A third aircraft carrier for India: Budget versus necessity
Concerns about cost overruns should be kept in perspective. The need for naval power projection is only growing.
The Indian military is undergoing what may be its most significant reorganisation since India’s independence, with considerable implications for its future strategic posture. One important issue that has been brought to the fore is the role of the Indian Navy as a regional power projection force built around three aircraft carriers. The government’s decision on this issue will have significant implications for the region.
The National Security College (NSC), with the support of the Department of Defence, is leading a two-year research project on Australia’s Indo-Pacific strategy in the Indian Ocean. As a part of this project, this paper examines the need for India acquire a third aircraft carrier. This paper first appeared on the Lowy Institute’s ‘The Interpreter‘ on 13 October 2020.