Indian Navy’s Project 18

India’s Project 18 is in the news as an ambitious warship programme undertaken by the Indian Navy. Project 18 comprises a proposed class of next-generation destroyers, or cruiser-sized warships, designed by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau in collaboration with MDL and GRSE.

Indian Navy’s Project 18:

Dimension	Key Details
Programme	Project 18 comprises a proposed class of next-generation destroyers, or cruiser-sized warships, for the Indian Navy.
Designing authority	Project 18 is designed by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau (WDB).
Collaborating shipbuilders	Project 18 is designed in collaboration with Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE).
Expected displacement	Project 18 has an expected displacement of 11,000–13,000 tonnes.
Size comparison	Project 18 is significantly larger than current Visakhapatnam-class destroyers of around 7,500 tonnes.
Expected length	Project 18 has an expected length of around 180 metres.
Operational concept	Project 18 is envisioned as a multi-domain command platform capable of coordinating manned and unmanned naval assets.
Propulsion	Project 18 provides for Integrated Electric Propulsion (IEP) that generates large amounts of electrical power.
IEP advantages	Integrated Electric Propulsion reduces acoustic signatures, improves stealth, and supports future technologies such as laser weapons and advanced radars.
Vertical Launch System (VLS)	Project 18 provides for up to 144 Vertical Launch System (VLS) cells.
Likely missile suite	Project 18 is likely to carry the following: BrahMos missile, future BrahMos-II hypersonic missile, Long-Range Land Attack Cruise Missiles (LR-LACM), SMART anti-submarine missiles, Project Kusha air-defence missiles, anti-ballistic missile interceptors.
Radar	Project 18 comprises an indigenous S-band AESA radar developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation.
Surveillance range	Project 18 has a reportedly exceeding surveillance range of 500 km.
Electronic warfare and battle management	Project 18 comprises advanced electronic warfare and battle-management systems.
Unmanned systems integration	Project 18 is capable of controlling UAVs (drones), USVs (Unmanned Surface Vessels), and XLUUVs (Extra-Large Unmanned Underwater Vehicles).
Directed energy weapons	Project 18 provides for 50–100 kW laser systems intended to counter drone swarms and low-cost aerial threats.
Strategic significance	Project 18 enhances India’s blue-water navy capabilities, strengthens maritime dominance in the Indo-Pacific, improves air defence, anti-submarine warfare, and long-range strike capability, and supports the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat through indigenous design and shipbuilding.