The Indian Ministry of Defence has signed contracts with local shipyards for the construction of 11 next-generation offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) and six next-generation missile vessels (NGMVs) for the Indian Navy.
The contract for the acquisition of 11 OPVs 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 and 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.
Meanwhile, the contract for the purchase of six NGMVs 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, according to the officials.
The primary role of the ships would be to provide offensive capability against enemy warships, merchantmen and land targets.
These ships will be capable of conducting maritime strike operations and anti-surface warfare operations and would be a potent instrument of sea denial for enemy ships, especially at choke points.
In a defensive role, these ships would be employed for local naval defense operations and seaward defense of the offshore development area.
The indigenous manufacturing of these vessels will encourage the active participation of Indian shipbuilding and associated industries, including MSMEs.
With the majority of the equipment and systems sourced from indigenous manufacturers, these vessels will be a flag bearer of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.