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India's Project 18 (P-18) is the Indian Navy's proposed Next-Generation Destroyer (NGD)programme, envisioned as the successor to the Visakhapatnam-class destroyer. The project aims to develop some of the most powerful and technologically advanced surface combatants ever built in India, significantly enhancing the Navy's blue-water capabilities.

About the Programme

The programme is being overseen by the Indian Navy's Warship Design Bureau (WDB) in collaboration with Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE).

The P-18 class is envisaged as a fleet of multi-role stealth destroyers capable of undertaking air defence, anti-surface, anti-submarine, and land-attack missions.

Key Features

With an estimated displacement of over 13,000 tonnes, Project 18 ships will be among the largest warships ever operated by India. Since warships exceeding 10,000 tonnes are generally classified as cruisers, Project 18 could effectively mark India's entry into the cruiser-class category.

The vessels are expected to feature:

• Advanced Integrated Electric Propulsion (IEP) powered by gas turbines and diesel generators.
• Extensive automation, reducing crew requirements by 25–30% compared to existing destroyers.
• Advanced stealth features and network-centric warfare capabilities.

Advanced Weapon Systems

Each vessel is expected to be equipped with 114 Vertical Launch System (VLS) cells, capable of deploying a diverse range of indigenous missile systems, including:

• BrahMos and BrahMos Next Generation
• Long-Range Land Attack Cruise Missiles (LR-LACM)
• Precision-Guided Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missiles (PGLRSAM)
• Short-Range Surface-to-Air Missiles (SRSAM)
• SMART anti-submarine weapon system

Future Warfare Capabilities

Project 18 is being designed with emerging warfare requirements in mind. The ships are expected to operate:

• Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs)
• Kamikaze/loitering drones
• Advanced anti-submarine systems
• Mine-detection and surveillance platforms

The destroyers are also expected to be equipped with next-generation radar systems capable of 360-degree surveillance and detection of threats up to 500 km away.