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Navy Ships & Submarines

Defence GK · नौसेना जहाज और पनडुब्बी

📋Quick Overview

The Indian Navy is the world's 7th largest navy by fleet strength. It is led by the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) with the rank of Admiral. Navy Day is celebrated on December 4 — to commemorate Operation Trident (1971) when INS Nipat, Nirghat and Veer struck Karachi port. India now has 2 aircraft carriers (Vikrant + Vikramaditya), 1 operational SSBN (Arihant), and 16 conventional submarines.

INS Vikrant (2022) is India's first INDIGENOUSLY built aircraft carrier — built at Cochin Shipyard, commissioned September 2, 2022. It displaces 45,000 tonnes and can carry 30+ aircraft.

📖Navy Commands & HQ

CommandHQArea of Responsibility
Western Naval CommandMumbai (Naval Dockyard)Arabian Sea, West coast, Pakistan
Eastern Naval CommandVisakhapatnamBay of Bengal, East coast, China
Southern Naval CommandKochiTraining command; Indian Ocean
Andaman & Nicobar CommandPort BlairTri-service command — India's only one

📖Aircraft Carriers

ShipOriginCommissionedKey Facts
INS VikramadityaFormer Soviet Admiral GorshkovNov 201345,000 tonnes; Kiev-class; refit at Russia; MiG-29K fighters
INS Vikrant (IAC-1)Indigenous — Cochin ShipyardSep 2, 202245,000 tonnes; 1st indigenous carrier; MiG-29K + Tejas Marine

📖Submarines — Nuclear & Conventional

SubmarineTypeCommissionedDetails
INS ArihantSSBN (Nuclear ballistic)Aug 2016India's 1st indigenous nuclear submarine; K-15/K-4 SLBMs
INS ArighatSSBN (Nuclear ballistic)Aug 20242nd SSBN; larger than Arihant; K-4 missiles
INS ChakraSSN (Nuclear attack)Leased Russia 2012Akula-II class; SSN (no ballistic missiles); returned 2022
INS KalvariConventional (Scorpène-class)Dec 2017First of 6 Scorpène submarines; French design; MDL Mumbai built

📖Key Warships — Destroyers & Frigates

  • Project 15B (Visakhapatnam-class Destroyers): INS Visakhapatnam, INS Mormugao, INS Imphal, INS Surat — most advanced destroyers
  • Project 17A (Nilgiri-class Frigates): INS Nilgiri, INS Himgiri, INS Udaygiri — stealth frigates
  • India has 16+ conventional submarines including Sindhughosh-class (Kilo), Shishumar-class (Type 209), and Kalvari-class (Scorpène)
  • INS Chennai is India's largest destroyer (Project 15A — Kolkata-class)
  • INS Tabar, INS Trishul, INS Talwar — Talwar-class frigates (Russian Krivak III class)

📝Exam Corner — Most Asked

📝Quick Revision — 15 One-Liners