The Indian Navy will have its nuclear missile tracking warship by the end of 2018

• The Indian Navy is reportedly set to get a nuclear missile-tracking warship this December.
  
• The ship, which is called the VC11184, is currently said to be undergoing harbour trials in Visakhapatnam ahead of full-fledged sea trials.
  
• Constructed at a cost of ₹7.25 billion, it is reported to be one of India’s largest ocean surveillance ships, weighing around 15,000 tonnes and measuring 175 metres in length.

To loosely paraphrase an oft-used quote, the best defense is a nuclear missile tracker. The Indian Navy is reportedly set to get a nuclear missile-tracking warship this December, according to media reports citing the official spearheading the project, Rear Admiral LV Sarath Babu.

The completion of the construction of the ship, which is called the VC11184 after the shipyard where it was built, marks the culmination of a five-year process. It is currently said to be undergoing harbour trials in Visakhapatnam as a precursor to a full-fledged trial in the sea. The main focus of the trial phase is to assess the efficiency of the ship’s surveillance hardware and tracking antennae.

A nuclear missile shield

The surveillance ship was built by the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO), a technical intelligence agency that reports to the Office of the Prime Minister. Construction on the the ship began in 2014 as part of a concerted effort to build a extensive shield system in the event of nuclear missile attacks. It was built under the Make in India initiative.

Constructed at a cost of ₹7.25 billion, details of the ship, including the full extent of its capabilities, have mostly been kept under wraps. However, it is reported to be one of India’s largest ocean surveillance ships, weighing around 15,000 tonnes and measuring 175 metres in length. The ship will be used for more than just tracking missiles from India’s enemies. It can also be used to detect spying satellites and monitor the reach and efficiency of India’s own missiles.

The move to build the missile tracking ship is largely reactionary. There have been reports over the years of China selling and sharing missile technologies with Pakistan. Of course, the threat of a nuclear attack to India is very low, but nuclear competition with its immediate neighbours is very real, which is why its adopting a “better safe than sorry” approach.