With an anticipated investment of over ₹44,000 crore, India is going to revive the long-delayed initiative to build 12 sophisticated Mine Countermeasure Vessels (MCMVs) domestically, greatly enhancing its naval mine warfare capabilities. This action coincides with increased worries about maritime security, especially in light of Pakistan’s fast submarine fleet growth with Chinese help and the growing number of Chinese nuclear and conventional submarines in the Indian Ocean Region that are capable of covertly laying subsurface mines.
Due to the lack of a single minesweeper, the Indian Navy now has a serious capability gap. The Navy now uses “clip-on mine countermeasure suites” mounted on other ships as a stopgap measure, falling short of the Navy’s requirement for at least 24 dedicated MCMVs to protect India’s vast 7,516-km coastline, 13 major ports, and more than 200 minor ports. The previous fleet of six Karwar-class and two Pondicherry-class minesweepers was gradually retired several years ago.
Soon, the resurrected project will go to the critical “acceptance of necessity” (AoN) step before the Defence Acquisitions Council, which is chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Following this, Indian shipyards would be invited to make techno-commercial proposals through an open tender or request for proposal (RFP). After the contract is finalized, it is anticipated that the building of these boats would take at least seven to eight years, with delivery dates suggested to be between 2030 and 2037. To ensure greater involvement of local industry, the order is probably going to be divided in an 8:4 ratio between the shipyards with the lowest and second-lowest bids.
To find and destroy both moored and drifting mines, these new MCMVs will be outfitted with high-definition sonars, sophisticated non-magnetic hulls, and acoustic and magnetic sweeps. Additionally, they will include remote-controlled underwater vehicles that can safely detonate mines, greatly improving the Navy’s capacity to protect shipping routes, harbors, and vital marine infrastructure.
The strategic danger presented by both state and non-state actors, who have the ability to impede naval operations and maritime trade by planting undersea mines—an asymmetric weapon that is both affordable and simple to use—underlines the necessity of this purchase. regarding the past 15 years, the project has seen several setbacks and delays, including the cancellation of a ₹32,000 crore agreement with Kangnam of South Korea because of disputes regarding development strategy, prices, and technology transfer.
With 60 warships and boats now under construction and plans for an additional 31 warships, including new-generation frigates, corvettes, and stealth submarines, the Indian Navy is undergoing a major modernization effort. However, the Navy is only expected to have 160 warships by 2030 due to the sluggish rate of domestic shipbuilding and the decommissioning of older vessels, therefore the acquisition of these MCMVs is essential to preserving maritime security and operational preparedness.
In order to address a long-standing weakness in India’s naval defense and make sure the nation is better equipped to combat undersea mine threats in a maritime environment that is becoming more and more disputed, the ₹44,000 crore minesweeper project has been revived.
