Vayu Aerospace Review’s interview with Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of the Naval Staff, indicates a measured yet forward-leaning trajectory for Indian naval aviation and carrier capability.

On the follow-on aircraft carrier, the Navy is actively exploring an IAC-2 as a repeat order of INS Vikrant (IAC-1), but with modifications based on lessons learnt during design, construction and initial operational experience, as well as anticipated future capability needs.

This suggests a preference for evolutionary rather than disruptive change, aiming to compress timelines, control risk and cost, and leverage an already proven design while still leaving room for upgrades in aviation facilities, sensors and combat systems.

On long-endurance unmanned ISR and strike, the timeline for the MQ-9B SeaGuardian/ SkyGuardian acquisition is now more concrete, with delivery of the first two remotely piloted aircraft expected to begin from the first quarter of 2029.

This schedule underlines that the MQ-9B is a medium- to long-term capability insertion rather than an immediate solution, requiring parallel planning for basing, data links, maritime integration and trained RPA crews. It also implies that, in the interim, the Navy must rely on existing assets and indigenous systems to bridge the ISR and persistent surveillance gap in critical maritime zones.

In that context, the indigenous Drishti MALE RPA effort is gaining operational traction. Ten Drishti MALE platforms are under induction, with one already operationalised and flown by Indian Navy crew for consolidation and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance roles.

This marks an important shift from demonstration to service use, pointing to growing confidence in domestic unmanned platforms and mission systems. Naval operation of Drishti will generate user feedback that can drive iterative improvements in payloads, autonomy, endurance and maritime suitability, thereby strengthening the indigenous UAS ecosystem and partly offsetting the delayed arrival of MQ-9B.

Fixed-wing maritime patrol and ASW capabilities remain a critical pillar, and the Navy is pushing ahead with plans for additional Boeing P-8I aircraft. The case for six more P-8Is is progressing under a Buy (Global) / Foreign Military Sales route, indicating continued reliance on this proven long-range MPA/ASW platform to cover the vast Indian Ocean Region.

An expanded P-8I fleet would improve sortie generation, sustain continuous ASW/ASuW presence in key chokepoints and provide strong interoperability with the US and other P-8 operators, even as India pursues indigenous maritime patrol solutions in the longer run.

On the carrier aviation fighter front, the interview underscores that the Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter (TEDBF) remains a priority program, with the Indian Navy actively pursuing it with ADA. The design and development are explicitly drawing on lessons learnt from the Naval TEJAS program and the industrial base created around it, both in terms of carrier compatibility know-how and the broader supplier ecosystem.

This approach is intended to reduce development risk and help meet first-flight timelines, ultimately offering the Navy a domestically designed, carrier-capable multi-role fighter optimised for high-tempo deck operations and future air wing requirements, while progressively reducing dependence on imported carrier-borne fighters.

Based On Vayu Aerospace Report