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Indian Navy is continuing its modernisation drive with new warships, logistics vessels, maritime surveillance capabilities, strategic infrastructure expansion, and indigenous development of next-generation defence technologies
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The Author is Former Director General of Information Systems and A Special Forces Veteran, Indian Army |
On April 30, 2026, the indigenous stealth frigate INS 'Mahendragiri' equipped with a potent weapon system and cutting-edge sensor suite, sixth ship of Nilgiri-class (Project 17A), was delivered to the Indian Navy at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDSL), Mumbai. The delivery marks a "significant milestone" in achieving self-reliance in warship design and construction.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in a statement, "Project 17A frigates are versatile multi-mission platforms designed to address current and emerging challenges in the maritime domain. This state-of-the-art frigate reflects a quantum leap in naval design, stealth, firepower, automation, and survivability, and stands as an admirable symbol of Atmanirbharta in warship building."
Designed by the Warship Design Bureau (WDB), P17A frigates reflect a generational leap in indigenous ship design, stealth, survivability, and combat capability
Designed by the Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and overseen by the Warship Overseeing Team (Mumbai), P17A frigates reflect a generational leap in indigenous ship design, stealth, survivability, and combat capability. P17A ships are fitted with an advanced weapon and sensor suite as compared to the P17 (Shivalik-class). Mahendragiri (Yard 12654) is the fourth ship of this class built at MDSL.
"These ships are configured with Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) propulsion plants, comprising a diesel engine and a gas turbine that drive a Controllable Pitch Propeller (CPP) on each shaft, and a state-of-the-art Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS). The potent weapon and sensor suite comprises anti-surface, anti-air, and anti-submarine warfare systems," the MOD statement added. Mahendragiri is the sixth P17A ship to be delivered to the Navy in the span of less than 17 months from the delivery of the first P17A frigate (Nilgiri) by MDSL on December 20, 2024.
The Fleet Support Ship (FSS) are designed to play a pivotal role in sustaining extended naval deployments at sea, thereby enabling frontline combat ships to remain operational for prolonged durations without returning to port
The news comes amid reports that China will be equipping Pakistan with a fleet of advanced submarines as part of the growing defence cooperation between the two countries. The first of these, a Hangor-class submarine armed with state-of-the-art weapons and advanced sensors, was commissioned recently.
Concurrently, Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) in Visakhapatnam conducted the steel-cutting ceremony for the fifth and final Fleet Support Ship (FSS) ordered by the Indian Navy, marking a decisive milestone in strengthening India's blue-water naval capabilities. These vessels, each displacing over 40,000 tonnes, will provide critical replenishment at sea and support humanitarian operations, with deliveries scheduled to begin in mid-2027.
The FSS are designed to play a pivotal role in sustaining extended naval deployments; replenishing fuel, water, ammunition, and essential stores at sea, thereby enabling frontline combat ships to remain operational for prolonged durations without returning to port. They will also be equipped to support Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations. Additionally, they will facilitate Non-Combatant Evacuation Operations (NEO), enabling the safe evacuation of civilians from conflict zones or disaster-hit regions.
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) recently approved import of six more Boeing P-8I maritime surveillance aircraft with AN/APS-154(V) Advanced Airborne Sensor (AAS)
According to news reports of May 7, 2026, the Indian Navy plans to expand its existing airfield INS Baaz and make a naval jetty on Great Nicobar Island, approval for which is delayed by almost five years. Located at Campbell Bay on the Great Nicobar Island, INS Baaz is currently the southernmost air station of the Indian forces. The Naval jetty is also planned to come up in Campbell Bay.
Commissioned in July 2012, INS Baaz is primarily used for the Navy's Dornier 228 aircraft and can support the IAF's C-130J Super Hercules. Navy wants to expand the 3,000 feet airstrip to 9-10,000 feet, allowing P-8I maritime surveillance aircraft to operate directly from Great Nicobar. Once expanded, it can also allow operations of Navy's maritime jets, the MiG-29K; while few IAF squadrons of the Sukhoi-30 MKI and Jaguar also have a maritime role.
The Great Nicobar Island (GNI) Transhipment Hub, centre piece of the ₹81,000 crore mega-infrastructure project, is to come up at Galathea Bay. It is designed to be an International Container Transhipment Terminal (ICTT) that will compete with global logistics giants like Singapore and Colombo. INS Baaz, is positioned at the 'mouth' of the Strait of Malacca, and acts as India's first sentinel for the vital water body through which a massive portion of global commercial and strategic shipping passes. Hopefully, government sanction for expanding INS Baaz and for a naval jetty at Campbell Bay will be accorded to the Indian Navy soon.
Securing the AAS pod will allow Indian forces to continuously and accurately monitor strategic bottlenecks like the Malacca Strait, ensuring that no underwater vessels can slip through undetected during times of tension or crisis
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, recently approved import of six more Boeing P-8I maritime surveillance aircraft. This deal valued at roughly ₹28,000 crore, reaches up to $4 billion overall with long-term maintenance and weapons. According to news reports of April 26, 2026, the Indian Navy is actively negotiating to equip these additional P-8I aircraft with AN/APS-154(V) Advanced Airborne Sensor (AAS).
Built by Raytheon, this cutting-edge radar system represents a major technological jump, offering a revolutionary way to track hostile submarine activity across the vast stretches of the Indian Ocean. India's current squadron of 12 x P-8I aircraft is fitted with the standard Raytheon APY-10 multi-mission radar and a custom Magnetic Anomaly Detector (MAD). The AN/APS-154 is an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar that attaches to the aircraft's underside in a long, canoe-shaped pod; providing exceptional ground and sea mapping capabilities, including Ground Moving Target Indication (GMTI) and Maritime Moving Target Indication (MMTI), massively increasing the area the aircraft can monitor in all weather conditions.
Securing the AAS pod will allow Indian forces to continuously and accurately monitor strategic bottlenecks like the Malacca Strait, ensuring that no underwater vessels can slip through undetected during times of tension or crisis. The push to acquire this advanced sensor is driven by the rapidly changing security environment in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). With a noticeable surge in deployments of Chinese naval submarines and dual-purpose research ships in these waters, the Indian Navy requires stronger tools to maintain maritime dominance.
The Indian Navy has invited indigenous industry to develop 'Un-jammable Quantum Radar' for detecting stealth aircraft
According to another report of May 2, 2026, the Indian Navy has invited indigenous industry to develop 'Un-jammable Quantum Radar' for detecting stealth aircraft. This was announced during the National Defence Industries Conclave in New Delhi on March 17, as the 'Sovereign Quantum Radar' project under the ADITI challenge. Launched under the ADITI 4.0 (Acing Development of Innovative Technologies with iDEX) scheme by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, this highly ambitious initiative seeks to revolutionize target detection.
The government is offering a grant of up to ₹25 crore to the winning startup or micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) that can turn this concept into reality. The Indian Navy hopes to spark homegrown innovation that blends complex quantum physics with military application. The ultimate objective is to build a working prototype that uses quantum entanglement to track aerial threats that easily hide from standard radio-frequency radars. One of the most remarkable benefits of quantum radar is its natural immunity to electronic warfare.
Advanced jets like the F-35 or J-20 are specially shaped and coated to absorb or scatter traditional radio waves, making them appear tiny or invisible on radar screens. Quantum radar ignores these conventional reflection signatures altogether. Instead, it measures tiny disruptions in the entangled photons caused when a physical object passes through them, allowing the military to track aircraft specifically built to remain hidden. The ADITI 4.0 guidelines demand that the quantum radar perform effectively in challenging maritime conditions, cutting through heavy rain, thick fog, and sea spray.
