The aggressive expansion plan of the Navy with 45 ships on order in Indian yards includes six Scorpenes, six Type 15A and 15B destroyers and seven 17A Shivalik class ships, two DSRVs and four LPDs, along with aircraft in the pipe line.
The acquisition brings with it, ‘big prospects and big challenges’, as costs of ships being built in Indian PSUs and private yards are well over budget and over time. The four ASW corvettes in Project 28 at GSRE Kolkata and two AOPVs at Goa Shipyard Ltd are progressing.
The Navy had ordered six Australian design Catamaran survey ships at around Rs 100 crore each at Alcock & Ashdown Yard in Gujrat and acquired Huggins-1000 Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUV), sometimes known as underwater drones, from Kongsberg.
After the delivery of the first INS Makkar (a star), this yard has disruption due to financial woes.
One of the biggest weaknesses of the Indian Navy, as well as Coast Guard, is the shortage of helicopters. The process has been slow both within these Services and the MoD, and the scam over AgustaWestland’s VIP helicopter sale to India has further complicated the acquisition process.
Italy’s Finmeccanica, the parent company of AgustaWestland, is involved in the naval helicopter competitions but sources tell India Strategic that it is likely to be thrown out. (Although no Finmeccanica group company has been blacklisted yet, MOD has cancelled their participation at the show).
The Navy is woefully deficient of multi role helicopters and the older Seakings MK 42B are just about managing. Something needs to be done fast, and that word is unfortunately not in the Indian dictionary.
The good news is that the last of the three Krivacks, INS Teg, Tarash and Trikand with BrahMos missiles from Yantar shipyard and 44,500 ton aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya from SEVMASH in Severonodnisk and 22 Mig-29Ks have arrived from Russia.
Vikramaditya is currently working up to receive the MiG-29Ks on board and will embark the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh for a day at sea, just as Pandit Nehru welcomed the INS Vikrant at the Ballard Pier in Bombay in 1961 and Rajiv Gandhi went to sea in 1998 on INS Viraat on her arrival to witness Sea Harrier operations.
Indian Navy’s Infrastructure :
Indian Navy’s two large legacy naval dockyards in Mumbai and Vishkapatnam in the center of cities are bearing the burden of catering to the increasing needs of a much larger Navy with sophisticated systems. Cochin’s Base Repair Organisation (BRO) has been upgraded and the dockyard and ship lift at Karwar in Project Seabird is still being set up in Phase II. INS Vikramaditya is home-based at INS Kadamba at Karwar, not far from INS Hansa in Goa where the Mig 29s are located.
Naval infrastructure also includes headquarters, messes, airfields, communication facilities, reliable and timely logistic supply systems, naval stores, ammunition and naval port installations, weapons and their maintenance depots and dockyards that support the Navy.
Getting them ready in time poses challenges and good infrastructure adds to the teeth of the Navy. Facilities for newer weapon systems normally precedes their induction. This has not been true generally in India. Planning for infrastructure is left to the over-worked MOD, which has to provide funds and buildings as requested by each Service.
There is increased geo-strategic interest in this region as the East is witnessing a high rate of growth and an expansions of navies. A ‘New Great Game’ is unfolding in South Asia as US and ISAF forces plan to pull out of Afghanistan this year leaving a sort of vacuum. The Middle East is also in the throes of Arab Springs.
The Navy is challenged. Calls on India’s Navy for exercises with foreign navies, piracy patrols and flag showing are increasing. This requires high standards of training and strict adherence to SOPs.
It can be said that ‘These are the best of times and the worst of times for India’s expanding but capable Navy’ culled from a Tale of Two Cities as the nation looks up to it as a modern sea going force. After the 26/11 Pakistani terror attacks on Mumbai, the Prime Minister has repeatedly assured that funds would not be a constraint. This however should not bring in complacency.
It is to the credit of the Indian Navy that they have made do with legacy infrastructure (called ‘Jugad’ in Hindi i.e., improvisation) where ever they could with Governmental support. But a big weakness of the system that much of the equipment has to be sent abroad for periodic maintenance and upgrades.
Nonetheless, the Indian Navy is strong and capable.
An indication of what the Navy is doing and wants to do should be available at Defexpo. The participating companies will have a chance to assess the requirements and interact with key players at this event.
(By: Defense News)
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