India's Ministry of Defense Plans to Restart the Construction Program of Navy's Mine Countermeasure Vessel (MCMV)

According to The Economic Times' report on May 26, India's Ministry of Defense plans to restart the construction program of Navy's Mine Countermeasure Vessel (MCMV) to cope with the "potential security threats" posed by China and Pakistan's submarines in the Indian Ocean region. The plan includes 12 MCMVs with a total project value of approximately 440 billion Indian rupees (5.157 billion US dollars). The first MCMV is expected to be launched and put into service 7-8 years after the contract is signed. So far, the plan is still awaiting approval from the Defense Acquisition Committee led by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh.

Analysts point out that the resumption of the MCMV construction program indicates that India is accelerating its naval expansion efforts to address security gaps and consolidate its advantage over Pakistan. On one hand, the Indian Navy intends to address its long-standing severe shortage of vessels. Data shows that to meet the basic needs of coastal defense and port protection, the Indian Navy requires at least 24 MCMVs, but currently none are in service. As a result, it can only rely on temporary installation of "clip-on mine countermeasure kits" on other vessels to complete demining tasks. Moreover, this construction plan for 12 MCMVs was proposed as early as 2005, but was halted by the Ministry of Defense in the fiscal year 2017-18 due to differences over cost, technology transfer, and construction strategy. On the other hand, India intends to increase its strategic advantage over Pakistan through naval armament expansion. The Indian Ministry of Defense believes that the deployment of the Indian Navy in the northern Arabian Sea during Operation Ruby confirmed the necessity of expanding the navy.

However, with China's imminent delivery of eight Yuan-class submarines to Pakistan, as well as the presence of China's submarine fleet in the Indian Ocean region, India's naval advantage in this area is rapidly declining. Currently, 60 ships are under construction for the Indian Navy, and construction of another 31 ships has received preliminary approval. However, analysts point out that although this round of naval expansion plan is already "very aggressive", considering the delays in construction progress and the pushback of old vessels, it is estimated that by 2030, the Indian Navy will have a fleet size of around 160 vessels.

Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1833369890766859/

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