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India pushes to top 200 warships as China and Pakistan expand fleets
The navy is commissioning domestically built INS Mahendragiri, the sixth Nilgiri-class ship, and plans more Nilgiri-class and next generation vessels as about 50 ships are still under construction.
India is accelerating plans to expand its navy to more than 200 ships within the next decade, driven by growing concerns in the Indian Ocean as China grows its fleet and Pakistan takes delivery of advanced Chinese-built attack submarines, according to SCMP Economy.
Analysts cited this month’s commissioning of the stealth frigate INS Mahendragiri and the submarine hunter INS Malvan as evidence that India can scale up warship production while reducing reliance on foreign suppliers.
SCMP Economy reports Mahendragiri is the sixth Nilgiri-class ship to enter service, with a seventh ship, Vindhyagiri, expected within months. The navy also has seven or eight next generation warships, code-named Project-17 Bravo, already queued.
India’s navy currently numbers around 150 vessels, with about 135 considered frontline combatants such as frigates, destroyers, and submarines. Roughly 50 additional ships are under construction.