Project Alert: Next Generation Missile Vessels

Defence Program: Next Generation Missile Vessels

For Defence Service: Indian Navy

RFI Issued: 2 January 2015

Quantity: 6 Nos.

Estimated Cost: Rs 9,805 Crores (Approx. Rs 1.2 billion)

Cost Per Unit: Rs 1,634 crore (US$ 220 Million)

Category: Buy & Make (Indian)

Current Status: Contract has been awarded to Cochin Shipyard in March 23

Project Brief

The Next Generation Missile Vessels (NGMVs) are a planned class of anti-surface warfare corvettes for the Indian Navy.

Under this programme the Indian Navy intended to acquire six advanced missile vessels.

Subsequently, on 2 January 2015 the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) issued a Request for Information (RFI) under ‘Buy & Make (Indian)’ category of the Defence Procurement Policy 2013 for six new missile corvettes by initiating Next Generation Missile Vessels (NGMV) programme.

The main aim of the RFI was to finalise the specifications, contours, and profile of the NGMVs to meet Indian Navy’s futuristic requirements after which the requests for proposal will be issued to the selected vendors.

Also, the RFI stipulated that the responses from Vendors that meet certain minimum qualifying criteria including the key stipulations that it should be a shipyard that has built vessel(s) of similar types and specifications will only be entertained.

Subsequently, a tender / RFP was issued by the Government of India in 2020 to various Indian shipyards seeking for various warships including six missile boats.

On 23 February 2021, Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) won the bid to construct 6 Next Generation Missile Vessels (NGMV) for a cost Rs 9,805 Crores.

And, finally on 30 March 2023, MoD signed the contract for acquisition of six NGMV with CSL.

This marks CSL’s entry into advanced weapon intense platforms.

The delivery of ships is scheduled to commence from March 2027.

The NGMVs would be heavily armed war vessels incorporating stealth, high speed, and offensive capability.

These ships will be capable of conducting Maritime Strike Operations, Anti Surface Warfare Operations and would be a potent instrument of sea denial for enemy ships especially at choke points.

In defensive role, these ships would be employed for Local Naval Defence operations and seaward defence of Offshore Development Area.

The construction of these ships will generate an employment of 45 lakh man-days over a period of nine years.

RFI Details

The RFI suggests that ships will be about 2,200-2,800 tonnes each, and will have a complement of 11 officers, 2 trainee officers and 80 sailors.

Further, the range will be at least 2,800 nautical miles (5,200 km; 3,200 mi) (1,000 nmi; 1,900 km; 1,200 mi at full speed) and speed performance will be 25 knots (46 km/h; 29 mph) (max speed of 35 knots; 65 km/h; 40 mph).

The ships will carry eight surface-to-surface missiles, a full-fledged surface-to-air missile (SAM) system with point defence capabilities and a 15 km (9.3 mi) range MR gun system.

Besides, the ships will also have radar and electro-optically (EO) guided close-in weapon systems (CIWS) with 360-degree anti-missile defence.

Further, the ships in this class will be armed with Anti-ship missile or Land-attack missile like BrahMos.

Ships under this class will feature advanced stealth features like a low radar cross section (RCS), infrared, acoustic and magnetic signatures.

General Characteristics (NGMV)

Type: ASuW

Displacement: 2200 tonnes

Length: 105 m (344 ft 6 in)

Beam: 13.0 m (42 ft 8 in)

Draught < 5.0 m (16 ft 5 in)

Propulsion: CODAG

2× Rolls-Royce MT30

× MAN 2MW diesel engines

Speed: 35 knots (65 km/h; 40 mph)

Range:

2,800 nmi (5,200 km; 3,200 mi) at 25 kn (46 km/h; 29 mph)

1,000 nmi (1,900 km; 1,200 mi) at 35 kn (65 km/h; 40 mph)

Endurance: 10 days at maximum speed

Boats & landing craft carried: 1 × RIB 4.7m

Complement: 80 sailors and 13 officers

Sensors and processing systems:         

1 × 3Ts-25E Garpun-B surface search radar

1 × EL/M-2248 MF-STAR S-Band AESA radar

Electronic warfare & decoys: Chaff decoy system

Armament:

1 X OTO Melara 76 mm Super Rapid Gun Mount (SRGM)-Manufacture by BHEL

2 x AK-630M CIWS

32 × VL-SRSAM

8 × VLS launched BrahMos

Current Status

As of now the contract has been awarded to Cochin Shipyard on 3oth March 23 and deliveries will begin from March 2027. 

Image Source: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/