CSL lays the keel for the Navy’s next-generation missile vessels

Commodore Kapil Mehta with Navy and Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) personnel at the ‘steel cutting’ ceremony for the second ship of the Next Generation Missile Vessel Project held at the Kochi Shipyard on 18 September 2026.

Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) has laid the keel for the first of six New Generation Missile Vessels (NGMVs) being built for the Indian Navy.

Vice Admiral Sanjay Sadhu, Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition of the Integrated Command, (Indian Navy), laid the keel on Friday (September 18, 2026) in the presence of Jose VJ, Chairman and CEO, CSL, Rear Admiral Kapil Mehta and S. Harikrishnan, Director (Operations), CSL.

The ships are intended to be high-speed vessels with a range of weapons and sensors, including a surface-to-surface missile system, a missile defense system and air surveillance and fire control radars, the statement said.

The NGMV’s primary role will be to provide an attack capability against enemy warships, merchant ships and land targets. In a defensive role, these ships would be employed for local naval defense operations and seaward defense of the coastal development area. The ship will have 80 members and a top speed of 33 knots, she said.

Published – 18 Sep 2026 22:22 IST