The keel laying ceremony for the second Cadet Training Ship being built for the Indian Navy took place this June3.  

The keel laying ceremony by the Indian shipbuilder, L&T Shipyard, marked the formal start of construction. 

L&T Shipyard had bagged a contract worth approximately US$380 million from the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) in March 2023 to manufacture three Cadet Training Ships. All three training ships are being built at the L&T shipyard in Kattupalli, Chennai located in South India. 

Construction of the first Cadet Training Ship began this February, while steel cutting for the third vessel started this April. Deliveries off all three Cadet Training Ship are slated to take place between September 2026 and September 2027. 

The new Cadet Training Ships which can accommodate 20 officers, 150 sailors and 200 cadets will be utilized for training officer cadets at sea following the completion of their basic training ashore. 

The training facilities aboard the new ships include an exclusive cadets training bridge, cadets chart house and three class rooms that can each accommodate 70 personnel. The vessels will be armed with a 76 mm gun, along with AK 630, 12.7mm guns and also embark a single helicopter. 

Other roles envisaged for the new ships include evacuation and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief. The Indian Navy’s Long Term Integrated Perspective Plan (LTIPP) 2012 – 27, envisages a force level of three Cadet Training Ships.