Saras,good thought, though it has yet to be fully developed built in series prod. We have the DO-228 though. There was I think an OZ concept of an amphib DO with a fuselage float in a prev. VAYU issue. However,the BE-200 is the best multi-role amphib for the IN/CG,as the US-2 is v.expensive and unarmed. Many air shows ago,a BE-200 came to BLR,water-bombed the runway impressively,why it's the firefighting aircraft of choice in Europe too apart from mil. use. We lose so much of forest cover every year due to fires and the piddly buckets ued by our MI-17s simply Aren't comparable.
Coming back to the issue of a light FFG/corvette. I mentioned our Petyas earlier. Fine warships,fast,had a good mix of armament esp. ASW,but no helo,only 1150t.Our Koras with a flight deck but no hangar are just 1000t. As I said,the P-28s poorly armed,are larger than our erstwhile Leanders and expensive .What is happening with Indian shipbuilding is large construction time,7 years for just one DDG,unacceptable. The P-17s/17As are actually larger than the Rajput/Kashin DDGs,the first just decommissioned. They are also quite expensive.
The best bang for the buck appears to be the Talwar/Krivak FFGs,but even here there is a limitation as to how many we can afford,unless we sacrifice numbers of larger P-17As and P-15+s. What I'm proposing is a true multi-role corvette below 2000t,the size of our OPVs,that can carry an ASW helo,a main gun (76mm),8 SSMs,BMos-NG will be available in the future,smaller than existing BMos,in fact a 16 cell UVML could even theoretically carry the LR supersonic SMART ASW missile,but that would be best fitted onto a larger combatant with a longer-range sonar,10t ASW helo,etc. The corvette could also carry the SRSAM system being developed for the 3 services, one or two MBUs,Paket type hard-kill ASW/torpedo system and a CIWS,gatlings/BPDMS.
Ideally a higher freeboard for a below-deck hangar for the ASW helo would reduce length,allow space for the CIWS/30mm gatlings plus a 16/24 cell SRSAM system aft of the funnel. The Paket/TT launchers within the hull below deck as in the Talwars,with the rest of the weaponry forward of the superstructure. Locating SSMs in 2 inclined quad launchers amidships as in the erstwhile Nanuchkas and Tarantulas is also possible but VLS improves stealth. Right now we have no new below 2800t multi-role corvette which can be built at affordable cost in large number at all.The next size of vessel will be the ASW shallow water corvettes of around 750t.
I am giving details about a new Iranian missile corvette for its IRGC-N.not as something to be copied ,not even Buyan-M,but as an example of how a nation uniquely designs its warships to suit its needs.
https://news.usni.org/2021/03/29/irans- ... l-doctrine
As said before ,ASW warfare will be our biggest bugbear in the future with increasing nos. of Chin and PN subs permanently operational in the IOR.
Mining will be one method by which they will attempt to bottle up the IN. As a reminder,in WW1, the RN and French fleet along with a v.large number of troops,were in the Dardenelles heading for Istanbul which poorly defended by the Ottomans.The fleet turrned into unmarked minefield with disastrous consequences. A large part of the fleet was sunk or damaged,which was just one hour away from Istanbul which the Ottomans were hastily abandoning. Churchill, then First Lord of the Admiralty pleaded with the cabinet to press on regardless of the heavy lossess, which he said inevitable in war if you wanted victory. He convinced the cabinet of the same and orders were given to the RN.However,Adm.Jackie Fisher the then chief refused to send the fleet on! Despite pressure from the govt. he stood firm and the order was revoked to Churchill's dismay. The Ottomans who were abandoning Istanbul couldn't believe their luck,came back with heavy reinforcements to save the city and the country. Churchill rued that WW1 could've been won within an hour had the fleet sailed on.
Here is an old Aug.2018 report about the IN getting Karakurt missile corvettes from Ru,doubtful now,but gives an idea about the direction in which the IN is looking.
https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/ne ... 593432.ece
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov told local media that the Indian Navy could soon get the warships armed with the lethal Kaliber land attack cruise missile that is capable of hitting the enemy 2,500 km away.