New Delhi: The government has cleared the indigenous construction of seven stealth frigates and six nuclear-powered submarines to bolster naval power. Defence sources said the decision was taken recently by the Cabinet Committee on Security.

The decision to build the six new submarines is part of the 30-year submarine building programme cleared in 1999. The plan is to have 24 submarines in 30 years. The first project was the P75, under which six Scorpene submarines are being built in India.