NEW DELHI, — The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) is set to consider the Indian Navy’s Project 18/Project 18A Next Generation Destroyer (NGD) programme at its meeting on October 26, 2026. The project, estimated to cost around ₹75,000 crore, envisages the indigenous construction of eight to ten advanced destroyers to strengthen India’s maritime capabilities.
The proposed warships are expected to displace approximately 13,000–14,000 tonnes, making them significantly larger than the Navy’s existing Visakhapatnam-class destroyers, which displace roughly 7,400–8,000 tonnes. The larger platforms are intended to accommodate advanced weapons and sensor systems.
Weapons, Propulsion and Development Timeline
Conceptual plans indicate that the destroyers could feature up to 144 vertical launch system (VLS) cells for missiles, including BrahMos, long-range land-attack cruise missiles and advanced surface-to-air weapons. Proposed technologies also include hybrid propulsion or Integrated Electric Propulsion (IEP) and upgraded X-band and S-band active-array radar systems.
The programme places strong emphasis on Aatmanirbhar Bharat, with construction planned at Indian shipyards and a high level of indigenous content envisaged for the ships and their systems.
The project remains at the conceptual stage. Detailed design work could take four to five years, followed by an estimated eight to ten years for construction, with the first destroyers expected to enter service in the mid-2030s.
The DAC, chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, includes senior defence and military officials. If the proposal receives approval, it would be granted an Acceptance of Necessity (AoN), an early step in the procurement process, before moving to the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) for final approval.
Project 18A forms part of the Indian Navy’s long-term effort to modernise its surface fleet and develop more capable warships for future operational requirements.
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