The Indian Navy is moving decisively to secure 2026 clearance for its second Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC-2), marking a vital stride towards achieving a three-carrier force structure. The project seeks to ensure persistent maritime presence on both seaboards and strengthen India’s expeditionary reach in the Indo-Pacific.

Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), which successfully constructed INS Vikrant, will again lead construction efforts. The shipyard will harness its experience in complex modular assembly, propulsion integration, and aviation trials to streamline IAC-2’s production cycle. Lessons learned from the design, outfitting, and sea trials of INS Vikrant will be directly incorporated to enhance efficiency and build quality.

The upcoming carrier is expected to have a displacement similar to INS Vikrant, around 45,000 tonnes. However, its architecture will undergo notable redesigns to accommodate next-generation unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operations. The deck layout and command systems will likely be updated to integrate drone-assisted strike, surveillance, and electronic warfare missions, ensuring future combat relevance.

A strong push toward indigenisation underpins the new design philosophy. A significantly higher percentage of indigenous materials, components, and subsystems is planned, aligning with India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat agenda. Key areas for increased domestic sourcing include propulsion machinery, communications suites, radar arrays, and aviation fuel systems.

Strategically, IAC-2 strengthens India’s long-term maritime doctrine aimed at maintaining a three-carrier fleet by the mid-2030s. This would guarantee the availability of at least two operational carriers at any time—one for each seaboard—while the third undergoes maintenance. Such sustained carrier presence directly supports India’s blue-water ambitions and safeguards trade routes across the Indian Ocean.

Parallelly, the Indian Navy will continue developing its nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs), with both the carrier project and submarine programme progressing on separate but complementary tracks. This dual focus highlights the Navy’s balanced approach to achieving strategic depth through advanced surface and undersea deterrence capabilities.

IDN (With Agency Inputs)