The Roar of the Four Lions
The modern Indian dates to 1947 although it has a lineage with the Maratha Navy and old East India Company to 1612 and then has a basis as far back as the sea-going civilizations in the region some 6,000 years back. After much WWII service as a sister to the Royal Navy, the Indian Navy today has been in the aircraft carrier business since 1957 (the Vikrant, formerly HMS Hercules) and in submarines since 1967 (the Foxtrot Kalvari).
Today, the fleet includes two large operational flattops, two dozen frigates/destroyers, another two dozen smaller escorts, and 18 subs (including Scorpènes, Kilos, and German Type 209/1500s)– well outclassing the British in terms of tonnage, torpedo tubes, and carrier aircraft (45).
The Indian Navy has 45 MiG-29KUB carrier-based multirole fighters and is looking to replace them with the French Rafale instead.
Moreover, the country plans a 175-ship force by 2035, to include another carrier.
They operate the P-8I Poseidon, MH-60R helicopters, and have Rafales on order.
Besides Harpoon and Exocet, they field the massive BrahMos anti-shipping missile.
Indian Navy destroyer INS Kolkata steams during Malabar 2020.(U.S. Navy photo by Drace Wilson)
The Indian Navy has 12 P-8Is operating with INAS 312-A out of INS Rajali (above) and with INAS 316 out of INS Hansa. They replaced old Russian Tupolev Tu-142M Bear Js and were the first overseas Posedon sales.
Last week, the Indian Navy made waves in the region by responding to the hijacking of the MV Lila Norfolk in the North Arabian Sea.
With an Indian P-8 and Predator drones shadowing the vessel after it had been boarded by suspected Somali pirates, the advanced new Kolkata-class stealth guided missile destroyer INS Chennai (D65) (9,000tons, 32 Barak 8 SAM, 16 BrahMos, 76mm OTO, 4x 533mm tt, 4 CIWS) closed to the vessel and landed Marine Commandos via her Sea King. The MARCOs sanitized the vessel, with the pirates had left, and retrieved the crew from their protected citadel/safe compartment.
The Indians have been stepping up their naval game in the region after the attack on the MV Chem Pluto in late December.
Now, India is moving to escort Indian-flagged merchant vessels through the Red Sea past Houthi-contested waters.
While not joining Operation Prosperity Guardian outright, they will at least apparently be OPG adjacent.