Recent Current Affairs related to Indian Navy

The United States of America (USA) has delivered the 21st MH-60R Seahawk multi-role maritime helicopter to the Indian Navy in Kochi, Kerala.

Manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corporation, these helicopters are part of a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) agreement signed in 2020 to procure 24 units at a total cost of $2.6 billion. The induction of these helicopters is intended to replace the ageing Sea King fleet.

INS Malvan, the second indigenously designed and built Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC), has been commissioned at Karwar, Karnataka.

It is the 2nd of 8 Mahe-class ASW-SWCs being constructed by Cochin Shipyard Ltd and the 6th of 16 ASW-SWCs to be commissioned into the Indian Navy (IN). The ship features over 80% indigenous content.

Named after the coastal town of Malvan in Maharashtra, it honours the maritime heritage of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and carries the legacy of its predecessor, an inshore Indian Naval Minesweeper that remained in service until 2003.

'Operation Southern Readiness 26-2' has commenced at the Southern Naval Command in Kochi. The exercise is hosted by the Southern Naval Command under the the Indian Navy-led Combined Task Force 154 (CTF 154), in partnership with the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF).

The engagement involves 254 participants from 26 countries. It is to be noted that the CTF 154, which functions as the dedicated Training Task Force of the CMF, is currently commanded by the Indian Navy under the leadership of Commodore Milind M Mokashi.

Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has launched the 'Seafarer-First' initiative to safeguard Indian seafarers operating in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and the Gulf of Oman.

The initiative is a response to the escalating maritime security concerns in West Asia. It will be implemented through the coordination of the Ministry of External Affairs, the Indian Navy, and the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS).

INS Sudarshini, an indigenous three-masted sail training barque of the Indian Navy (IN), has represented India at the 'Sail4th 250' and the 'United States International Naval Review 250' celebrations held in New York Harbour.

The festival was organised to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States.

The Indian Navy has commissioned the indigenously built advanced stealth frigate 'INS Mahendragiri (F38)' into its Eastern Fleet at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam. The frigate was constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) in Mumbai, based on an in-house design by the Warship Design Bureau (WDB) of the Indian Navy.

The vessel, which has over 75% indigenous content, has a displacement of 6,670 tonnes and is 149 metres long. It uses a Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) propulsion system, is capable of reaching a top speed of 28 knots, and has an operational range of 5,500 nautical miles.

Indian Naval Ships (INS) Udaygiri, INS Shakti, and INS Kavaratti have concluded their port call at the Changi Naval Base in Singapore.

The deployment of these Eastern Fleet ships was led by Rear Admiral Alok Anand, the Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet (FOCEF).

The Indian Navy has participated in the 30th edition of the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC 2026), the world's largest multinational maritime warfare exercise.

Hosted by the US Navy, the exercise was conducted at the Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH) in Hawaii, USA. The theme for the 30th edition of RIMPAC was 'Partners: Integrated and Prepared'.

The Ministry of Defence has signed a contract with the Bengaluru-based Accord Software and Systems Pvt Ltd (ASSPL) for the procurement of 20 Enhanced Capability Global Navigation Satellite System (ECGNSS) Jammers for the Indian Navy.

The contract is worth ₹449 crore and falls under the ‘Buy (Indian-Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured (IDDM))’ category, which mandates at least 75% indigenous content.

Vice Admiral Vineet McCarty has assumed charge as the 20th Commander-in-Chief of the Andaman & Nicobar Command (CINCAN), succeeding Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar.

Major General Rachel Thomas has been appointed as the Additional Director General of the Military Nursing Service (MNS), succeeding Major General Lissamma. Air Marshal Tarun Chaudhry has assumed charge as the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Central Air Command, succeeding Air Marshal Balakrishnan Manikantan.

Union Minister Rajnath Singh and Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath have inaugurated the ‘Nausena Shaurya Vatika’ in Lucknow. Built at a cost of ₹19 crore, this Open-Air Display Museum is spread over 2 acres and is dedicated to the spirit, valour, and prowess of the Indian Navy.

The museum showcases artefacts and weapon systems from the INS Gomati, which was decommissioned in 2022 after 34 years of service.

Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan has assumed charge as the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief (FOC-in-C) of the Western Naval Command (WNC). He succeeds Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan.

Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar has been appointed as the 48th Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (VCNS) of the Indian Navy. He succeeds Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan.

Prior to this, he served as the Commander-in-Chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command. He was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) in 2022 and the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) in 2026.

The aerospace division of Bharat Forge Ltd (BFL) has signed an MoU with the Andhra Pradesh government to establish the first private-sector Marine Gas Turbine (MGT) Repair, Overhaul, and Indigenous Development Complex of India in Visakhapatnam.

The facility will span 80 acres within the AP Defence Manufacturing Corridor developed by the aerospace division of BFL. The complex will be co-located with the Naval Dockyard, Indian Naval Ship (INS) Eksila, and the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) Headquarters in Visakhapatnam.

Tonbo Imaging has secured a contract from the Indian Navy under the ADITI 3.0 innovation framework to integrate and commission a High Power Microwave (HPM) system for naval platforms.

The project aims to develop and integrate HPM-based directed-energy capabilities for maritime warfare to effectively counter electronic and unmanned threats.

The Indian Navy (IN) has launched ‘Sanghmitra’ (Yard 3039), its first Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessel (NGOPV), at the Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) facility in Kolkata.

The construction of 11 NGOPVs is being carried out across two domestic shipyards to enhance the naval presence of India in multi-domain operations. These indigenously designed vessels have a displacement of 3,000 tonnes, measure 113 metres in length and 14.6 metres in width, and can achieve a maximum speed of 23 knots.

Larsen & Toubro Ltd (L&T) has partnered with the France-based Exail Technologies to supply advanced Unmanned Mine Countermeasure (MCM) systems for the Indian Navy (IN). Under the agreement, L&T will serve as the prime contractor for the Indian Navy’s programme to build 12 Mine Counter Measure Vessels, with Exail Technologies acting as the technology partner.

India has successfully conducted the second flight test of the indigenous Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LR-AShM) from Launch Complex-IV at Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast. The missile, developed by the DRDO, successfully engaged a target at a distance of over 1,500 km.

The missile system is powered by a two-stage solid propulsion mechanism. It is capable of reaching a peak speed of Mach 10 and maintains an average speed of Mach 5 during its cruise and glide phases.

Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL) has delivered the advanced stealth frigate ‘Mahendragiri (Y-12654)’ to the Indian Navy (IN) under Project 17A (Nilgiri-class). It is the 6th ship delivered under the project and the 4th frigate built by MDL, marking the completion of all warships assigned to the shipyard under this initiative. The frigate, named after the Mahendragiri mountain peak in the Eastern Ghats of Odisha, features 75% indigenous content.

It measures 149 metres in length, has a displacement of 6,670 tonnes, and can reach a maximum speed of 28 knots using a Combined Diesel or Gas (CODOG) propulsion system. The vessel was designed by the Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and overseen by the Warship Overseeing Team (WOT) Mumbai. Notably, this marks the 100th vessel designed and delivered by the WDB.

Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) has signed a Licensing Agreement for Transfer of Technology (LAToT) with the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL), a constituent laboratory of the DRDO, for the Gas Turbine–Infrared Suppression System (GT-IRSS).

The technology, developed by the NSTL for LM2500 (Land and Marine) gas turbines, is used to enhance the stealth of naval vessels.