India's Cochin Shipyard secures contract for six Next Generation Missile Vessels

Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) has secured a contract to supply the Indian Navy with six warships under the country’s Next Generation Missile Vessel (NGMV) programme.

The contract, which was announced in a stock exchange regulatory filing on 23 February, is estimated to be worth some INR100 billion (USD1.3 billion), said CSL. “The final announcement of the contract will be subject to the satisfactory completion of necessary formalities in this regard, which will be updated in due course”, the company added.

A request for information (RFI) for India’s NGMV programme was first issued by the Indian Navy's (IN's) Directorate of Ship Production in 2015. This initiative is likely seeking to replace the service’s fleet of ageing Veer (Tarantul I)-class corvettes, a number of which have been in service since the 1980s.

CSL has not disclosed the specifications of its offer, but the original RFI in 2015 called for single-hulled vessels with a draft of less than 5 m. The hull’s form factor should feature a low-radar signature and be constructed from DMR249A grade steel, although the superstructure may be of either steel or aluminium.

The NGMV should have an operating range of at least 2,800 n miles at sustained economical speeds and 1,000 n miles at maximum speed, which should be greater than 35 kt. The vessel should also be capable of sustained low-speed operations at 10 kt for eight hours. Each NGMV should be able to accommodate about 13 officers and 80 personnel of other ranks, for at least 10 days.