Master10
Defence & Security Module

Naval Warships, Submarines & Fighter Jets

India's power projection is anchored by aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines, and modern multirole fighter aircraft. The Indian Navy operates two aircraft carriers: INS Vikramaditya (modified Kiev-class commissioned in 2013) and INS Vikrant (IAC-1, India's first indigenously designed and constructed aircraft carrier, built by Cochin Shipyard and commissioned in September 2022). India completed its nuclear triad with the commissioning of INS Arihant in 2016, an indigenous nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) capable of launching K-15 Sagarika missiles. In aerial combat, the Indian Air Force operates the indigenously developed HAL Tejas (Light Combat Aircraft, a single-engine delta-wing multirole fighter) alongside French Dassault Rafale twin-engine multirole fighters equipped with Meteor beyond-visual-range missiles and SCALP cruise missiles, and the twin-engine Sukhoi Su-30MKI air superiority fighter.

Key Concepts & Examination Highlights

  • INS Vikrant (IAC-1), commissioned in September 2022, is India's first indigenously designed and built aircraft carrier.
  • INS Arihant is India's first indigenously developed nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), completing India's nuclear triad.
  • HAL Tejas is an indigenous single-engine, delta-wing multirole light fighter aircraft designed by ADA and manufactured by HAL.
  • The Indian Air Force inducted 36 Dassault Rafale 4.5-generation fighter jets equipped with Meteor and SCALP missiles from France.
  • Project 75 delivered six Scorpene-class diesel-electric attack submarines (Kalvari class) constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders.
  • INS Vikramaditya, a modified Kiev-class aircraft carrier acquired from Russia and commissioned in 2013, operates MiG-29K fighter jets utilizing a STOBAR ski-jump flight deck.
  • INS Arighaat, the second indigenous Arihant-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), was officially commissioned into the Indian Navy in August 2024.
  • Project 15B Visakhapatnam-class destroyers (INS Visakhapatnam, INS Mormugao, INS Imphal, INS Surat) are advanced stealth guided-missile destroyers built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders.
  • Project 17A Nilgiri-class frigates are stealth guided-missile frigates built with radar-absorbent materials and integrated superstructure designs at MDL and GRSE.
  • HAL Prachand is India's first indigenously designed Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), engineered specifically for high-altitude combat operations in Siachen and eastern Ladakh.
  • Sukhoi Su-30MKI is a twin-engine, two-seat multirole air superiority fighter manufactured under license by HAL, capable of launching air-launched BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles.
  • INS Vikramaditya operates Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery (STOBAR) flight operations using arrester wires to decelerate landing MiG-29K fighter jets.
  • INS Vikrant (IAC-1) was designed by the Indian Navy's Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and constructed by Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) in Kochi, displacing roughly 45,000 tonnes.
  • The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Navy successfully demonstrated arrested landing and ski-jump take-off capabilities from the flight deck of INS Vikrant in 2023.
  • The HAL Tejas Mk-1A fighter jet features advanced Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, an updated Electronic Warfare (EW) suite, and mid-air refueling capabilities.
  • The Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) is India's indigenous fifth-generation stealth fighter development program led by ADA and DRDO, featuring internal weapons bays and serpentine air intakes.
  • The Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter (TEDBF) is being designed by ADA and HAL as a twin-engine carrier-borne multirole fighter jet for future Indian aircraft carriers.
  • INS Kolkata, INS Kochi, and INS Chennai are Project 15A guided-missile destroyers equipped with the MF-STAR active electronically scanned radar and BrahMos cruise missiles.
  • The Shivalik-class frigates (INS Shivalik, INS Satpura, INS Sahyadri) were India's first indigenously designed stealth guided-missile frigates built under Project 17 at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders.
  • The Kamorta-class corvettes (Project 28), including INS Kamorta, INS Kadmatt, INS Kiltan, and INS Kavaratti, are dedicated anti-submarine warfare (ASW) stealth corvettes built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE).
  • The INS Sindhuratna and Sindhughosh-class diesel-electric submarines are Russian-built Project 877EKM (Kilo-class) submarines serving in the Indian Navy's submarine fleet.
  • The Boeing P-8I Neptune is a long-range maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare aircraft operated by the Indian Navy, equipped with radar, sonobuoys, and Harpoon anti-ship missiles.
  • The MH-60R Seahawk is a multi-mission naval helicopter procured by the Indian Navy from the United States for anti-submarine, anti-surface warfare, and search-and-rescue operations.
  • The MiG-29K is a carrier-borne all-weather multirole supersonic fighter jet operated by the Indian Naval Air Arm from the flight decks of INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant.
  • The Dassault Rafale fighters in the Indian Air Force are stationed at Ambala Air Force Station in Haryana (17 Squadron, 'Golden Arrows') and Hasimara Air Force Station in West Bengal (101 Squadron).
  • INS Delhi, INS Mysore, and INS Mumbai are Project 15 guided-missile destroyers built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders, which were India's first indigenously designed frontline destroyers.
  • INS Rajput (D51), the lead ship of the Kashin-II class destroyers acquired from the Soviet Union, served as the trial platform for BrahMos and Dhanush missiles before decommissioning in 2021.
  • INS Rana, INS Ranvir, and INS Ranvijay are surviving Kashin-II class guided-missile destroyers operating in the Eastern Fleet of the Indian Navy.
  • The Project 15B destroyers (Visakhapatnam class) feature high-strength DMR 249A steel and total atmospheric control systems (TACS) protecting the crew against nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) fallout.
  • INS Nilgiri (F33) was India's first indigenously built major warship (a modified Leander-class frigate), launched by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi at MDL in October 1968.
  • The Brahmaputra-class frigates (INS Brahmaputra, INS Betwa, INS Beas) are Project 16A guided-missile frigates built by GRSE, featuring indigenous combat systems and Trishul/Barak-1 SAMs.
  • The Kora-class corvettes (Project 25A) and Khukri-class corvettes (Project 25) are missile corvettes armed with Kh-35 Uran or P-15 Termit anti-ship missile launchers.
  • The Veer-class corvettes are fast attack missile craft based on the Soviet Tarantul-I design, constructed at MDL and Goa Shipyard Limited.
  • INS Kiltan (P30), a Kamorta-class anti-submarine corvette, features an advanced superstructure constructed entirely of carbon fiber composite material, significantly reducing weight and radar cross-section.
  • The Nilgiri-class frigates under Project 17A (including INS Nilgiri, INS Himgiri, INS Taragiri, INS Udaygiri, INS Dunagiri, INS Vindhyagiri, and INS Mahendragiri) utilize 3D integrated construction.
  • INS Shankush and INS Shalki are Type 209/1500 (Shishumar-class) diesel-electric submarines constructed at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders in Mumbai under a German HDW license.
  • INS Vagir, the fifth Scorpene submarine inducted under Project 75, is named after the Sand Shark and is optimized for anti-submarine, intelligence-gathering, and area surveillance missions.
  • INS Vagsheer, the sixth and final Scorpene-class submarine under Project 75, completed sea trials and joined operational naval service in 2024.
  • The SEALS (Sea Air Land) delivery craft and Swimmer Delivery Vehicles (SDVs) are midget submarine platforms developed for underwater insertion of MARCOS commandos.
  • The MiG-21 Bison is a third-generation supersonic interceptor aircraft operated by the Indian Air Force, slated for complete phased retirement by 2025.
  • The Mirage 2000 is a single-engine delta-wing multirole fourth-generation fighter jet manufactured by Dassault Aviation, serving with 1, 7, and 9 Squadrons of the IAF at Gwalior Air Force Station.
  • The SEPECAT Jaguar (Shamsher) is a twin-engine deep penetration strike aircraft (DPSA) operated by the IAF for low-level precision ground strike and maritime strike roles.
  • The Ilyushin Il-78 MKI is a four-engine aerial refueling tanker aircraft operated by No. 78 Squadron ('Battle Cry') of the IAF at Agra Air Base.
  • The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a heavy strategic military transport aircraft operated by No. 81 Squadron ('Skylords') of the IAF at Hindon Air Force Station, Ghaziabad.
  • The Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules is a four-engine tactical airlifter operated by No. 77 Squadron ('Veiled Vipers') of the IAF for special operations and high-altitude landings at Daulat Beg Oldi.
  • The Airbus C-295 tactical transport aircraft is being manufactured in Vadodara, Gujarat, under a joint partnership between Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and Airbus Defence and Space to replace the IAF's Avro HS-748 fleet.
  • The Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian is an advanced all-weather attack helicopter operated by the IAF and Indian Army, armed with AGM-114 Hellfire missiles and Hydra 70 rocket pods.
  • The Boeing CH-47F Chinook is a twin-engine, tandem-rotor heavy-lift helicopter utilized by the IAF for lifting heavy artillery howitzers (like the M777) and troop insertion in high-altitude Himalayan terrain.
  • The HAL Dhruv is an indigenously designed twin-engine Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) manufactured in utility, armed (Rudra), and civil variants by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
  • The HAL HTT-40 is an indigenously designed basic turbo-prop trainer aircraft manufactured by HAL for stage-1 flight training of rookie flight cadets in the Indian Air Force.
Curriculum & Reference Sources: Indian Navy Official Portal, Indian Air Force Official Portal, Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL)

Sample Solved Questions & Concept Explanations

8 Verified Concept Questions
Q1.EASY

What was the name of India's first indigenous nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) commissioned in 2016?

Q2.EASY

What was India's first aircraft carrier, which played a decisive role in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War in the Bay of Bengal?

Q3.EASY

What is the name of India's first indigenously designed and built aircraft carrier, commissioned in Kochi in September 2022?

Q4.EASY

What is India's premier multi-role light combat aircraft (LCA) developed indigenously by ADA and manufactured by HAL?

Q5.MEDIUM

The 'Varunastra' is an indigenous naval weapon developed by NSTL and BDL. What type of weapon is it?

Q6.MEDIUM

Which French 4.5-generation twin-engine multirole fighter aircraft was inducted by the Indian Air Force into the No. 17 'Golden Arrows' squadron at Ambala?

Q7.HARD

The 'Project 75-India' (P-75I) naval procurement programme aims to construct six advanced stealth diesel-electric attack submarines equipped with what critical propulsion technology?

Q8.EASY

What was the name of India's first indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC-1), commissioned into the Indian Navy at Cochin Shipyard in September 2022?