Indian Navy to add 47 ships in 3 yrs, host 3rd International Fleet Review at Vizag in February

New Delhi: The Indian Navy is adding nearly 50 ships and submarines in three years boosting its strength, a top official said here on Friday, emphasising that force keeps a close eye on “40-50 ships” that operate in the Indian Ocean region at any point of time.

“We have inducted 10 ships and a submarine so far, and four more are expected before Dec 31. Next year, we will have 19 vessels and in 2027, we are scheduled to have 13 more ships,” Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, Vice Chief of the Navy said here.

The acquisitions are in tune with the Navy’s plan to become a major blue water force with 175 ships and submarines by 2035.

China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy, however, is a bigger force with over 300 surface combatants and submarines with an expanding footprint in the Indian Ocean, through which nearly half of the global trade and energy passes through.

Vice Admiral Vatsayan flagged continuous presence of “extra-regional powers” and 40-50 foreign ships in the Indian Ocean at any given time as major challenges, but asserted that the navy monitors these vessels all the time.

On the presence of a Chinese research vessel in recent months to watch Indian missile tests, he said, “Maritime domain awareness is to have information about how many ships are in our area of interest. This includes merchant vessels, fishing, coast guard and naval vessels and is not limited to just China or any specific country... Yes, the Chinese ship that came was a monitoring ship. But we knew when it entered, we knew where it was.”

Asked about a US ship that was present in Sri Lankan waters, he said it was not much of concern to India because it was not a monitoring ship.

Vice Admiral Vatsayan said in keeping with the Navy’s growing aspirations, India will be hosting three major international events at Visakhapatnam in February, 2026 including India’s third International Fleet Review for which more than 50 countries have already confirmed participation.

Both Russia and the USA would participate with ships and aircraft. Quad partners Japan and Australia too would be present along ASEAN members and India’s neighbours. A final count on the country participation would come closer to the event.

President Droupadi Murmu will review the fleet on Feb 18. Even though the Indian Navy has been conducting fleet review since 1953, the first international fleet review was held in 2001 followed by the second one in 2016.

Along with the fleet review, there will be Milan 2026, a multi-nation naval exercise, which will have a complex sea-phase and a conclave of the navy chiefs from Indian Ocean rim countries.