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 How are navy ships named?

In India, the Internal Nomenclature Committee (INC) at the Defence Ministry chooses the names of ships and submarines. Headed by the Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff, the INC has representatives from various government departments. Its recommendations require the approval of the Navy Chief while the names, crests and mottos of major war vessels require the President’s assent too.

Certain broad parameters are followed to ensure that the names of vessels of one type have some uniformity. For example, aircraft carriers are given suitable abstract names. India’s biggest aircraft carrier is INS Vikramaditya (meaning ‘Sun of Prowess’), thus named because of its suitability and because it was the title of many Indian rulers. Cruisers or destroyers are named after a state capital, a big city or a great historical warrior or king. Examples include INS Delhi and INS Ranjit. Frigates are named after a river, mountain range or weapon. The names of ships of the same class have the same initial letters. Examples include INS Sahyadri, INS Shivalik, INS Talwar and INS Teg (‘sabre’). Corvettes (small, fast warships) are named after personal arms like the INS Khukri, INS Kirpan and INS Khanjar, while multi-purpose patrol vessels are named after an island—for example, INS Car Nicobar and INS Kalpeni.