India to purchase 11 Next Gen OPV & 6 Next Gen missile vessels.

According to information published by the Indian MoD on April 4, 2023, the Ministry of Defence signed contracts with Indian shipyards for the acquisition of 11 Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels and six Next Generation Missile Vessels at an overall cost of approx. Rs 19,600 crore.
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Signature of the contract between the Naval Shipyards on the Indian MoD. (Picture source: Cochin Shipyard)

The contract for the acquisition of 11 Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels under Buy (Indian-IDDM) category was signed with Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata at a total cost of Rs 9,781 crore.

Of the 11 ships, seven will be indigenously designed, developed & manufactured by GSL and four by GRSE. The delivery of the ships is scheduled to commence from September 2026.

The acquisition of these ships will enable the Indian Navy to maintain its combat capability and meet various operational requirements such as Anti-Piracy, Counter-Infiltration, Anti-Poaching, Anti-Trafficking, Non-Combatant Evacuation Operations, Search and Rescue (SAR), Protection of Offshore Assets etc. The construction of these ships will generate an employment of 110 lakh man-days over a period of seven and half years.

Next Generation Missile Vessels

The contract for acquisition of six Next Generation Missile Vessels (NGMV) was signed with Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) at a cost of Rs 9,805 crore. The delivery of ships is scheduled to commence from March 2027.

The NGMVs would be heavily armed war vessels incorporating stealth, high speed and offensive capability. The primary role of the ships would be to provide offensive capability against enemy warship, merchantmen and land targets.

These ships will be capable of conducting Maritime Strike Operations, Anti Surface Warfare Operations and would be a potent instrument of sea denial for enemy ships, especially at choke points.

In defensive role, these ships would be employed for Local Naval Defence operations and seaward defence of Offshore Development Area. The construction of these ships will generate an employment of 45 lakh man-days over a period of nine years.

The vessels will have a displacement of 2,200 tonnes and are 105 meters (344 feet 6 inches) in length, with a beam of 13.0 meters (42 feet 8 inches) and a draft of less than 5.0 meters (16 feet 5 inches).

They will be powered by a Combined Diesel and Gas turbine (CODAG) system, consisting of two Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbines and four MAN 2MW diesel engines, giving them a top speed of 35 knots (65 km/h, 40 mph) and a range of 2,800 nautical miles (5,200 km, 3,200 mi) at 25 knots (46 km/h, 29 mph) or 1,000 nautical miles (1,900 km, 1,200 mi) at 35 knots (65 km/h, 40 mph). The ships will have an endurance of 10 days at maximum speed.

The vessels will carry one rigid inflatable boat (RIB) with a length of 4.7 meters and will have a crew complement of 80 sailors and 13 officers. They will be equipped with various sensors and processing systems, including a 3Ts-25E Garpun-B surface search radar and an EL/M-2248 MF-STAR S-Band AESA radar, as well as a chaff decoy system for electronic warfare.

In terms of armament, the ships will be equipped with one OTO Melara 76 mm Super Rapid Gun Mount (SRGM), two AK-630M close-in weapon systems (CIWS), 32 VL-SRSAM missiles, 8 VLS launched BrahMos missiles, and a very short-range air defense system (VSHORAD).