Sham no Varunah: India begins its total dominance in the seas

The 19th century was for English, the 20th century was for Americans and the 21st century will be for Indians. A young population, growing economy, and strong defence power are paving the way to make this century India’s century. On its way to becoming the Vishwaguru of the world, India also needs to be capable of defending its integrity & interest from enemies. Concerning the same, the nation is writing a new chapter daily in its list of weapons to make itself capable of facing any eventuality

In the latest addition of defence empowerment, the Indian navy inducted two frontline warships ‘Surat’ and ‘Udaygiri’ on May 17, 2022. ‘Surat’ is the fourth Guided Missile Destroyer of the P15B class, while ‘Udaygiri’ is the second Stealth Frigate of P17A class. Both warships have been designed in-house by the Directorate of Naval Design (DND) and built at Mazagon Docks Limited (MDL).

INS Surat

The Project 15B class of ships are the next-generation stealth guided-missile destroyers of the Indian Navy. ‘Surat’ is the fourth ship of the project Destroyers and is named after the commercial capital of the state of Gujarat. The nomenclature of INS Surat is in connection to Surat’s rich maritime & shipbuilding history and vessels built in the city during the 16th and 18th centuries which were known for their longevity of more than 100 years.

INS Udaygiri

P17A Frigates are warships that are follow-on class of the P17 (Shivalik Class) Frigates with improved stealth features, advanced weapons & sensors, and platform management systems. Seven P17A Frigates are under various stages of construction at MDL and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE).

Udaygiri Frigates is the reincarnation of erstwhile Udaygiri, the Leander Class ASW Frigates which was in the service of the Indian navy from 1976 to 2007. The Frigates is the third ship of Project 17A Frigates.

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Pacing the Navy warship inductions

The growing Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean & constantly changing geopolitical situations are creating a compulsion on India to independently stand on its own to defend its interests and remain the overall ‘security provider’ in the region.

Working on the philosophy of modernization and indigenization, the nation is rapidly increasing its defence arsenal. In consonance with this, the Indian navy will induct its first indigenously developed under Project 71, aircraft carrier INS Vikrant in august 2022. Further Project-75 for the acquisition of six ships of Kalvari-class diesel-electric attack submarines, Project 75I is envisaged to indigenously construct submarines with a state-of-the-art air-independent propulsion system.

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According to a report of the US Defense Department, China with about 355 ships and submarines is the largest navy in the world and its constant intrusion into the Indo-Pacific region is proof that the Dragon wants to increase its Navy might in the region which is obviously grave concern for India.

Currently running with about 140 ships & submarines, India is rapidly pacing its capacity and with the addition of about 40 more vessels in a few years, the navy will be building its strong line of defence in Indo-pacific.

A race of weapon acquisition is developing between India & China and from the Himalayas to the Indian ocean, the nation has kept the Chinese in check. Further, with the state-of-the-art weapon system and strong defence forces, the Elephants look ready to walk in the 21st century.