Indian Navy to induct 49 ships over five years

Visakhapatnam: In a major build up of India's naval strength, the Indian Navy will add 49 ships to its fleet strength over the next five years, flag officer commanding-in-chief of the eastern naval command, vice admiral Anil Chopra said Saturday.

Addressing a press conference on board INS Shakti, a fleet tanker of the Indian Navy on Saturday, Chopra said that the navy presently had 132 ships, including 14 submarines.

"49 ships and submarines, which are under construction, would be inducted in the next five years. Out of these, 45 are being built indigenously at the Indian shipyards, while four are being built outside India," Chopra said.

Some of the ships that to be inducted include the aircraft carrier Vikramaditya, which is being refitted in Russia. It would be stationed on the western seaboard in Mumbai.

Another aircraft carrier, designated the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC), being built at the Kochi shipyard, is likely to be stationed on the eastern seaboard with the eastern naval command here, he said.

"Other ships to be inducted include, three Shivalik class stealth frigates, four Kamorta class ASW corvettes, three Kolkata class project 15A, four project 15B ships, seven project 17A ships, three follow on 1135.6 ships, nine offshore patrol vessels, two cadet training ships," he said.