the Navy commissioned 14 vessels, including a submarine. The target for 2026 is to commission 19 warships. Taken together, this would mean that 33 ships will have been commissioned over a 24-month period, from January 2025 to December 2026.

Addressing the gathering, the PM said, “No nation can emerge as a major power without strong maritime capabilities. Further critical minerals, deep-sea resources and future sources of energy are increasingly connected to the maritime domain.”

“India fully understands this reality and is preparing itself accordingly,” Modi said, adding, “The strength of the nation’s military cannot be measured by its dependence on global markets, but by its ability to become self-reliant. Nations that manufacture become decisive players on the global stage.”

In a post on X, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh described the commissioning as a defining moment in India’s maritime capability development. Navy Chief Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, Navy officers and representatives of GRSE were among those who attended the ceremony.

The three commissioned warships have distinct operational roles. INS Dunagiri is the fifth of seven Nilgiri-class stealth frigates and belongs to the first class of Indian warships built using the integrated construction method, which enables faster and more efficient shipbuilding. The vessels are modular, ergonomic and have been delivered within the envisaged timelines.

Fitted with the latest weapons, sensors, BrahMos attack missiles and air-defence systems, INS Dunagiri has the ability to operate at sea for extended periods — a capability referred to in naval parlance as “blue-water” endurance.

The ship features enhanced stealth characteristics and combat capabilities, along with a reduced radar signature, advanced surveillance radars and electronic warfare suites. Its weapon suite includes the land-attack version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, surface-to-surface missiles and medium-range surface-to-air missiles.

INS Agray is a state-of-the-art next-generation vessel designed to detect and neutralise enemy submarines in shallow waters. The fourth ship of the Arnala-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft programme, it is part of a 16-vessel project worth nearly Rs 13,000 crore. Cochin Shipyard Ltd and GRSE have been contracted to build eight ships each. The primary role of these ships is to detect, track and prosecute enemy submarines, particularly in coastal and shallow water regions.

INS Sanshodhak is the fourth and final vessel in the Survey Vessel Large class. The hydrographic and oceanographic data generated by these ships are strategically important not only for naval operations, including submarine deployment, but also for civilian applications.

Equipped for coastal as well as deep-water hydrographic surveys, INS Sanshodhak can identify navigational channels for submarines and unmanned underwater vessels. It will also collect oceanographic and geophysical data for defence requirements and civilian uses such as seabed mapping and the exploration of critical mineral resources.