Indian Navy commissions three frontline naval combatants

Mumbai/Pune: Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated three frontline naval combatants INS Surat, INS Nilgiri and INS Vaghsheer to the nation on their commissioning at the Naval Dockyard here, coinciding with Army Day today.

This is for the first time that the tri-commissioning of a destroyer, frigate and submarine was being done simultaneously. The Prime Minister said it was also a matter of pride that all the three frontline platforms were made in India. He mentioned that the armed forces have identified over 5,000 items and equipment that will no longer be imported. He said today’s event was important from both military and economic perspectives.

INS Surat, the fourth and final ship of the P15B Guided Missile Destroyer Project, ranks among the largest and most sophisticated destroyers in the world. It has an indigenous content of 75% and is equipped with state-of-the-art weapon-sensor packages and advanced network-centric capabilities. INS Nilgiri, the first ship of the P17A Stealth Frigate Project, has been designed by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau and incorporates advanced features for enhanced survivability, seakeeping, and stealth, reflecting the next generation of indigenous frigates. INS Vaghsheer, the sixth and final submarine of the P75 Scorpene Project, represents India’s growing expertise in submarine construction and has been constructed in collaboration with the Naval Group of France.

Also read: Indian Navy to commission three frontline combatants on a single day in the ‘Year of Reforms’

Congratulating the Indian Navy and all the stakeholders involved in the construction work, he said, “Today’s programme links our glorious heritage with our future aspirations”. Modi emphasised the significant role of maritime nations like India in shaping global security, economics, and geopolitical dynamics. He further stressed the need to safeguard the region from terrorism, arms, and drug trafficking.

The Prime Minister highlighted that India’s defence production has surpassed ₹1.25 lakh crore and that the country was now exporting defence equipment to over 100 nations. He expressed satisfaction with the Navy’s significant expansion of the Make in India initiative, acknowledging the crucial role of Mazagon Dockyard. He mentioned the inclusion of 33 ships and seven submarines in the Navy over the past decade, with 39 out of 40 naval vessels being built in Indian shipyards. This includes aircraft carrier INS Vikrant and nuclear submarines like INS Arihant and INS Arighat.

The Prime Minister also referred to the 60 large ships, presently under construction in the country and valued at approximately ₹1.5 lakh crore. He emphasized that this investment would result in an economic circulation of around ₹3 lakh crore and a six-fold multiplier effect in terms of employment. Noting that most of the ship parts come from domestic MSMEs, he remarked that if 2,000 workers are involved in building a ship, it creates around 12,000 jobs in other industries, particularly in the MSME sector.

Meanwhile, in Pune, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the government was “leaving no stone unturned” to transform the Armed Forces into a modern warfare machine given the dynamic geopolitical world order and the constantly changing character of warfare. Singh spoke at ‘Gaurav Gatha’, an event organised today as part of the 77^th Army Day celebrations. He highlighted the increasing use of unconventional and asymmetrical methods in today’s warfare and exhorted the Armed Forces to always remain vigilant and ready to face any challenge.

“Conflicts and wars will become more violent and unpredictable. The emergence of non-state actors in many countries and their resorting to terrorism is also a matter of concern. Due to rapid technological advancements, future wars witness a change to a great extent. Cyber and space domains are rapidly emerging as new war zones. Along with this, a war of narrative as well as perception is also being fought all over the world. The military must focus on holistic capacity building and reforms,” he said.

– global bihari bureau