Project 28A: India Signs ₹53,866 Crore Deal for 8 Next Generation Corvettes

Project 28A Latest News

The Ministry of Defence recently signed contracts worth ₹53,866.50 crore with two state-owned shipyards for eight Next Generation Corvettes (NGCs) for the Navy under Project 28A.

About Project 28A

• It is the Indian Navy’s Next Generation Corvettes (NGCs) programme.
• Under the contracts, Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited (GRSE), Kolkata, will construct five corvettes, while Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) will construct the remaining three.
• It is the first project in which the ships will be indigenously designed by the Indian Navy and constructed by Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) selected through a competitive process.
• A corvette in the Indian Navy is a small, fast, and heavily armed warship ranked just below a frigate in size. 
• NGCs are designed for multi-role operations, including offensive Ship-to-Ship or Ship-to-Surface Missile Attacks, Anti-Missile Defences, Anti-Submarine Warfare Operations, Escort Duties, Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO) including Visit Board Search and Seizure, and Local Naval Defence. 
• The Indian Navy currently operates 18 to 24 corvettes in active service. 

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Features of Next Generation Corvettes (NGCs)

• These warships will be 127 metres long and 17.6 metres wide. 
• They will have a deadweight tonnage of 4,950 tonnes, with the capability of operating at sea without replenishment for 14 days. 
• The NGCs will accommodate 11 officers and 139 sailors. 
• The platforms will have a highly sophisticated propulsion architecture of a Combined Diesel and Gas turbine with a Cross-Connect gearbox (CODAG-CC), driving two Controllable Pitch Propellers (CPP). 
• Their maximum speed will be 26 knots. 
• The warships will be fitted with advanced weapons and navigation suites.
  • The proposed systems include Medium Range Anti-Ship Missiles, Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missiles (MRSAM) and 324 mm torpedo tubes. 
  • The armament suite will also include an OTO Melara 76 mm Super Rapid Gun Mount (SRGM) with the latest upgrade, an AK-630 Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) and 12.7 mm Stabilised Remote-Controlled Guns (SRCGs) integrated with an Electro-Optic-based Fire Control System (EOFCS).
  • The sensor suite will include an Electro-Optical Infrared Search and Track (EOIRST) system and a Multi-Function Surveillance, Track, and Guidance Radar (MFSTAR).
• The NGCs will also carry helicopters.

News: SENT