Towards Self-Reliance|2020

Yunus Dar

Addressing the annual press conference ahead of the Navy Day in New Delhi, Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh said the long-term plan of the Indian Navy is to have three aircraft carriers. He also revealed that the nation’s first indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC-1) will be operational by 2022, and will be armed with MiG-29K aircraft.

The Navy Chief said that despite a reduction in the force’s budget from 18-13 per cent in five years, the navy is fully committed to its modernisation projects, and the shortfall will not impact its preparedness. He added that the force is fully committed to ‘Make in India’ vision.

Speaking to reporters on December 3, the Navy Chief confirmed that 41 more ships were ordered and work on aircraft carriers was ongoing. He added, “50 warships and submarines of the Indian Navy are under construction, of which 48 are on order in Indian shipyards.”

Talking about the status of projects under ‘Make in India’, he said that since December 2018, about 88 per cent of the navy’s contracts and acceptance of necessity (AoN) by value have been successfully concluded with, or accorded to the vendors.

The Navy Chief emphasised that the force had been committed to self-reliance since Independence, and continues to push for indigenisation in all domains. He said, “Our commitment to this pursuit is seen by the fact that out of 50 ships and submarines currently under construction, 48 are being built in Indian shipyards. These include the aircraft carrier Vikrant, P-15 bravo class destroyers, P-17 alpha class stealth frigates, Offshore Patrol Vehicles and Scorpene Class submarines.”

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