India’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) has approved a proposal to purchase an undisclosed amount of next-generation frigates (NGCs) for the Indian Navy worth up to $4.6 billion.
The Defense Acquisition Council (DAC) has granted “Accepted Necessity” (AoN) status to the NGC program, which will be led by a local shipyard, the Defense Department said on June 6.
The Defense Department did not provide specifics, but further noted that the NGC will be based on a “new internal design” capable of performing multiple missions, including surveillance, escort, deterrence, surface and underwater warfare, and coastal defense.
Local media reported that the Indian Navy plans to buy eight NGCs, although an early request for information (RfI) issued in 2016 indicated the purchase of as many as seven 120-meter-long vessels with a total crew of around 158 and a maximum cruise range of at least 4,000 nautical miles .
The NGC is also expected to be equipped with a variety of weapons and sensor systems, including main guns in stealth cupolas, surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), light torpedoes, active towed sonar arrays, and hull-mounted sonars. The ships will also be able to support a Navy helicopter.
It is understood that the Indian Navy operates around 20 frigate-class ships, although many of them are nearing the end of their useful life. The service is seeking to recapitalize this necessary capability, and earlier in February 2021, Cochin Shipyard was awarded a $1.3 billion contract to supply six frigate-sized Next Generation Missile Vessels (NGMVs).
Although the Department of Defense has not yet selected a prime contractor for the NGC project, several state-owned shipyards such as Cochin Shipyard, Garden Reach Shipbuilding and Engineering (GRSE), Goa Shipyard and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders are likely candidates given their construction experience By. Frigate class ships of the Indian Navy.
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