India’s mine countermeasures capability has long been recognised as a critical gap in its naval preparedness, yet progress towards closing this shortfall has been slow and fraught with delays.

The issue has gained renewed global attention following Iran’s closure of the Hormuz Strait, which underscored the vulnerability of maritime trade routes to naval mines.

Despite this, the Indian Navy remains without dedicated mine countermeasures vessels, having paid off the last of its MCMVs in 2019. This has left the fleet with only a limited ability to counter the threat posed by mines, a situation that has persisted despite multiple attempts to procure replacements over the past two decades.

India’s procurement history in this area has been marked by repeated failures. Several tenders dating back more than 20 years have collapsed, while a 2021 initiative to lease MCMVs also failed to materialise.

In August 2023, the Ministry of Defence issued a request for information for a dozen new MCMVs, signalling renewed intent to address the capability gap. The Defence Acquisition Council subsequently approved the program in July 2025, allocating a budget of INR450 billion, or approximately US$5 billion.

This ambitious program envisages delivery of the vessels between 2030 and 2037, but as of mid-2026, no request for proposals has been issued, meaning no indigenous shipbuilder has yet been appointed to lead the project.

The specifications outlined in the RfI highlight the advanced nature of the planned MCMVs. Each vessel is expected to host two compact autonomous surface vessels, four heavyweight autonomous underwater vehicles, one ship-launched utility multi-copter or naval drone, and at least 20 smaller remotely operated vehicles.

The ships themselves are to measure 87 metres in length, displace 2,800 tons, and be armed with a 76mm naval gun, short-range air defence missiles, and either two directed-energy weapons or 30mm cannons. These requirements reflect a vision of highly capable, multi-role platforms that combine traditional mine countermeasures with modern unmanned systems and robust self-defence capabilities.

While the tender process remains stalled, industry players are already positioning themselves to offer solutions. On 19 May 2026, French company Exail and Indian defence giant Larsen & Toubro announced a strategic collaboration aimed at delivering an unmanned mine countermeasures suite to the Indian Navy.

Their joint statement emphasised that the suite would incorporate autonomous and remotely operated systems designed to detect, classify, identify, and neutralise naval mines in a safe, stand-off manner. Under the partnership, L&T will act as prime contractor, while Exail will serve as technology partner, with both companies pledging significant local industrial participation to meet India’s requirements for maximised indigenous content.

Senior executives from both firms highlighted the complementary strengths of the collaboration. Arun Ramchandani, Senior Vice President and Head of Precision Engineering & Systems at L&T, noted that the partnership combined L&T’s extensive defence products legacy and maritime capabilities with Exail’s global leadership in unmanned maritime systems and mine warfare technologies.

He emphasised L&T’s expertise in indigenous manufacturing, complex system integration, and lifecycle support, while Exail contributed decades of proven operational experience. Jérôme Bendell, Director of Exail’s Maritime Systems business line, added that the collaboration reflected a shared ambition to support the long-term development of sovereign unmanned maritime systems in India, with significant potential to contribute to the local development and production of next-generation naval drones and autonomous mission systems.

Exail’s portfolio includes systems such as the SeaScan and K-Ster C remotely operated vehicles, as well as the A-9M and A-18M autonomous underwater vehicles. These platforms are designed to provide flexible, scalable solutions for mine detection and neutralisation, and could be integrated into whichever shipbuilder ultimately wins the MCMV contract.

The partnership between Exail and L&T therefore positions them strongly to supply advanced unmanned systems regardless of the outcome of the tender process.

The slow pace of India’s mine countermeasures programme stands in contrast to the urgency of the threat. Naval mines remain one of the most cost-effective and disruptive weapons in maritime warfare, capable of denying access to critical sea lanes and ports.

For a country like India, with its reliance on maritime trade and its strategic interests across the Indo-Pacific, the absence of a robust mine countermeasures capability represents a significant vulnerability. 

The collaboration between Exail and L&T offers a potential pathway to bridging this gap, but until the government issues a request for proposals and appoints a shipbuilder, progress will remain uncertain.

Agencies