India’s three new naval ships boost maritime firepower

NEW DELHI — India has commissioned three domestically built naval vessels—a multi-role stealth frigate, an anti-submarine warfare platform, and a survey ship—as it accelerates both its naval modernization efforts and its push to design and build advanced naval platforms indigenously.

The most significant induction, which took place Sunday in the eastern city of Kolkata, was the stealth frigate named “Dunagiri.” One of India’s most advanced surface combatants, it is nearly 149 meters in length and displaces around 6,600 tonnes.

Equipped with advanced weapons, sensors and stealth technologies, the new warship is designed to perform air-defense, anti-surface, anti-submarine and long-range strike missions simultaneously.

In a statement, the Defense Ministry said the frigate represents a leap in indigenous warship design and combat readiness. “Built using modular construction techniques and armed with supersonic surface to surface missiles, advanced air defense systems, MR Gun, close-in weapon systems and advanced antisubmarine warfare capabilities, the frigate is designed for high-end operations.”

The warship is the fifth in a class of stealth guided-missile frigates inducted since last January. Armed with Brahmos cruise missiles, MF star radar, and Barak-8 surface-to-air missiles, these multi-role platforms will gradually replace aging warships. Two more frigates are scheduled for induction in the coming months.

The other two ships commissioned on Sunday will augment the navy’s capabilities in anti-submarine warfare and maritime surveillance. The increasing deployment of submarines by China and other countries in the Indian Ocean region has made these naval platforms are significant for New Delhi.

The anti-submarine warfare shallow water craft, Agray, is equipped with lightweight torpedoes, indigenous rocket launchers, and shallow-water sonar systems to detect, track and engage enemy submarines operating close to India’s coastline. The third vessel, Sanshodhak, will support hydrographic survey of coastal waters.

The three ships were built by a state-owned shipyard, Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers in Kolkata with about 75–80% domestic content, according to the Defense Ministry.

Building and designing naval vessels is considered one of the more successful achievements of India’s efforts to increase domestic defense manufacturing and reduce its massive reliance on imports. However, analysts point out that while India is constructing complex naval platforms at home, it still remains dependent on foreign suppliers for key technologies such as propulsion systems and naval radars.

“India has done pretty well in terms of designing warships, but it still has a lot to do regarding the propulsion package of ships. It is also import-dependent on big-ticket ordnance such as missiles, guns and heavy torpedoes and so on,” according to retired Commodore C. Uday Bhaskar, director of the Society for Policy Studies in New Delhi.

“In the frigate Dunagiri for instance, the guns are with Italian collaboration, the engines have come from GE (General Electric) USA. But what has been achieved is positive,“ he said.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized India’s goal of enhancing domestic defense production at the commissioning ceremony for the ships on Sunday. “Today India no longer wants to remain a mere buyer in the defense sector,” he said. “Our military power cannot become a market for the world, The definition of our power lies in self-reliance.”

The three new ships are among 19 vessels that India plans to add this year to enhance its naval prowess as protection of critical sea lanes becomes a priority amid rising geopolitical uncertainties. About 90% of India’s trade by volume and vital energy imports come via sea.

新德里——印度已正式启用三艘国产海军舰艇——一艘多用途隐形护卫舰、一艘反潜作战平台和一艘测量船——此举既加快了印度海军现代化进程，也推动了印度自主设计和建造先进海军平台的努力。

周日在东部城市加尔各答举行的最重要的入列仪式是名为“杜纳吉里”号的隐形护卫舰。作为印度最先进的水面作战舰艇之一，它长近149米，排水量约6600吨。

该新型战舰配备了先进的武器、传感器和隐形技术，旨在同时执行防空、反舰、反潜和远程打击任务。

国防部在一份声明中表示，这艘护卫舰代表着国产军舰设计和作战准备能力的飞跃。“该护卫舰采用模块化建造技术，配备超音速舰对舰导弹、先进防空系统、中程炮、近程武器系统和先进的反潜作战能力，专为高端作战而设计。”

这艘军舰是自去年1月以来服役的第五艘同级隐形导弹护卫舰。这些多用途平台配备布拉莫斯巡航导弹、MF星雷达和巴拉克-8舰空导弹，将逐步取代老旧军舰。另有两艘护卫舰计划在未来几个月内服役。

周日服役的另外两艘舰艇将增强海军的反潜作战和海上监视能力。中国和其他国家在印度洋地区不断部署潜艇，使得这些海军平台对新德里意义重大。

“阿格雷”号反潜浅水艇配备轻型鱼雷、国产火箭发射器和浅水声呐系统，用于探测、跟踪和打击在印度海岸线附近活动的敌方潜艇。第三艘舰艇“桑肖达克”号将用于支持沿海水域的水文测量。

据国防部称，这三艘舰艇由位于加尔各答的国有造船厂 Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers 建造，国产化率约为 75-80%。

建造和设计海军舰艇被认为是印度为提升国内国防制造业水平、减少对进口的严重依赖而取得的最成功成就之一。然而，分析人士指出，尽管印度正在国内建造复杂的海军平台，但在推进系统和海军雷达等关键技术方面，它仍然依赖外国供应商。

“印度在军舰设计方面做得相当不错，但在舰艇推进系统方面仍有许多工作要做。此外，印度在导弹、火炮、重型鱼雷等高价军火方面也依赖进口，”新德里政策研究协会主任、退役准将C·乌代·巴斯卡尔表示。

“例如，在杜纳吉里号护卫舰上，火炮是与意大利合作制造的，发动机来自美国的通用电气公司。但取得的成果是积极的，”他说。

印度总理纳伦德拉·莫迪周日在舰艇服役仪式上强调了印度提升国内国防生产能力的目标。他说：“如今，印度不再甘愿在国防领域仅仅扮演买家的角色。我们的军事力量不能成为世界的市场，我们力量的定义在于自力更生。”

这三艘新舰艇是印度今年计划新增的19艘舰艇中的一部分，旨在增强其海军实力。随着地缘政治不确定性的加剧，保护关键海上航道已成为当务之急。印度约90%的贸易量和重要的能源进口都依赖海运。