The Indian Navy is the maritime branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy. As a blue-water navy, it operates significantly in the Persian Gulf Region, the Horn of Africa, the Strait of Malacca, and routinely conducts anti-piracy operations and partners with other navies in the region. It also conducts routine two to three month-long deployments in the South and East China seas as well as in the western Mediterranean sea simultaneously.
The primary objective of the navy is to safeguard the nation's maritime borders, and in conjunction with other Armed Forces of the union, act to deter or defeat any threats or aggression against the territory, people or maritime interests of India, both in war and peace. Through joint exercises, goodwill visits and humanitarian missions, including disaster relief, the Indian Navy promotes bilateral relations between nations.
As of June 2019, the Indian Navy has 67,252 active[5] and 75,000 reserve personnel in service and has a fleet of 150 ships and submarines, and 300 aircraft.[6][7] As of September 2022, the operational fleet consists of 2 active aircraft carriers and 1 amphibious transport dock, 4 landing ship tanks, 8 landing craft utility, 12 destroyers, 12 frigates, 2 ballistic missile submarines, 16 conventionally-powered attack submarines, 18 corvettes, one mine countermeasure vessel, 4 fleet tankers and numerous other auxiliary vessels, small patrol boats and sophisticated ships. It is considered as a multi-regional power projection blue-water navy.[8][9]
- ^ Bhatia 1977, pp. 28.
- ^ "Genesis of Indian Navy". Retrieved 8 January 2022.
- ^ "Strength of Defence Forces". Retrieved 31 July 2024.
- ^ The International Institute of Strategic Studies (14 February 2017). The Military Balance 2017. Routledge, Chapman & Hall, Incorporated. ISBN 9781857439007.
- ^ "Strength of Defence Forces". pib.gov.in. 24 July 2019. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
- ^ Dutta, Amrita Nayak (18 November 2020). "Hit by budget crunch, Indian Navy now plans to buy 2 Landing Platform Docks instead of 4". ThePrint. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
[...] current strength of 150 ships and submarines.
- ^ "FAQ | Department Of Defence". www.mod.gov.in. Retrieved 27 November 2020.
Q 1. What are the current Force Levels of the Indian Navy? [...] Ans. The Indian Navy's present force level comprises about 150 ships and submarines. [...]
- ^ Todd, Daniel; Lindberg, Michael (1996). Navies and Shipbuilding Industries: The Strained Symbiosis. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 56–57. ISBN 9780275953102. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
- ^ Kirchberger, Sarah (2015). Assessing China's Naval Power: Technological Innovation, Economic Constraints, and Strategic Implications. Heidelberg: Springer. p. 60. ISBN 9783662471272. OCLC 911616881.