India’s naval strategy is at a crossroads. On one side is the traditional view: that power at sea is best projected through large, heavily armed fleet carriers and their accompanying battle groups. On the other hand, a growing recognition is emerging that not every maritime threat justifies deploying such massive assets. Piracy, smuggling, trafficking, and unconventional or rogue maritime actors are persistent dangers that fall below the threshold of great-power conflict but remain strategically disruptive. Addressing them requires a tailored approach, one that balances cost, flexibility, and effectiveness.
Here, history offers a valuable example. During World War II, the United States Navy developed a new type of vessel: the escort carrier. These ships were smaller, cheaper, and quicker to produce than their fleet carrier counterparts. Although they carried fewer aircraft and lacked the prestige of larger decks, escort carriers proved essential in convoy protection, anti-submarine warfare, and limited offensive operations. The comparison to India’s current maritime challenges is compelling. Just as escort carriers addressed an operational gap in the 1940s, India today could benefit from a class of smaller aviation platforms designed for sustained maritime security.
The Escort Carrier Experience: An Undervalued Workhorse
Escort carriers, or “jeep carriers” as they were nicknamed, emerged in response to urgent wartime needs. The U.S. Navy required additional aviation coverage beyond what its fleet carriers could provide. German U-boats were sinking Allied shipping rapidly. Convoys required continuous air patrols, but deploying a fleet carrier for each convoy was impossible.
The solution was clever. Merchant hulls and other simple designs were adapted into aviation platforms. About half the length and displacement of a fleet carrier, these ships could carry 20–30 aircraft suitable for patrols, anti-submarine warfare, and light strike missions. They didn’t have the prestige or firepower of fleet carriers, but they increased aviation coverage across the Atlantic and Pacific.
Their impact was decisive. By providing continuous aerial patrols that deterred and destroyed U-boats, escort carriers played a crucial role in changing the course of the Battle of the Atlantic. They also participated in amphibious operations, offered close air support, and carried out special raids where deploying a whole carrier group was impractical. Naval traditionalists often dismissed them as second-rate, but their record proves otherwise: these “little carriers” became essential to victory.
The lesson is clear. Size and prestige do not always equal strategic value. Platforms that are “good enough” for a specific mission set can make a significant impact, especially when resources are limited and threats are diverse.
India’s Maritime Threat Landscape
Fast-forward to the 21st century, and India faces a complex and layered maritime environment. At one level, the Indian Navy must prepare for high-end conflict, especially with peer or near-peer adversaries. This justifies ongoing investments in fleet carriers like INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant, which offer long-range strike capabilities and serve as deterrents to potential adversaries.
However, most of India’s real maritime challenges stem from threats that fall below the threshold of conventional war.
Piracy and Maritime Crime. Although piracy near Somalia has decreased, it has not vanished. Indian shipping lanes through the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean continue to be at risk of attacks.
Smuggling and trafficking involve networks that use maritime routes across South Asia to move narcotics, arms, and people.
Rogue actors and terrorism. The 2008 Mumbai attacks, launched from the sea, serve as a stark reminder that asymmetric threats can exploit maritime vulnerabilities.
Grey Zone Activity. Rival states or non-state proxies might use fishing vessels, research ships, or disguised craft for surveillance, interference, or covert operations.
Disaster Response and Security of Island Territories. Cyclones, tsunamis, and humanitarian crises demand rapid response and logistics support across India’s island territories and partner nations. Region.
For these threats, deploying a fleet carrier of over 40,000 tons and its air wing of advanced fighter jets is not only excessive but also uneconomical. Large carriers should be reserved for high-end operations where their capabilities are indispensable. India needs an alternative solution for persistent, lower-intensity missions: a modern equivalent of the escort carrier.
The Case for Light Aviation Platforms
A light aviation platform, known as a “Maritime Security Carrier” (MSC) or “Light Aviation Ship,” would be positioned between patrol aircraft from land bases and full fleet carriers. Its purpose would be to provide continuous air and drone coverage, support anti-piracy and anti-smuggling efforts, and respond flexibly to crises.
Key advantages include
Cost-Effectiveness. Fleet carriers are among the most expensive naval assets to build and operate. A lighter, modular aviation platform could be built at a fraction of the cost, enabling India to deploy more of them and cover larger areas simultaneously.
Appropriate Force for the Threat. Asymmetric threats do not require fifth-generation fighters. Instead, a mix of UAVs, maritime patrol aircraft, and STOVL jets, such as the F-35B (if ever acquired) or indigenous equivalents, would suffice. The focus is on surveillance, endurance, and quick-reaction capability—not air superiority against peer adversaries.
Flexibility of Operations. Just as escort carriers were repurposed for special raids and amphibious support, modern light carriers could serve multiple missions:
- Anti-submarine warfare using drones and helicopters.
- Counter-smuggling and counter-piracy patrols.
- Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR).
- Logistics and resupply for island territories.
Force Multiplication. Smaller carriers would free up fleet carriers for their primary strategic role. They would also allow India to maintain a continuous presence across the Indian Ocean Region without overextending its most prized assets.
Design and Capability Considerations
A modern Indian escort-carrier analogue would not need to replicate a fleet carrier’s capabilities. Instead, it should be optimised for persistence, versatility, and affordability. Some design features could include:
- Displacement. 15,000–25,000 tons (roughly half or less of a fleet carrier).
- Air Wing. 10–20 UAVs, 4–8 helicopters, and a small complement of STOVL aircraft if available.
- Deck Type. Straight-through flight deck, possibly with a ski jump for short take-off aircraft.
- Mission Systems. Emphasis on UAV control, ISR (intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance), and ASW (anti-submarine warfare).
- Secondary Role. Logistics, medical support, and rapid disaster relief.
India already has relevant experience through its amphibious and logistics ships. With careful design, such platforms could be multi-role without inflating costs.
Complement, Not Compete
It is important to stress that such light carriers are not substitutes for fleet carriers. Just as escort carriers complemented but never replaced fleet carriers in World War II, India’s proposed platforms would supplement, not undermine, its carrier doctrine.
Fleet carriers will continue to be the primary assets of India’s blue-water navy, playing a crucial role in deterrence and competing with adversaries such as China in high-end conflicts. Light aviation platforms, however, would form the backbone of day-to-day maritime security, maintaining a presence, providing coverage, and responding to threats that lie outside traditional warfighting scenarios.
This dual-carrier model would give India both strategic depth and tactical flexibility. It would ensure that every rupee invested in naval aviation yields maximum operational effect.
Strategic Significance for India
Adopting such platforms would yield several broader benefits:
- Regional Leadership. By maintaining a continuous presence with cost-effective carriers, India can demonstrate leadership in securing sea lanes and supporting regional partners.
- Partnerships. Light carriers could participate in multinational patrols and humanitarian missions, enhancing India’s role as a net security provider.
- Industrial Base. Developing these platforms indigenously would strengthen India’s shipbuilding sector and stimulate innovation in UAV integration, modular design, and multi-role mission systems.
- Resilience. Diversifying naval aviation across multiple, smaller platforms reduces vulnerability. A single strike on a fleet carrier is catastrophic; losing a smaller carrier, while regrettable, is not strategically crippling.
A Vision Forward
The escort carrier was born out of necessity during World War II, but its underlying principle remains relevant: tailor the platform to the mission, not the other way around. India does not need to deploy billion-dollar carriers to chase pirates, deter smugglers, or support disaster relief. What it needs is a class of flexible, affordable, aviation-capable platforms that can sustain its presence and Project influence in day-to-day operations.
This vision aligns with India’s broader goal of becoming a net security provider in the Indian Ocean Region. It would allow the Navy to cover both ends of the spectrum: fleet carriers for high-intensity conflict and light aviation carriers for persistent, low-intensity missions.
For policymakers, the choice is not between prestige and practicality; it is about recognising that both have their place. By investing in modern equivalents of the escort carrier, India can ensure that its navy remains balanced, resilient, and responsive to the full range of maritime challenges it faces.