Six Next-Generation Missile Vessels to Strengthen Indian Navy’s Future Maritime Combat Capability

Six Next-Generation Missile Vessels to Strengthen Indian Navy’s Future Maritime Combat Capability
Jitendra Kumar
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India is advancing the construction of a new class of naval vessels designed to add high-speed missile capability to the Indian Navy’s future fleet. The first Next Generation Missile Vessel reached a major construction milestone on September 18, 2026, when its keel was laid at Cochin Shipyard Limited in Kochi.

The Indian Navy has contracted CSL to build six NGMVs. The contract was concluded in March 2023, and construction of the first vessel began with steel cutting in December 2024. The latest keel-laying ceremony marks the next major stage in the process.

The NGMVs are intended to be fast, heavily equipped vessels capable of carrying advanced weapons and sensors. According to official information, the ships will have surface-to-surface missile systems, anti-missile defence systems, air-surveillance radars and fire-control radars.

The combination of these systems reflects the multi-role nature of the vessels. A surface-to-surface missile capability can support maritime strike missions, while defensive systems are intended to protect the vessel from threats. Surveillance and fire-control radars provide the information and targeting functions necessary for operating in a complex maritime environment.

The vessels are also expected to play a role in anti-surface warfare. This means they can be employed against surface vessels during maritime operations. Their planned missions also include local naval defence and the defence of offshore development areas, according to reporting on the programme.

Another reported feature is their high speed. The Times of India reported that the vessels are designed to achieve speeds of up to 33 knots. The combination of speed and weapons is intended to provide the Navy with a platform capable of responding rapidly to maritime situations.

The programme is also relevant to India’s maritime geography. The Indian Ocean Region contains important shipping routes, coastal areas, offshore installations and strategic maritime approaches. A modern navy therefore requires different categories of ships with different combinations of speed, sensors, weapons and endurance.

The NGMVs are not being developed as a replacement for every type of naval combatant. Instead, they represent a particular class of fast and weapon-intensive vessels that can contribute to specific maritime missions. Their planned capabilities give them a role within the wider structure of the Navy’s surface fleet.

The programme has a significant domestic manufacturing component. The Ministry of Defence says all major role-defining equipment for the vessels is being indigenously developed and manufactured. This is consistent with the government’s stated objectives of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India.

For India’s shipbuilding industry, the programme also creates an opportunity to develop experience in advanced naval construction. Cochin Shipyard Limited has been tasked with building all six vessels under the contract. The company has described the project as an entry into construction of advanced weapon-intensive platforms for the Indian Navy.

The project’s progress is already visible beyond the first vessel. While the keel of the first ship was laid on September 18, steel cutting for the second ship took place on September 17. This means two ships in the six-vessel programme have already reached separate construction milestones.

The programme’s financial value also underlines its scale. CSL said in December 2024 that the six-vessel contract was valued at ₹9,804 crore.

The NGMV project consequently combines operational and industrial objectives. It is intended to provide the Navy with modern high-speed combat vessels while simultaneously expanding India’s domestic capability to build and equip sophisticated warships.

The September 2026 keel laying is therefore an important point in the programme’s timeline. The coming stages will involve continued hull construction, installation of equipment, integration of weapons and sensors, trials and eventual preparation for induction.

Once completed, the six vessels are expected to form a new component of the Indian Navy’s surface combat capability, adding to the range of platforms available for maritime security and defence operations.

Journalist Details

Jitendra Kumar
Jitendra Kumar is an Indian journalist and social activist from Hathras in Uttar Pradesh is known as the senior journalist and founder of Xpert Times Network Private Limited.