Indian NavyClass 9 Defence Studies Chapter 5 Notes – Maharashtra Board

Summary: Indian Navy

India's sea tradition is very old. The world's first tidal dock is believed to have been at Lothal (about 2300 BC). The Cholas and Kalingas ruled lands in South-East Asia, with the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as a halfway stop for trade. In the 17th century Chhatrapati Shivaji raised a fleet, later led by Kanhoji Angre, which kept European powers in check along the Konkan coast.

After independence the Navy grew fast and is being modernised; it has all kinds of warships, including aircraft carriers and submarines.

The Navy has three roles. Military: offensive and defensive operations at sea. Diplomatic: shaping the sea environment in India's favour. Constabulary: maritime and coastal security — after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks of 2008 the Navy was given overall charge of coastal security, working with the Coast Guard and others.

The Chief of the Naval Staff heads the Navy from Naval Headquarters in New Delhi. There are three naval commands — Western (Mumbai), Eastern (Visakhapatnam) and Southern (Kochi) — and the tri-service Andaman and Nicobar Command at Port Blair.

Ship types: aircraft carrier, destroyer, frigate, corvette, mine countermeasure vessel, landing ship, patrol vessel, submarine, auxiliary ship, research vessel and training ship. The Navy also has land-based aircraft, helicopters and patrol aircraft.

Key points to remember

• Lothal (c. 2300 BC): believed to be the world's first tidal dock, near Mangrol on the Gujarat coast
• Cholas and Kalingas ruled Malaya, Sumatra and western Java (5th–10th centuries AD)
• Shivaji built a fleet; admirals Sidhoji Gujar and Kanhoji Angre
• Three roles: military, diplomatic, constabulary
• Military role: offensive and defensive operations
• After 26/11 (2008) the Navy has overall responsibility for coastal security
• Chief of the Naval Staff at Naval HQ, New Delhi
• Commands: Western – Mumbai; Eastern – Visakhapatnam; Southern – Kochi
• Andaman and Nicobar Command: tri-service, led in rotation, HQ Port Blair
• Aircraft carrier = floating airbase; submarine = works underwater and attacks unseen

Indian Navy – Notes

1. India's sea heritage

• Lothal, a Harappan site near today's Mangrol harbour in Gujarat, is believed to have the world's first tidal dock, built around 2300 BC.
• Between the 5th and 10th centuries AD, the Chola and Kalinga kingdoms of south and east India extended their rule over Malaya, Sumatra and western Java (Indonesia).
• The Andaman and Nicobar Islands were a midway halt for trade between India and these lands, and also with China.
• In the late 17th century the Siddis of Janjira, allied with the Mughals, became a strong sea power on the west coast.
• So Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj built his own navy, led by capable admirals like Sidhoji Gujar and later Kanhoji Angre.
• This Maratha fleet dominated the Konkan coast and kept the English, Dutch and Portuguese away.
• After 1947 the Indian Navy expanded quickly; it is being modernised with new ships and now has every type of warship, including aircraft carriers and submarines. (Today: India's first home-built aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, was commissioned in 2022.)

2. Role of the Navy

• Military role — offensive operations: using sea power against the enemy's forces, territory and trade.
• Military role — defensive operations: using sea power to protect our own forces, territory and trade.
• Diplomatic role: shaping the sea environment in a way that helps India's national interest and security goals — for example visits to foreign ports and joint exercises with friendly navies.
• Constabulary role: protecting and promoting India's maritime security, like a police force at sea.
• After the terrorist attacks on Mumbai on 26 November 2008 (the attackers came by sea), the Navy was given overall responsibility for coastal security. It works closely with the Coast Guard, state marine police, other government bodies and port authorities.

3. Command and control

• The Navy is headed by the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), based at the Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence (Navy), also called Naval Headquarters, in New Delhi.
• Western Naval Command — HQ Mumbai; ships based at naval stations in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka.
• Eastern Naval Command — HQ Visakhapatnam; ships based at ports in West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
• Southern Naval Command — HQ Kochi; naval stations in Kerala and Lakshadweep.
• Andaman and Nicobar Command — protects the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It has Army troops and Air Force aircraft as well as naval ships, so it is a tri-service command, led in turn by officers of the Army, Navy and Air Force. HQ: Port Blair (the city was renamed Sri Vijaya Puram in 2024).

4. Types of warships (1)

• Aircraft carrier: a warship with a full-length flight deck where aircraft can be carried, armed, launched and landed — a seagoing airbase.
• Destroyer: fast, heavily armed and easy to manoeuvre, yet able to stay at sea a long time. It escorts bigger ships (carriers, troop ships, supply and merchant ships in a convoy) and defends them against small, powerful attackers. It can fight submarines, aircraft and surface ships. A guided missile destroyer fires missiles at enemy ships and coastal defences to support landings.
• Frigate: smaller than a destroyer, armed with guided missiles; escorts aircraft carriers and can bombard the shore.
• Corvette: a fast, lightly armed ship, smaller than a frigate but larger than a coastal patrol boat; often equipped to hunt submarines.

5. Types of warships (2) and aircraft

• Mine countermeasure vessel (minesweeper): a small warship that deals with sea mines and keeps sea lanes safe for shipping.
• Landing ship: carries many vehicles, cargo and troops straight onto a beach where there is no port.
• Patrol vessel: a small vessel that patrols coastal waters.
• Submarine: a vessel that can operate on its own underwater. It can approach enemy ships without being seen and sink them with torpedoes or missiles while staying submerged.
• Auxiliary ship: supports fighting ships and naval operations in many ways (fuel, supplies, repairs).
• Research vessel: equipped to carry out research at sea. Training ship: used to train cadets and officers.
• The Navy also flies land-based aircraft, helicopters and patrol aircraft.

Types of ships in the Indian Navy

Key terms

Indian Navy – Flashcards

Read the question, answer it in your head, then tap the card to check. 20 cards.

Indian Navy – MCQ Quiz

15 questions. Tap an option — you will see at once if it is right and why.

How to study Indian Navy

⏱ About 30 minutes

1. Understand (10 min)
   Read the Navy's heritage (Lothal → Cholas → Shivaji and Kanhoji Angre) and its three roles.
2. Remember (10 min)
   Learn the commands with HQs (Mumbai, Visakhapatnam, Kochi, Port Blair) and the ship types from the table, biggest to smallest.
3. Practise (10 min)
   Answer the 'Try it yourself' questions, take the quiz and play 🎮 Play.