Indian Navy tries again to procure minehunters, but this time it goes futuristic
INS Kozhikode was the last minesweeper vessel in the Indian Navy, with the Russian-built Karwar class all retired from 2017-19. (Photo: IN)
The Indian Navy is looking to the future with MCMVs that integrate a lot of autonomous technology. Meanwhile, other construction projects, such as ASWSWCs and survey vessels, are proceeding.
India’s MoD issued a 115-page RfI for a dozen mine countermeasures vessels (MCMV) for the Indian Navy (IN) in August. This is the latest act in a string of fizzled efforts to obtain such vessels.
The IN is currently without a single MCMV due to the retirement of older vessels and failed tenders. In fact, the IN has not had any MCMVs since it retired its last Karwar-class vessel on 13 April 2019.
The new RfI decrees that the 12 MCMVs will be built by two Indian shipyards, split in a ratio of eight for one and four for
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