India Developing Next-Gen Destroyer That Can Carry 144 Missiles, under PROJECT 18

Defence affairs analysis
The Indian Navy is developing the Project 18 (P-18) next-generation destroyer, envisioned as a major leap in size and capability beyond the current Visakhapatnam-class destroyers. This advanced warship concept displaces approximately 13,000 tonnes, making it the largest in the Indian fleet and potentially classifiable as a cruiser by international standards due to its size exceeding 10,000 tonnes.

Key features of the Project 18 destroyer include an unprecedented armament suite with 144 vertical launch systems (VLS) cells that support a broad range of missiles. The configuration is segmented as follows:
32 VLS cells at the stern reserved for the under-development PGLRSAM, a long-range surface-to-air missile designed to intercept aircraft and ballistic missiles, with a range of approximately 250 km.

48 VLS cells dedicated to the BrahMos extended-range supersonic cruise missile and an Indigenous Technology Cruise Missile, supporting anti-ship and land-attack roles.

64 VLS cells for very short-range surface-to-air missiles to provide the last line of defence against aerial and anti-ship missile threats.

Additionally, eight slant launchers are included, likely for the hypersonic BrahMos-2 missile.

The ship features an advanced radar and sensor suite developed jointly by DRDO and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL). Notably, it integrates four large Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radars modeled on the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. These include an S-band primary radar, a volume search radar, and a multi-sensor mast, providing 360-degree surveillance and the ability to track targets beyond 500 km. This radar system is designed for multi-domain operations in cluttered electronic environments.

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