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INS Visakhapatnam, the lead ship of Project 15B stealth guided missile destroyers being built at Mazagon Docks Limited (MDL), was delivered to the Indian Navy on 28 October. The contract for four ships of Project 15B, as the Visakhapatnam class ships are known, was signed on 28 January 2011. This project is a follow-on of the Kolkata class (Project 15A) destroyers commissioned in the last decade.

Designed by Directorate of Naval Design, Indian Navy’s in-house design organisation; and built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd, Mumbai; the four ships are christened after major cities from all four corners of the country viz. Visakhapatnam, Mormugao, Imphal and Surat.

The keel of Visakhapatnam was laid in October 2013 and the ship was launched in April 2015. The design has largely maintained the hull form, propulsion machinery, many platform equipment and major weapons & sensors as the Kolkata class to benefit from series production.

The 163 metres long warship has a full load displacement of 7400 tonnes and maximum speed of 30 knots. The overall indigenous content of the project is approx. 75%. Apart from myriad indigenous equipment in the ‘Float’ and ‘Move’ categories, the destroyer is also installed with major indigenous weapons which include: –

• Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missiles (BEL, Bangalore).
• BrahMos Surface-to-Surface Missiles (BrahMos Aerospace, New Delhi).
• Indigenous Torpedo Tube Launchers (Larsen & Toubro, Mumbai).
• Anti-Submarine Indigenous Rocket Launchers (Larsen & Toubro, Mumbai).
• 76mm Super Rapid Gun Mount (BHEL, Haridwar).

INS Tushil frigate launched

The 7th Indian Navy frigate of P1135.6 class was launched on 28 Oct 2021 at Yantar Shipyard, Kaliningrad, Russia During the ceremony, the ship was formally named as ‘Tushil’. Tushil is a Sanskrit word meaning Protector Shield.

Based on an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) between India and Russia for construction of two ships of Project 1135.6 ships in Russia and two ships in India at Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), the contract for construction of two ships was signed between India and Russia in 18 October.

The construction of these ships is based on Indian Navy’s specific requirements to meet the entire spectrum of naval warfare in all three dimensions of air, surface and sub-surface. The ships with a potent combination of state-of-art Indian and Russian weapons and sensors are equipped to operate in littoral and blue waters, both as a single unit and as consort in a naval task force. They feature “stealth technology” in terms of low radar and under water noise signatures. These ships are being equipped with major Indian supplied equipment such as surface-to-surface missiles, sonar system, surface surveillance radar, communication suite and ASW system along with Russian surface-to-air missiles and gun mounts.

INS Vela Submarine delivered

The fourth submarine of the Project 75, Yard 11878, christened Vela, was delivered to the Indian Navy on 9 November. Project – 75 includes construction of six submarines of Scorpene design. These submarines are being constructed at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) Mumbai, under collaboration with Naval Group, France.

The submarine was launched on 6 May 2019, and has completed all major harbour and sea trials including weapon and sensor trials despite COVID restrictions. Three of these submarines are already in commission with the Indian Navy. Vela would soon be commissioned into the Indian Navy and enhance the Indian Navies capability.

INS Vikrant begins second phase of sea trials

India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC) Vikrant set sail on 24 October for the second sea trials, ahead of its planned induction into the Indian Navy by August next year. The 40,000-tonne aircraft carrier, the largest and most complex warship to be built in India, successfully completed a five-day maiden sea voyage in August.

Following the first sea trials, the Navy had said that the performance of key systems of the warship was found to be satisfactory. The warship has been built by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL).

The warship has been built at a cost of around ₹23,000 crore and its construction propelled India into a select group of countries having capabilities to build state-of-the-art aircraft carriers.

The warship will operate MiG-29K fighter jets, Kamov-31 helicopters, MH-60R multi-role helicopters. It has over 2,300 compartments, designed for a crew of around 1,700 people, including specialised cabins to accommodate women officers.

Vikrant has a top speed of around 28 knots and a cruising speed of 18 knots with an endurance of about 7,500 nautical miles, officials said. The IAC is 262 metres long, 62 metres wide and it has a height of 59 metres. Its construction began in 2009.

Eleventh P-8I aircraft received

The Indian Navy received the 11th anti-submarine warfare aircraft P-8I from the U.S.-based aerospace company Boeing, according to a statement issued on 18 October. A contract for eight P-8I aircraft was signed in 2009. Later, in 2016, India signed a contract for four additional P-8I aircraft.

The Indian Navy had received the ninth P-8I aircraft in November last year and got the 10th P-8I aircraft in July this year. The patrol aircraft is an integral part of the Indian Navy’s fleet and has surpassed 30,000 flight hours since it was inducted in 2013.

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The Indian Navy (IN) participated in the Second Phase of Multilateral Maritime Exercise Malabar along with the Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF), Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and the United States Navy (USN). The exercise was conducted in the Bay of Bengal from 12 – 15 Oct 2021. First Phase of the exercise was conducted in the Philippines Sea from 26 – 29 Aug 2021.

The Indian Navy’s participation included INS Ranvijay, INS Satpura, P8I Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft and a Submarine. The US Navy was represented by the Aircraft Carrier USS Carl Vinson along with two destroyers, USS Lake Champlain and USS Stockdale. The JMSDF was represented by JS Kaga and JS Murasame. The Royal Australian Navy was represented by HMAS Ballarat and HMAS Sirius.

The Second Phase of the exercise built upon the synergy, coordination and inter-operability developed during the First Phase of the exercise and focussed on advanced surface and anti-submarine warfare exercises, seamanship evolutions and weapon firings.

The Malabar series of exercises, which began as an annual bilateral naval exercise between India and the US in 1992, has seen increasing scope and complexity over the years. The 25th edition of Malabar, conducted in two phases, while observing all protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic, was reflective of the commitment of the participating countries to support a free, open, inclusive Indo-Pacific as well as a rules-based international order.

On the role of Malabar-2021, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), U.S. Navy, Michael Gilday, said that about 60% of global maritime trade passes through the IOR region, which includes 90% of the oil. The economy of any country depends on free and secure maritime trade and our vision is to hold such joint exercises to keep the oceans free and secure, he said.

The exercise not only opens up naval cooperation among the four countries but also makes trade in the region easier. It is one of the duties of the navy to provide free passage to the commercial trade and such exercises bolster the cause.

First Phase

The Quad countries — Australia, Japan, India, and the United States — participated in the first phase of Malabar naval exercises off the coast of Guam from August 26-29. This was the second time in a row that the exercise included Australia. Since 2015, Japan has been a permanent partner in the exercise.

In a press release, the Indian Ministry of Defence said that “Malabar-21 would witness high-tempo exercises conducted between destroyers, frigates, corvettes, submarines, helicopters and Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft of the participating navies. Complex surface, sub-surface and air operations including Live Weapon Firing Drills, Anti-Surface, Anti-Air and Anti-Submarine Warfare Drills, Joint Manoeuvres and Tactical exercises will be conducted during the exercise.”

Indian frigate INS Shivalik and corvette INS Kadmatt took part in the first phase. The two ships were already in the region as part of their scheduled deployment to Southeast Asia from August 9 onward. Prior to their arrival in Guam for the Malabar 21 exercise, the two ships were in Brunei for an annual exercise and professional interactions with the Royal Brunei Navy.

China’s Concern

China has looked at the growing Quad engagements, and the Malabar exercises in particular, with increasing concern. China has also stepped up its naval exercises. It carried out a live ammunition training near Guangdong in the South China Sea and off the northeast coast near Liaoning in the Yellow Sea and Bohai Strait. The exercises appeared to be conducted with the goal of sending a message of force and strength to the U.S. and its Indo-Pacific partners.

The fact that Australia has become a “regular” partner in the Malabar series of exercises is an indication of India’s hardening position as it pertains to China. 

In April 2021, the Quad plus France engaged in the La Pérouse exercise in the Bay of Bengal, reflecting the growing strategic convergence among a number of Quad-plus countries in ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific that is respectful of a rules-based order.  

China has been suspicious about the purpose of the Malabar exercise as it feels that the annual war game is an effort to contain its influence in the Indo-Pacific region.

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The Indian Navy is the largest foreign customer of the P8 platform. Apart from India, the US and Australia also use P8 aircraft. The Navy plans to have a total of 22 of these aircraft in the next few years to keep an eye on Chinese movements in the Indian Ocean Region, most importantly its submarines.

ALSO READ: NAVY MODERNISATION: Indian Navy to Get More P-8Is Surveillance Aircraft

Amid heightened Indo-China tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Indian Navy’s deployed its anti-submarine warfare aircraft in eastern Ladakh to carry out surveillance in the area. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has deployed all its frontline fighter jets like Sukhoi 30 MKI, Jaguar and Mirage 2000 aircraft in the airbases in eastern Ladakh and nearby areas.

The Indian Army had successfully used the P-8I aircraft to monitor Chinese movements along the border during the 73-day-long Doklam standoff. The aircraft were live-streaming data to support decision making during the Doklam face-off. The aircraft was also put to use “to keep an eye on movement of Pakistani troops after the Pulwama terror attack last year”.

The aircraft arrived at a time when the Indian Navy was holding the Malabar naval exercise in the Arabian Sea with its Quad partners – the US, Japan and Australia. India’s P8-I aircraft were also participating in the exercise.

Boeing’s P-8I aircraft, which is considered one of the world’s most advanced surveillance and anti-submarine aircraft, is designed for long-range anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.

Purchase History

In January 2009, Boeing was selected by the Indian Government to supply eight P-8I maritime reconnaissance aircraft to the Indian Navy. The contract also included an option for four P-8I aircraft. The Indian Navy was the first export customer for the aircraft.

The maiden flight of the first P-8I aircraft was made in September 2011. The official flight test programme of the aircraft began in July 2012. The second P-8I aircraft performed its first flight in the same month.

The first P-8I aircraft was delivered to the Indian Navy in December 2012. The remaining aircraft were delivered between 2013 and 2015. The eight P-8I aircraft, which were inducted into the Indian Navy are armed with Harpoon Block-II missiles and MK-54 light weight torpedoes.

The countermeasures for the IN aircraft are provided by directional infrared counter-measures (DIRCM) system and the electronic support measures (ESM) system supplied by Northrop Grumman. The DIRCM can protect the aircraft from incoming infrared guided missiles.

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approved the acquisition of four additional Boeing P-8I aircraft in mid-2016.

P-8I Design and Construction

The P-8I aircraft is based on the Boeing Next Generation 737-800 aircraft. The forward section of the under-fuselage houses an internal weapons bay. The wings are fitted with hard-points for carrying air-to-surface missiles.

The aircraft has a length of 39.47m, wing span of 37.64m and a height of 12.83m. The maximum take-off gross weight of the P-8I is 85,139kg.

The P-8I aircraft are produced by a Boeing-led industry team, comprising CFM International, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Spirit AeroSystems, BAE Systems and GE Aviation. The aircraft are being built at Boeing’s production facility in Renton.

The fuselage is built by Spirit AeroSystems in Wichita and shipped to Renton, for fabrication and final assembly. The flight testing of P-8I is conducted from Boeing Field in Seattle. The final design review was concluded in July 2010 and production of the P-8I began in December 2010. The final assembly of the first aircraft was completed in August 2011.

The P-8I aircraft is manned by nine crew members. The cockpit is integrated with primary flight display, multifunction displays, identification friend or foe (IFF), flight management system and stores management system.

The aircraft is equipped with a CAE AN/ASQ-508A magnetic anomaly detection (MAD) system, APS-143C (V)3 multimode radar and a global version of the Raytheon APY-10 surveillance radar.

ALSO READ: Indian Navy’s P8I Moved To Ladakh

The APY-10 radar provides precise information in all-weather, day and night missions. The P-8I also integrates BEL Data Link II communications system, Avantel mobile satellite system and a speech secrecy system from Electronics Corporation of India (ECIL).

The internal weapons bay can house Mark 54 torpedoes, depth charges and free-fall bombs. The under-wing hard-points can be armed with air-to-surface missiles.

The P-8I aircraft is powered by two CFM56-7 engines supplied by CFM International, a joint venture between SnecmaMoteurs and GE Electric. Each engine provides a take-off thrust of 27,300lb. The engines are equipped with a new-generation full authority digital engine control (FADEC) system.

The P-8I aircraft can fly at a maximum speed of 789km/h and can reach a maximum altitude of 12,496m. The aircraft has a maximum range of 2,222km with four hours on station.

MiG-29K Trainer Aircraft Crashes

Indian Navy’s MiG-29K trainer aircraft crashed into the Arabian sea on 27 November. One of the two pilots on board the tandem-seat trainer was rescued, whilst the body of Commander Nishant Singh, a qualified MiG-29K instructor, was found on 7 December.

The jet had taken off for a sortie from India’s only aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya. MiG-29K – the Russian-origin fighter planes – operate from the deck of INS Vikramaditya, which had taken part in the recent Malabar naval drills involving the Quad navies of US, Australia, India and Japan in the northern Arabian sea.

The MiG-29KUB trainer was part of a fleet of 45 similar Russian fighters that have been problematic ever since their induction into service from 2009.

No distress call was seemingly raised by either of the two pilots of the ill-fated platform; an investigation was launched into the accident, which was the fourth since 2018 involving the IN’s fleet of MiG-29K/KUB fighters and trainers.

In February 2020, a single-seat MiG-29K had crashed whilst on a routine flight from its base at INS Hansa in Goa, and three months later a MIG-29KUB trainer was involved in an accident following a bird strike. Earlier, in January 2018 a MiG-29K had crashed after veering off the runway at Hansa, leaving a total of some 41 of 45 platforms in operational service presently, almost half of which are kept in reserve.

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Missions Sagar I and II, involving deployment of naval medical teams, medicines and humanitarian aid, received wide-spread recognition, reiterating India’s commitment to the region, extending support and succor to friendly foreign countries across the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

Mission Based Deployment

The Navy’s ‘Mission Based Deployment’ philosophy and rapid responses to emerging security challenges took it various choke points in the Indian Ocean. It remained continuously deployed to curb maritime piracy in the Gulf of Aden – 84 IN ships have been deployed in the region since 2008.

In addition to anti-piracy, owing to heightened tensions in the Straits of Hormuz, IN warships also remained deployed in the Gulf since June 2019, to reassure Indian merchant marine transiting the region. Naval ships have escorted 169 Indian Flagged Merchant vessels and 170 lakh tons of cargo under the aegis of Op Sankalp.

ALSO READ: Indian Navy to Get DRDO-developed Replacement for MiG-29K by 2032

Under the ‘SAGAR’ (Security And Growth for All in the Region) the IN participated in 13 bilateral and multilateral exercises, during 2020 including Malabar exercise, with US, Japanese and Australian Navies, contributing to enhanced cooperation and trust.

As part of the Government of India’s vision of ‘Neighbourhood First’, the Indian Navy undertook Joint EEZ surveillance with Maldives, Seychelles and Mauritius, as well as Coordinated Patrols (CORPATs) with Bangladesh, Thailand and Indonesia in 2020. IN ships were also deployed to undertake hydrographic surveys for friendly littoral countries, on their request, for about 130 days.

Humanitarian Assistance

The Navy continued to be proactive in rendering humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. INS Airavat provided succor to Madagascar in the aftermath of Cyclone Dianne in Jan 20. Airavat and Trikand escorted food shipments to Kenya and Somalia through piracy infested waters off East Africa, as part of the United Nations World Food Programme (UN WFP). The UN WFP, as you all know, also won the Nobel Prize this year. Nireekshakassisted the Government of Mauritius in salvage operations of grounded Merchant Ship Wakashio. Sahyadri was the ‘On Scene Commander’ for coordinating firefighting, salvage and towing operations of fire stricken oil tanker New Diamond off the East coast of Sri Lanka. The prompt response to these contingencies demonstrate our resolve to be the ‘First Responder’ in the region.

The Information Fusion Centre at Gurugram, commissioned in 2018, has established itself as the hub of maritime security information in the IOR, through white shipping exchange agreements with 21 countries and 20 Maritime Security centres. International Liaison Officers from 13 countries have been invited, and three ILOs have joined the centre, with three more likely to join shortly.

Modernisation and Acquisitions

Indian Navy’s commitment to ‘Self Reliance in Defence Production’ is evident from the fact that all 24 ships and submarines commissioned into the Navy over the last six years have been built in India. Further, of the 43 ships and submarines, currently under construction, 41 are being built at Indian shipyards. These include the Aircraft Carrier -Vikrant, P-15B Class Destroyers, P17A class stealth Frigates and Scorpene class submarines.

ALSO READ: NAVY MODERNISATION: Indian Navy to Get More P-8Is Surveillance Aircraft

Amongst these projects, Vikrant is at an advanced stage of construction and will commence sea trials in early 2021. Visakhapatnam, the first of the P 15B destroyers is undergoing trials and is scheduled to be commissioned in 2021. The Navy also commissioned the indigenously built Landing Craft LCU L57 in May 2020, and ASW Corvette Kavaratti in October. ‘Himgiri’, the second of the seven ships of P17A frigates was launched at GRSE, Kolkata on 14 December.

Modernisation of the submarine arm is also underway. The delivery of the third Scorpene (P75) class boat, Karanj, was expected by end-December; the fourth boat, Vela, was undergoing sea trials and fifth boat Vagir was launched on 12 November.

Naval Aviation

The Navy inducted three ALH Mk III, four Chetak, eight Dornier and one P8I aircraft in 2020. Contracts for procurement of six P8Is, six Kamov 31 helicopters and upgrade of six Heron RPAs were under process and likely to be concluded in 2021. The Navy also signed the LOA for 24 MRH helicopter from the United States through the FMS route in 2020, with deliveries starting next year.

Construction of a naval air station are planned during Phase IIA of Project Seabird at Karwar, which will include construction of eight operational and two refit piers, creation of a full-fledged naval dockyard and upgrading of the hospital at Karwar.

Indigenisation

IN has been at the forefront of indigenisation over the past seven decades. Indigenisation of major equipment and systems is being progressed through multiple avenues available in the updated Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020. The Indian Navy also established the Naval Innovation and IndigenisationOrganisation (NIIO) to facilitate closer interaction with industry and provide a fillip to innovation.

Capital Expenditure

Union Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik, on 27 November, said while addressing a virtual meet on opportunities at Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDSL), that he expected orders for surface ships and submarines to be executed from 2020 to 2030 by the Indian Navy to the tune of $51 billion.

He said that more than 60 per cent of the Indian Navy’s budget is dedicated to capital expenditure and nearly 70 per cent of this capital budget has been spent on indigenous sourcing, amounting to nearly Rs 66,000 crore in the last five years.

More than 60 major surface and sub-surface platforms being built for mainly the Indian Navy and the Indian shipyards.

Second Amphibious Brigade to be Raised

The national security planners are considering raising another amphibious brigade, one for eastern and western seaboard, for offensive operations in the future. As of now, India has one dedicated amphibious brigade, whose elements are spread between Thiruvananthapuram and Andaman and Nicobar Islands Command in Port Blair. The amphibious forces are specialised in launching a counter-offensive from sea using landing ship tank (LST) vessels such as INS Jalashwa and projecting power in the region and beyond. The planners are considering having one full brigade in Thiruvananthapuram, and the second stationed either at Visakhapatnam or AN Islands.

India’s island territories are at the heart of Indian Navy’s operational plan in the Indian Ocean as they dominate the major shipping lanes from Suez Canal and Persian Gulf to South-East and North Asia via Malacca Strait. The Indian Air Force fighter jets, armed with Brahmos missiles, can strike at any moving target in and around Malacca, Sunda or Lombard straits in the worst-case scenario. These three straits are the only way to access the South China Sea from Indian Ocean. Shipping costs mount manifolds if the ships have to be diverted from the Malacca Strait to other two straits.

Despite the strategic leverage that the island territories represent, the Indian Navy is still largely focused on Mumbai and Visakhapatnam with the AN Command left to the tri-services headquarters. With the military theatre commands in the offing, both AN Islands and Lakshadweep are going to be the hub of India’s maritime strike capabilities. Lakshadweep lies on the Nine Degree Channel, the most direct route for East Asia-bound ships from the Persian Gulf.

Given that India and the US have tied up for Indian Ocean Region with institutionalised tie-ups with American Indo-Pacific, Central Command and African Commands, the QUAD countries will project maritime surveillance and dominance in their region with assets communicating and sharing information through secure military communication channels among air, surface and underwater combatants made possible by the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement signed in 2018.

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The Navy had inducted eight Boeing-manufactured P-8I multi-role aircraft maritime surveillance aircraft under a $2.1 billion deal inked in January 2009, while the next four will be delivered from this November onwards under another $1.1 billion contract signed in July 2016. The Indian Navy currently operates eight P-8I aircraft that are based at INS Rajali, Arakkonam in Tamil Nadu.

The arrival of the second batch from the US will enhance the aerial balance and sub-surface surveillance in India’s favour. The maritime patrol aircraft, which specialises in tracking and hunting down enemy submarines with lightweight torpedoes and depth charges, are also operated by the US and Australian navies, which operate in coordination with India to keep track of ship movements.

Background

In January 2008, Boeing proposed the P-8I, a customized export variant of the P-8A, for the Indian Navy. It features two major components not fitted on the P-8A, a Telephonics APS-143 OceanEye aft radar and a magnetic anomaly detector (MAD). A deal was signed on 4 January 2009, by the Ministry of Defence with Boeing for eight P-8Is for $2.1 billion to replace the Indian Navy’s aging Tupolev Tu-142M maritime surveillance turboprops. It was Boeing’s first military sale to India and the P-8’s first international customer.

In October 2010, India’s Defence Acquisition Council approved the purchase of four additional P-8Is. Contract signature followed in July 2016 with deliveries expected to start from 2020.

Although a “letter of request” for six more P-8Is for around $1.8 billion was issued to the US for the government-to-government deal under Pentagon’s foreign military sales (FMS) programme in July 2020, now comes news that India is set to go ahead with a $3.1-billion deal with the US to acquire 10 Boeing P8I maritime patrol aircraft for the Navy to be processed under the foreign military sales (FMS) route. The additional planes will add to its surveillance capabilities in the Indian Ocean Region.

ALSO READ: Indian Navy’s P8I Moved To Ladakh

The Navy is keen to build up a fleet of 22 of these aircraft at the earliest and the contract will ensure a continuous supply over the next four years as older maritime reconnaissance assets (Russian origin) retire.

Induction and Deployment

Hansa is the base where the Indian Navy’s tryst with maritime surveillance began. After landing at INS Hansa, the P-8I will fly to INS Rajali for a temporary deployment.

The six new P-8I aircraft will have COMCASA-protected equipment, which are much more advanced and secure than the commercially available ones. The Sea Guardians also have such equipment like advanced Global Positioning System (GPS), Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) receiver and VHF system, which are immune to jamming and spoofing from enemies.

The deployment of the P-8I comes against the backdrop of China’s repeated forays into the Arabian Sea under the guise of anti-piracy operations. Beijing has established a presence at a string of ports in Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Iran and east Africa which could pose a threat to India.

Though the P-8I is a long range maritime surveillance aircraft, it has also been deployed during the on-going standoff with China in Ladakh as well as during the 2017 Doklam standoff. The Indian Navy has also deployed the P-8I for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations during cyclones.

The P-8Is were also deployed to keep an eye on movement of Pakistani troops after the Pulwama terror attack last year.

Tender for Landing Platform Docks Scrapped

The Indian Navy has scrapped a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the long-pending project to procure four Landing Platform Docks or amphibious warships at a cost of Rs 20,000 crore, nearly seven years after launching the acquisition process. The withdrawal was triggered by the Navy’s requirement of new specifications for the amphibious warships. The LPDs are used to transport troops, land warfare assets such as tanks, helicopters and vessels into a war zone by sea.

In a report tabled in Parliament, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), in September, had taken strong exception to the India Navy’s failure to conclude the contract to procure the LPDs even after deciding on the acquisition in 2010. The Navy had issued initial tender for the mega project in 2013.

The Indian Navy now plans to start a fresh bidding process for acquisition of the fleet.

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