India Inks $5.6 Billion Deal For 8 Next-Gen Corvettes As Over 60% Of Fleet Tops 20 Years

India’s defense ministry has signed contracts worth more than INR 538.8 billion ($5.6 billion) with Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) and Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) for the construction of eight next-generation corvettes for the Indian Navy.

Though the programme is widely viewed as a capability addition, it is expected to address a pressing priority of replacing the oldest hulls before they leave service, says GlobalData, a leading intelligence and productivity platform.

GlobalData’s “Aerospace and Defense Fleet Size Dataset,” reveals that 41.2% of India’s corvette fleet has an average age of more than 30 years, while a further 23.5% falls within the 20 to 30-year age bracket. Only 35.3% of the fleet has an average age of less than 10 years.

The induction of next-generation corvettes is expected to support the replacement of aging surface combatants, including legacy Khukri-class and Kora-class vessels, while introducing more modern capabilities into the fleet.

This story was originally published by Marine Insight. Read the full story at Marine Insight →