[cemDrymnVem]

Link Some Indian Navy Sea Hawk ejections

The story is about Lieutenant Yashwant Bhide who was then with the 300 Squadron. During an exercise his Seahawk got into trouble off Bombay and he had to eject before the aircraft crashed. He spent a whole day and part of the night in the water and was eventually rescued by a fisherman and brought ashore at Versova. Hastening to reassure his parents then living in Bombay-his father had retired from the ICS and was the Chairman of the Bank or an Insurance Company I believe - he called from a public telephone and told his rather who had come to the phone that he was all right but that the aircraft was a total write-off. His father is reported to have said, 'Your mother and I are happy to have you back; but tell me, was the plane insured or do I have to pay for it?' n Indian Navy pilot, Commander Peter Debras, accomplished an extraordinary feat on 4 March 1976, when the VIKRANT's catapult malfunctioned and his Sea Hawk splashed down and sank in front of the carrier. The vessel then steamed directly over the top of the aircraft, and Debras cooly waited until it had passed over before ejecting and being rescued. It was the world's deepest successful ejection.

[dodsCooggipsehome]

First indigenous aircraft carrier for Indian Navy by 2014

Mon, Mar 2, 2009
Defense Minister Shri AK Antony laid the keel of the countryâ??s first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) at a simple ceremony at the Cochin Shipyard in Kochi today. Scheduled to be completed by 2014, the feat will catapult India as only the fourth nation in the world into the exclusive club of nations which have the capability of designing and building 40,000 tonne aircraft carriers.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Antony said â??we are living in a world of uncertainty, conflict, threats from maritime terrorism, piracy, narcotics, smuggling and low-intensity conflict, perpetrated by state in some cases and with non-state players in others, are on the rise.â?� He hoped that the country will operate two to three aircraft carriers simultaneously in not too distant future.

The design and construction of Indigenous Aircraft Carrier was sanctioned by the government in January 2003. This is the most prestigious project, which the Indian Navy has taken up in-house so far. The design and construction of this ship is a technical complexity whose dimensions far outstrip any such challenge faced hitherto by the Indian Naval Designers. Indigenous Aircraft Carrier designed by Navyâ??s Design Organisation and being built at M/s Cochin Shipyard Limited would be capable of operating an aircraft mix of Russian MiG-29K, Ka 31 and indigenous LCA.

The ship has a length of 260 m and maximum breadth of 60 m. The ship will be propelled by two shafts, each coupled to two LM2500 Gas Turbines developing a total power of 80 MW, sufficient to attain speeds in excess of 28 knots. The ship has an endurance of around 8,000 NM and complement of 1600. The ship will have two take off runways and a landing strip with 3 arrester wires. It can carry a maximum of 30 aircraft with adequate hangarage capacity. The carrier is designed with a very high degree of automation for machinery operation, ship navigation and survivability.

The production of Indigenous Aircraft Carrier commenced in November 2006 and large numbers of blocks have already been fabricated, which are under erection. Major equipment to be installed in lower decks of the ship have been ordered. The ship is being constructed using high strength steel developed in-house with the help of DRDO and SAIL. Long Range Surface to Air Missile (LR SAM) system with Multi-Function Radar (MFR) and Close- In Weapon System (CIWS) is envisaged for the carrier.

The ship will be equipped with the most modern C/D band early Air Warning Radar, V/UHF Tactical Air Navigational and Direction Finding systems. The carrier would also be having jamming capabilities over the expected Electro Magnetic (EM) environment, along with Carrier Control Approach Radars to aid air operations. Integration of all weapon systems onboard the carrier would be through an indigenous Combat Management System (CMS).The shipâ??s integration with Navyâ??s Network Centric Operations would provide force multiplication.

Design of this prestigious ship has been undertaken by the Directorate of Naval Design (DND) which has an experience of over 40 years in successfully designing 17 different classes of warships, to which around 90 ships have already been built within the country. It is also pertinent to mention that DND is the only government organisation in the world today undertaking indigenous design of warships.

Delhi class destroyers are the biggest warships built so far by indigenous design. These ships are operating successfully over last 10 years and have demonstrated their design superiority when INS Delhi withstood extremely adverse weather conditions and high sea states while encountering typhoons during the shipâ??s passage in the South China Sea in 1995.

M/s CSL was chosen for building Indigenous Aircraft Carrier, based on its modern infrastructural facilities. Though this is the maiden venture for CSL in warship construction, the shipyard has been involved in commercial shipbuilding for the past three decades.

In order to optimize on build period of IAC, CSL has been provided with over Rs 200 Crores to augment infrastructure in areas such as large cranes, workshops, heavy duty machinery etc.

The ship construction is planned in two phases. The First phase covers work up to first launch in end 2010. The second phase would cover all balance work till delivery of the ship to the Navy in end 2014. Assistance for propulsion system integration and aviation aspects have been taken from M/s Fincantieri of Italy and M/s NDB of Russia respectively.

[SQiTmhuY]

Link INS Krishna to make its last voyage

After traversing the seas for 44 years â?? first as the Royal Navy's HMS Andromeda from 1968 to November 1994 and in its current avatar as one of Indian Navy's First Training Squadron Ships, INS Krishna, from August 1995 â?? is set to sing its swan song. On Tuesday, it will embark on its last voyage, setting course for Mumbai from the Southern Naval Command's south jetty for a minor refit before being decommissioned later this year.

The news of the imminent retirement of the â??Grey Mistress,' as she had been known in the Royal Navy, has indeed brought back dear memories in many â??ex-HMS Andromeda shipmates' besides Indian Navy personnel who have served aboard INS Krishna (pennant number F 46). It comes at a time when the HMS Andromeda Association is planning a reunion of Andromeda veterans, about 400 worldwide, in the last week of February.

The last broad beam Leader-class frigate built by the Portsmouth Dockyard, Andromeda (the eighth bearing pennant number F 57) had weathered many storms in the â??Beira Patrol,' a blockade in the Mozambique channel to prevent oil reaching Rhodesia (Zimbabwe); the last two â??Cod wars' with Iceland over fishing rights when the frigate suffered damage resulting from collisions; the Falklands action when it was deployed on escort duty; and the â??Armilla Patrol' in the Gulf for escort of oil tankers.

â??All who served on the ship speak very highly of her as being the best ship they ever served on. It is sad to think that the ship will soon be paid off and then await a fate which is not as yet known,â?� Rick Matthews, chairman of the HMS Andromeda Association who had served on Andromeda from 1968 to 1971, wrote to The Hindu in an emotional mail.

The Andromeda community on Facebook also witnessed a surge of emotions, with many veteran British mariners even wondering if it was possible to reclaim the vessel and install it as a national monument at Portsmouth!

On hearing the news, John Howard, who had served aboard the vessel for three years from 1968 and later penned an â??arresting' tome on it, e-mailed in five parts the digitised manuscript of the book containing fascinating accounts and anecdotes from the vessel's several deployments.

Mike Hill, who was the ship's supply officer, recalled a visit made to Bombay (now Mumbai) in 1972. â??I still have my tourist permit to purchase and consume alcoholic liquor within the State of Maharashtra from December 1 to 12 in 1972. I also remember a visit to a night club with our Indian Liaison Officer and was quite surprised to find the doors locked behind on entry. The only females seen thereafter were the strippers!!â?� he recalled in a lighter vein.

After it was retired from the Royal Navy in 1994, the ship got a new lease of life as INS Krishna when it was inducted into the Indian Navy in 1995.

â??We were a little sceptical before buying it, but the ship has stood us in good stead catering to our cadet training requirements all this while,â?� said a senior naval functionary.

INS Krishna's involvement in thwarting piracy in the Eastern Arabian Sea last year was proof of its agility. The ship is currently captained by Commander Varun Singh, a marine commando who was conferred the Shaurya Chakra after a valiant counter terrorism operation in Jammu and Kashmir.

[km2000]

Link Russian carrier ship set for India

Jan 17, 2012 14:16 Moscow Time

A Russian aircraft carrier, which is being refurbished for the Indian Navy, will begin sea trials in May for the first time in two decades, a shipyard official said on Tuesday, RIA Novosti reported.

The purchase of the Soviet-built Admiral Gorshkov was agreed in 2005 but delivery has been delayed for a long time. The cost of refurbishing Gorshkov, to be renamed INS Vikramaditya, has since gone up from $947 million to $2.3 billion.

The vessel will officially be handed over to New Delhi on India Navy Day on December 4, 2012.

[9V4i8xw1]

Father goes to Pak to find missing Navy officer Source: P Naveen, DNA | Last Updated 03:25(19/01/12)

RP Singh, father of missing navy sub-lieutenant Vipin Kumar, is gearing to go to Pakistan in search of his son after five self-styled godman told him he is alive. The DNA had carried his story in its January 14 edition. They told the family that Vipin Kumar must be unconscious and would find his way home as soon as he regained consciousness.

Sub-lieutenant Vipin Kumar went missing during a swimming drill in the sea off Porbandar( Gujarat) coast from frontline warship INS Talwar on December 29.
The area, where the naval officer was asked to dive, is close to Indiaâ??s northwestern maritime region along international maritime boundary line (IMBL) with Pakistan. â??We are not getting a proper answer form the Navy. What we know is that he was asked to dive at a place which is hardly 250 km (34.98 nautical ) from Pakistan,â?� says Singh.

The last time he spoke to Captain Rahul Parmar, suspended commandant of warship INS Talwar, was on January 15. The Captain was suspended for negligence leading to the incident.

Vipin completed his training in 2009. He was one of the youngest officers on the Russian-built stealth frigate commissioned into the Indian Navy in 2003.

[mikelangr]

Link Indian Naval Academy may enrol foreign trainees soon

The Indian Naval Academy (INA) at Ezhimala, about 280 km north of Kochi, may throw open its scholastic doors to international trainees from â??friendly foreign countries' in the next couple of years.

â??As and when the Navy decides to open the academy to international trainees, we would be undertaking their training alsoâ?¦. But it will take sometime [to materialise] as it is a policy decision to be taken by the Naval Headquarters (NHQ). I guess there are a lot of queries [from friendly countries] about when the INA will allow foreign trainees to train here,â?� INA Commandant Vice-Admiral Anurag G. Thapliyal told The Hindu at an interaction here recently.

Designated to take over as the Navy's Chief of Personnel, the Vice-Admiral was on his farewell visit to the Southern Naval Command. The Vice-Admiral said that the INA was already interacting with foreign naval academies by way of student regattas and exchange programmes. While trainees of the INA visited Bangladesh and Brazil, the Academy hosted Bangladeshi and Egyptian delegations. As for full-scale training of foreign cadets, he said its modalities had to be worked out by the NHQ.

â??Every country may not be able to afford the B. Tech. kind of course [offered to cadet entry trainees of the INA]. Maybe we will have to put them through shorter duration courses because at the Sub Lieutenants' and long [specialisation] courses there is a certain amount of interaction of foreign trainees with our trainees which is very essential for a service like the Navy as we do meet each other out at sea in international waters very often and relationships of training time actually stand you in very good stead,â?� he said.

The Vice-Admiral said during his two-and-a-half year stint at the helm of the academy, he strove to make it more international which started off with INA trainees taking part in sailing regattas in Italy, Brazil and Australia. â??In December 2010, we hosted the first Admiral's Cup International Regatta, where nine navies participated. The second was held last year and we expect it to grow into 15 to 20 navies as the years go by. Conducted as per international rules in Ettikkulam Bay, this has given the academy an international standing. This has been received well and our boys, too, had an opportunity to hone their skills.â?�

The Vice-Admiral said that the development of the academy's infrastructure was incremental and not at a desirable pace, but a lot of ground had been covered in training. â??We, however, created infrastructure [under the delegated powers of the Commandant] where we felt it was deficient keeping in mind that one day the actual infrastructure will come up and this should not lead to duplication.â?�

In training, besides service and technical subjects, two languages â?? Chinese and Arabic â?? were introduced as the cadets would have to use them at some point in time. Those who were good in English were slotted into batches of 12 to 15 for the study of these languages from instructors delegated from the School of Foreign Languages, New Delhi.

â??Language is very important for us. Many a good idea goes waste if one is unable to communicate it. We have a language lab at the academy where we take the cadets through the paces of diction, pronunciation and vocabulary. It has had its results in snap talks and all. It makes them more confident and if they can communicate well, they will become more respectable leaders,â?� the Vice-Admiral said.

[stastony]

Last Indian Navy Tu-142ME Overhaul Completed

Beriev announced on December 5 that it has delivered back to the Indian Navy the last of its eight Tu-142MEs to be overhauled.

In additional to maintenance work, the aircraft have undergone a service life extension programme, including some equipment upgrading, which should see them remain in service until 2020.

The final aircraft, IN312, has now completed all necessary flight-testing after completion of the work and was formally delivered back to the Indian Navy at Beriev's facility in Taganrog.

[XGoFivk7]

Preview Naval Contingent and Tableau for 63rd Republic Day Parade
The Naval contingent and tableau for the 63rd Republic Day Parade was presented to the media today by Commodore Atul Kumar, Principal Director Personnel Services of the Integrated Headquarters of Ministry of Defence (Navy).

The Naval contingent consists of 144 men and women in the traditional Black winter uniforms replete with brass buttons polished to a golden sheen, boots impeccably polished and contrasting strikingly with sparkling white anklets. The contingent commanded by Lt Cdr K Manikandan, will also have three Platoon Commanders of the rank of Lieutenant. The contingent comprises men drawn from ships and establishments across the country. Men who by training are variously gunners, submariners, anti submarine warriors, radar plotters, signalmen, engineers and logisticians have been training for over four months and have been practicing marching down the Rajpath for over a month.

The marching contingent is supported by the Indian Naval Brass Band comprising 81 musicians led by Ramesh Chand Katoch, Master Chief Petty Officer, Musician First Class. It is particularly noteworthy that MCPO Ramesh Chand is participating in the RD parade for the 25th year in succession and has been leading the band for the last fourteen years.

In keeping with the theme for 2012 'Safe Seas and Secure Coasts for a Strong Nation', the Naval tableau showcases the multidimensional aspect of the Indian Navy engaged in ensuring safe seas in our region besides securing India's long coast line.

On the trailer are the models of the 'Delhi' Class guided missile Destroyer, IL-38 (Sea Dragon) Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance aircraft and a UAV positioned atop a globe showing Indian Ocean Region, indicative of the global reach of the Indian Navy.

On the tractor is a model of the recently inducted Fast Interceptor Craft giving requisite boost to the coastal security and a Sea-king helicopter which acts as a force multiolier both at sea against pirates and securing India's long coastline.

Maintaining a ship continuously on patrol in the Gulf of Aden since October 2008, the Indian Navy has safely escorted over 1900 ships with over 400 indian ships. The Indian Navy also thwarted over 40 piracy attempts. In response to piracy incidents in the Eastern Arabian Sea, the Indian Navy maintained additional patrolling in SLOCs in Eastern Arabian sea ensuring no piracy incidents in these waters in the for months.

IN Ships have sailed extensively across the Indian Ocean Region and have in addition operated in the Pacific Ocean and Mediterranian Sea. The Indian Navy has also provided assistance as sought by IOR littorals such as Seychelles, Mauritius and Maldives in maintaining EEZ patrols in their waters.

[ChicasCams]

[attachment=0]Link 23/1/2012 8:29 Russia Hands Over Nerpa Nuclear Sub to India

Russiaâ??s K-152 Nerpa nuclear-powered attack submarine has been handed over to the Indian Navy, a RIA Novosti correspondent reported on Monday.

In line with the contract worth over $900 million, the Project 971 Shchuka-B (NATO: Akula II) class sub has been leased to Indiaâ??s Navy for ten years. It will be renamed the INS Chakra.

The ceremony took place in the Far Eastern Primorye Territory. Russian submariners trained their Indian colleagues to steer the Nerpa in the Pacific Ocean.

The event was attended by Indian ambassador to Russia Ajai Malhotra, United Shipbuilding Corporation head Roman Trotsenko, Eastern Military District commander Admiral Konstantin Sidenko and other officials.

The submarineâ??s displacement is 8,140/12,770 tons. Its maximum speed is 30 knots, maximum operating depth, 600 m; its endurance is 100 days with a crew of 73. The vessel is armed with four 533mm torpedo tubes and four 650mm torpedo tubes.

India has become the sixth operator of nuclear submarines in the world, after the United States, Russia, France, Britain and China, though it previously leased another Russian submarine which was then returned.

Twenty sailors died on the Nerpa in 2008 after the vesselâ??s fire-suppression systems were accidentally triggered during sea trials, releasing toxic gases.

[triarmarm]

Link Satellites to keep track of trains

Sources claimed the Indian Navy is using the MSS system mainly on its warships and Coast Guard vessels to get accurate information about the movement of ships in sea. Besides, the MSS system for defence applications has been developed to assist naval wings like submarines, torpedoes, ground-based vehicles, ships and aircraft in any emergency, sources said.

[hoconnor6605]

Link Cancel GO on transfer of Buddhist sites to Navy

VISAKHAPATNAM: Despite stiff opposition from Vizagites, Congress government is making all efforts to destroy centuries-old Buddhist sites in Visakhapatnam district, said Governing Body Member of All India Lay-Buddhist Organisation (AILBO), K Venkata Ramana Rao.

Talking to mediapersons here on Sunday, Rao said according to GO no-37 issued on January 18, three acres of land at Thotlakonda Buddhist site in Visakhapatnam should be transferred to the Indian Navy to lay down a road to facilitate passage to a Navy site.

The Indian Navy had contended that there was only one way to reach its site, near the Thotlakonda Buddhist site unless a road was laid leading to it. Consequently, the Congress government issued a GO allowing transfer of three acres of land the Indian Navy.

[lE3l6Lgn]

Link Is the Navy's newest sub worth the price? by Pravin Sawhney and Vijay Shankar

Not much of a sea-based deterrent

Just when the Russian nuclear-powered Akula-II submarine joins the Indian Navy as INS Chakra on a 10-year lease at a cost of over $one billion, the moot question is: does it contribute to India's sea-based nuclear deterrence?

To put matters in perspective, India in 1988 had procured the Soviet Charlie I class nuclear attack submarine, renamed INS Chakra on a three-year lease. The vessel came without strategic weapons, with the sole purpose of familiarising naval personnel on training and maintenance of nuclear-powered submarines. The rules of engagement spelt out that INS Chakra would not be used in war. The hidden part of the deal was that Soviets would help India in its indigenous Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV), both materially and intellectually. While the promised assistance to the ATV programme which culminated in the launch of 80MW nuclear reactor S-2 vessel (to be called INS Arihant on commissioning) by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on 26 July 2009 came in fits and starts, the technology of the 6,000 tonne vessel is between first and second generation vintage. By comparison, the U.S. has ninth generation nuclear-powered subs which do not require refuelling throughout their lifetime.
Follow-on vessels

The Russian Akula sub, given the same name, INS Chakra comes with similar purpose and rules of engagement. Like the earlier deal, the undisclosed understanding this time is that it is part of the Gorshkov package (INS Vikramaditya) and includes Russian help in the follow-on indigenous nuclear-powered vessels. While S-2 vessel began sea-trials in January (could last 12 to 18 months), India has planned follow-on S-3 and S-4 vessels based on the S-2 design. As all three vessels have similar hull and nuclear power plant, capability enhancements will be meagre. It is only when the S-5 vessel with a new design and a powerful nuclear reactor is launched, which could be two-decades away, can India hope to have a semblance of sea-based deterrence against China. The S-2 and the coming S-3 and S-4 vessels will lack adequate capabilities in three key areas of stealth, reactor design and missile range to become a deterrent ballistic missile armed nuclear-powered submarine (SSBN) against China, which with its Jin class subs is at least four decades ahead. India's S-2 vessel armed with 700km K-15 missile will have difficulty in even deterring Pakistan as, given its limitations, it would be required to be positioned closer to hostile shore.

Against this backdrop, a retired chief of naval staff had told me that the coming of Akula four years late, when the S-2 vessel is already undergoing sea-trials, serves little purpose. While still in office, he had written to the government to review the leasing of Akula programme. According to him, there is a case to dispense with the S-3 and S-4 vessels which will consume enormous time and finances. India, after all, is still on the technology understanding curve and not ready for production. Therefore it should leap-frog to work on S-5 vessels which would entail imagination and initiative. Given improved relations with the U.S. and France, why cannot India seek advanced reactor technology from them? Developing long range ballistic missile would have to be an indigenous effort as it comes under global restrictive regimes. Why cannot ISRO with capabilities to propel rockets up to 10,000km help DRDO make 8,000km ballistic missiles? These hard questions need to be examined to produce credible sea-based deterrence.

**********

Chakra, the filler of strategic space

A strategic posture of a nation is a declaration, more by deed than articulation, of its orientation, will and intent. It purports to mould and shape a future that would benefit its larger objectives. The process is fraught with the hazards of conflicting interests and therefore it demands the weight of the nation's comprehensive power both soft and hard.

In an era when the face of soft power is that of an Assange and its voice, that of Gandhi, Gibran, Che and Osama; a critical instrument to uphold posture is the State's military power and the talent to distinguish between the maintenance of armed forces and their use.

The operational canvas is a transient that abhors futuristic force planning. So it was, year-after-every-five year the planner was condemned to an exercise that perceived threats and building force structures to cope.
â??Intimidation and accretion'

It was, therefore, the â??instantaneous intimidation' that drove plans and consequently resulted in â??a tail chasing' accretion of forces. Unfortunately to some, this inspiration continues to be the pretender that fills strategic space. The case of our strategic maritime posture as a function of the declared â??Look East' policy is a study in point. Here the need for a theory to make transparent the complexity of the problem and invite the necessary intellectual rigour to not just â??chart a course' but also to analyse and cater for the hurdles that may beset policy is the first imperative.

As Julian Corbett so eloquently put it, theory may not be a substitute for judgment and experience, but is a means to fertilize both.

Significantly, the recent acquisition on a 10-year lease of the â??Chakra' (Russian Akula II class nuclear attack submarine) is an extremely perspicacious departure from the past for it is a concrete step towards the translation of the theory and realisation of the larger strategic maritime posture that serves policy.
Long gestation

Admittedly, the gestation period has been long; it is recognised the process has been challenged by a fragmented approach (the Chakra in its first avatar came to us in1988) and plagued by the economics and the geopolitics of the times. But these are challenges that any strategic project must expect to face and defy.

The nuclear attack submarine (SSN) being completely independent of air for propulsion frees it from the need to surface frequently, the enormous power generated permits a bigger hull to operate at high speeds with large payloads for durations that is limited by human fatigue and replenishment of consumables only (reactors require refuelling at intervals of 25 years). In real terms, it is critical to understand what the Chakra represents. Working the submarine to our operational challenges and demands is just the tip of the iceberg, training and building a bank of specialised personnel; creating the necessary infrastructure to maintain nuclear submarines; unique logistic management practices; development of doctrines and procedures; generating design feature for the indigenous programme and, most importantly, building an ethos of efficient and safe nuclear submarine stewardship and exertions, these are the 8/9th submerged part of the iceberg. Strategically SSNs in numbers provide a vital element of a riposte to any â??sea control strategyâ?� that an adversary may contemplate or a â??denial strategyâ?� that we may plan.
State of art

In terms of the platform, the Akula II represents the state of art in SSN design, the programme having been launched in the mid 1990s. The nearest in terms of design vintage is the British â??Astute' class also of the mid 1990s,but in terms of capabilities it is smaller and less accomplished; while the American Los Angeles class predates the Chakra by a decade. Also, the design philosophy harmonises with the orientation of our strategic nuclear submarine project.

As far as the economics of the matter is concerned, $920 million for a 10-year lease with certain support features attached must be viewed in perspective of what the SSN represents and the fact that a new SSN of similar capability with a 30-year life would have a price tag of about $3billion and a through life cost of (thumb rule) $9 billion would suggest that the deal is a sound one.

As any nation that has committed to operating maritime nuclear force will fully appreciate that kudos are due to our planners who visualised a theory, saw a form and translated it to a force plan and now have given substance to each step of the way.

(Vice Admiral (Retd.) Vijay Shankar PVSM, AVSM is the former Commander-in-Chief of the Andaman & Nicobar Command, Commander-in-Chief of the Strategic Forces Command and Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet. Email: snigir@gmail.com)

[plogypeskelry]

Indian Sea Harrier burst tire while landing

An Indian Navy Sea Harrier burst its tire while landing at Goaâ??s Dabolim airport on Monday evening. The accident caused the runway to be closed for an hour.

Commercial flights were delayed and one had to be diverted to Mumbai airport.

[Ceakicknunk]

Link No more delays in Gorshkov deadlines 25 Jan 2012

Any shift in deadlines is unacceptable, said Sergey Chemezov, the CEO of Rostechnologies state corporation, about the upgrade works on Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier.

There is no question of deadline shifts around Gorshkov, said Chemezov, while some lagging in construction of three frigates for the Indian navy is to be truncated.

Admiral Gorshkov repairs will be accomplished by the end of 2012, assures the CEO of Rostechnologies.

Speaking about three other frigates constructed at the Baltic shipyards of Yantar, Chemezov admits that â??there is a certain delay but shipbuilders are doing their best to get it reduced to the minimumâ?�.

Admiral Gorshkov â?? to be renamed to Vikramaditya â?? is the former Soviet aircraft carrier currently being upgraded to the order of Indiaâ??s navy forces.

According to the deal between the countries, India is to get the vessel for free, yet with certain obligations imposed. Therefore, refitting works are to be done at the shipyards of Sevmash in Severodvinsk (Arkhangelsk region), while the vessel is to be supplied along with Russian aircrafts, anti-submarine helicopters, missile tubes, etc. The deal initially reached $1.5 billion expecting the vessel to be commissioned in 2008. The price had to be increased to $2.3 billion after a new modernization contract had been signed in March 2010; the deadline was shifted to late 2012.

Unattributable sources at Sevmash claim the Admiral Gorshkov/Vikramaditya will call at Murmansk port in May for trials. However, the dates are yet to be confirmed.

[NarhozNic]

4 Indian naval officers indicted for leaking info on Facebook
New Delhi, Jan 26, - A Naval Board of Inquiry (BoI) has recommended action against four senior officers for allegedly possessing and leaking classified information through social networking websites.
1390/11/06 - 09:35

â??A Board of Inquiry (BoI) was conducted against the four officers from the technical branch for allegedly possessing classified information on their personal computers. They were also found to be sharing this on social networking websites such as the Facebook,â?� pti reported quoting Navy sources here.

They said the charges against the officers were found to be correct by the Board and it has now recommended action against them. The quantum of punishment recommended for these officers was not yet known.

However, the Navy spokesperson here refused to comment on the issue. The inquiry was ordered by the Western Command in December after it suspected that information about service matters was being shared in open domain.

Navy has in the past issued guidelines to its officers and personnel against discussing any official information or identify or their warships' location in public domain.

[elossenen]

Navies of 14 Nations at Andamans for Naval Exercise
PTI

A biennial exercise of littoral countries' Navies of Asia-Pacific region, hosted by the Indian Navy, commenced at Port Blair today.

Navies of 14 countries, including Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Indonesia, Malayasia, Maldives, Myanmar, Mauritius, New Zealand, the Philippines, Seychelles, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand, are attending the exercise that ends on February six.

Arrival of foreign ships at Port Blair today marked the beginning of the exercise codenamed MILAN-2012.

On arrival, the ships were given the traditional naval welcome at the Naval wharf. The visiting ships' officers and men will visit the city later, including a visit to the national memorial.

The event encompasses a wide gamut of social and cultural exchange activities aimed at fostering better understanding and bonhomie between the littoral countries. The event offers tremendous scope for showcasing the Indian armed forces at the international stage and allows for cultural exchange between the nations.

Chairman chiefs of Staff Committee and chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Nirmal Verma will visit Port Blair on Thursday, interact with the commander in-chief, Andaman and Nicobar command Lt Gen N C Marwah and officers of the command visit Naval air station, Campbell Bay and interact with the troops, the release said.

[Romarionsion]

Navy: Europe firm ‘twisting’ facts for $1bn deal
Feb 21, 2012 - Sridhar Kumaraswami | Age Correspondent | New Delhi

A big controversy has hit the acquisition of 16 Multi-Role Helicopters for the Indian Navy, a deal estimated to be worth around $1 billion, with the Indian Navy accusing European vendor NH Industries (NHI) of trying to “mislead” the defence ministry, “twist” the Naval Staff Qualitative Requirements (NSQRs), “falsify” the Request for Proposal (RFP) and cause delays with “unreasonable que-ries/concerns”.

Docu-ments accessed by this newspaper show the Navy criticised the European firm after it raised doubts about the helicopter of its American rival Sikorsky. This new US-European battle for an Indian defence deal is leading to a lot of acrimony.

NHI earlier alleged Sikorsky does not meet the NSQRs for the deal, and complained to the defence ministry. The Navy has now made it clear that both NHI and Sikorsky have met the NSQRs, making them both eligible. The Navy earlier submitted its Field Evaluation Trials (FETs) report to the MoD on acquiring the anti-surface and anti-submarine MRHs. NHI, based in France and with French, German and Italian participation, pitched its NH90 helicopter against Sikorsky’s S70B.

NHI earlier raised doubts about the Sikorsky helicopter on various aspects, including dual redundancy, fitment of fuel tanks, full authority automatic flight control system, fuel reserves at the end of mission, sensor functions and usage monitoring system. The Navy has, however, given the Sikorsky helicopter a clean chit.

In its final recommendations and in response to NHI’s allegations, the Navy said: “It emerges that NHI is attempting to mislead the higher authorities and cause delays... with unreasonable queries/concerns. The Indian Navy has evaluated the (NHI) NH90 and (Sikorsky) S70B helicopters, and considers both platforms meet the NSQRs specified in... the RFP.”

On NHI’s queries on the Sikorsky helicopter’s “sensor functions” and “fitment of both external and internal fuel tanks”, the Navy said: “It is clearly evident that NHI have twisted the NSQR, thereby falsifying the Request for Proposal on the MRH with an aim to misleading the higher authorities MoD”.

NHI had raised doubts on several other features. It said: “(The NSQR) requires no failure of single system should lead to a catastrophic failure. NHI would like to understand how this is demonstrated since the S70B does not have dual redundancy built in to all aircraft flight control systems.”

[HelenTay]

23 Feb, 2012, 09.07PM IST, PTI
Indo-US to hold naval war games in Bay of Bengal in April

Navies of India and US will engage in Malabar series of war games in the Bay of Bengal in April.

This will be only the second time in the last over 10 years that India is holding these war games on its eastern seaboard in the Bay of Bengal after China protested against such an exercise in the same waters in 2007.

Both sides will field their major assets in the war games where they will carry out a wide spectrum of maritime manoeuvres, navy officials said here.

During the last exercise of the series in Bay of Bengal in September 2007, 25 vessels from India, the US, Japan, Australia and Singapore had participated.

After the event, China had reportedly expressed its displeasure over the development suspecting the grouping to be against it.

The Malabar series of war games began in 1992, and includes diverse activities, ranging from fighter aircraft combat operations from aircraft carriers to maritime interdiction exercises.

On several occasions, the US Navy has fielded its nuclear submarines and nuclear-powered aircraft carriers at the exercise, which helped Indian sailors to gain valuable experience on them.

[thushioli]

India Submits Anti-Piracy Proposals at the UN to Build Consensus: Antony

The Defence Minister Shri AK Antony has called for global efforts to uproot the threat of piracy. Inaugurating the Annual National Maritime Foundation Conference here today, Shri Antony said India has already submitted certain proposals at the United Nations. “If ever there was a need for consensual and cooperative effort, it is in relation to piracy and India has put forward certain proposals at the United Nations.”

The Defence Minister pointed out that the Indian Navy has made significant contribution to the global anti-piracy efforts in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) since 2008. “What is significant is that more than 85 percent of the ships escorted by the Indian Navy are of foreign flag.” Shri Antony said that the challenge of piracy is yet to be effectively quarantined. “There is a consensus that while the pirates can be neutralized at sea, the real solution lies in addressing the root causes, which are complex and are actually located on land.”

The Defence Minister also voiced concern at the military presence of world’s major powers in the IOR despite the waters being far from their shores. “Unlike the Atlantic and Pacific, few of the major powers are geographically contiguous to its waters and yet they have maintained a certain military presence and abiding politico-diplomatic interest in these waters,” Shri Antony said. “In the Indian Ocean Region, the net outcome is a constant turbulence of intense diplomatic activity and substantial military investments by the major powers,” he added.

Following is the full text of the Minister’s address on the occasion:

“It is a pleasure to address such a distinguished audience on the occasion of the Annual Maritime Power Conference of the National Maritime Foundation, India’s premier maritime think-tank. Your presence and participation in this event will enrich the Conference, which aims to deliberate over the contours of the Indian Ocean challenges and examine cooperative structure.

The maritime space on our earth comprises the three navigable oceans – the Pacific, the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean. As the global economic pendulum swings eastwards and Asia is on the move, the strategic importance of the extended Indian Ocean Region, or the IOR, has been increasing in the recent decades. Major powers of the world, who had maintained their focus over the Atlantic-Pacific region during the Cold War decades, are now seeing the relevance of the Indian Ocean-Pacific or the Indo-Pacific combine in a new light.

There are many distinctive aspects of the Indian Ocean and its multi-faceted littoral – the IOR. The challenges are many, from the conventional strategic imperatives to the trade, energy and humanitarian determinants. The flip side of ‘challenges’, being ‘opportunities’, it is good that the National Maritime Foundation Annual Conference has brought together the maritime stakeholders to ponder over these possibilities.

India has always been at the forefront of cooperative and collective endeavours in addressing regional and global challenges. In this regard, the IOR offers many opportunities to identify cooperative and equitable solutions through consensus from sustained deliberations. While the stated positions of governments on many of these issues will provide the basic template, conferences of this nature should also enable some innovative and out-of-the-box thinking.

The Indian Ocean Region is a critical hub for trade and energy transfers. At least 40 per cent of the sea-borne trade, 50 per cent of its container traffic and 70 per cent of the traffic in hydro-carbon products transit through the region. Therefore, its emergence as a peaceful and stable region will enhance its own prosperity and also add to the global well being.

The diversity and disparities of the Indian Ocean Region are reflected in its demographics, socio-economic and related human security indications, governance structures and the contestation between modernity and traditional rhythms. The region has seen new partnerships being forged, old anxieties being revived and the aspirations of its vast human resource manifesting in myriad manner. The region, also unfortunately hosts many of the global concerns. This makes the Indian Ocean a complex domain. Unlike the Atlantic and Pacific, few of the major powers are geographically contiguous to its waters and yet they have maintained a certain military presence and abiding politico-diplomatic interest in these waters. The principal need is to manage the oceanic domain, in keeping with the normative principles of international law and the evolving norms for the ‘global commons’. In the Indian Ocean Region, the net outcome is a constant turbulence of intense diplomatic activity and substantial military investments by the major powers.

Apart from the strategic and military dimensions, the IOR is identified with many distinctive human security related features. A large cross-section of humanity that inhabits the IOR, or its hinterland, is grappling with crushing impoverishment, the dreaded ‘dollar a day’ syndrome. Concurrently, natural disasters, pernicious piracy, food shortages, environmental degradation, shrinking fish reserves, maritime boundary disputes and climate-induced migration also characterise the IOR.

None of these challenges can be addressed, or redressed by a single state, and hence the opportunity that presents itself for cooperative solutions and endeavour in the IOR. The December 2004 Tsunami is illustrative of the scale of the challenge and the collective effort came together. It is gratifying to note that the lessons learnt from the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) will be discussed at this Conference. In fact, I would suggest that all the nations and navies represented here document their respective Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief operational experiences – and highlight the best practices and lessons learnt and share them with each other.

Over the years, India has taken up two security-related cooperative initiatives, the first is the MILAN series that brings together regional navies in Port Blair and the second, is the more recent IONS that provides a forum for the Chiefs of the Navy of the IOR littorals to constructively engage one another. The former has got well established since inception in 1995 and I am very happy to learn that its tenth edition held earlier this month was a resounding success. The latter has progressed from its inaugural edition here in New Delhi to 2008 to Abu Dhabi in 2010 and is now headed to Cape Town six weeks from now. This open and inclusive forum for discussion of regionally relevant maritime issues seeks to enhance cooperation among the IOR navies.

Speaking of the cooperative effort that we seek to strengthen in the Indian Ocean Region – it is a matter of great satisfaction for India that the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard have been contributing to the ‘common good’ as it were – and to the collective security effort. Ever since the Indian Navy joined the anti-piracy effort in the IOR in the late 2008, the total number of merchant ships escorted has increased steadily. What is significant is that more than 85 per cent of the ships escorted by the Indian Navy are of foreign flag. Yet, piracy cases are continuing at an alarming rate. Clearly, the challenge of piracy is yet to be effectively quarantined. There is a consensus that while the pirates can be neutralised at sea, the real solution lies in addressing the root causes, which are complex and are actually located on land. If ever there was a need for consensual and cooperative effort, it is in relation to piracy and India has put forward certain proposals at the United Nations. I am very happy to see that your conference has devoted an entire half a day session to deliberate over this issue. I would like the distinguished delegates to take into account that challenges posed by extremist ideologies, terrorism support and the scourge of the non-state entity, require assessments to be objective and candid for their solutions to be effective.

I would now like to touch upon another issue relevant to IOR. Climate change and the adverse impact of rise in sea-level will have on the smaller islands in the IOR is truly a matter of serious concern. This issue needs a comprehensive scientific study and is linked to the larger global effort on how best to tackle greenhouse gas emissions. The possible melting of the polar ice caps will have tectonic consequences for our understanding of what maritime domains constitute ‘navigable’ oceans of the world. Specific to Asia and the Indian Ocean Region, there may be a need to reassess concepts like choke-points and critical sea lines of communication (SLOCs). Without being unduly alarmed, I want to encourage this forum to address this issue holistically, share your knowledge and pool together resources wherever possible. Global warming, climate change and the rhythm of monsoons are linked with the health of the entire maritime domain. This is a subtle, complex, non-linear linkage which merits serious attention. Any imbalance in this matrix can have irreversible and unanticipated adverse consequences for human security in the entire Indian Ocean Region. I urge the climate change and oceanography scientists in this gathering to review this matter.

With these words, I wish all the participants, stimulating and enriching deliberations at the Conference. I am sure that your combined quest for cooperative solutions to the challenges in the Indian Ocean Region will be meaningful. The discussions would be another step towards equitable peace and sustainable prosperity in a secure Indian Ocean Region.”

[Nicihntm]

Govt nod for two more Arihants

The Government has given a go-ahead for construction of two more nuclear-powered Arihant-class submarines in India.

As regards the new project, they said India has already acquired the expertise in developing such complex machines while designing Arihant. In fact, Arihant, which was unveiled three years back by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, took more than 15 years of planning, design and construction thereby highlighting the complexities involved in such a project.

INS Chakra is expected to arrive in India by the end of next month. India has taken this platform on a 10-year lease for two billion dollars. This is the second time India has gone in for such an arrangement with Russia as the first submarine was acquired in 1980 for a 10-year period.[hr]
Defence panel approves LCA for Indian Navy

In a boost to India's indigenous maritime combat plane development programme, a top defence panel has approved the limited series production of the Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA) for the Indian Navy's under-construction indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC).

The approval came from the Defence Minister A.K. Antony-headed Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) at its meeting last week, a top defence ministry official told IANS Monday.

"The nod is for production of nine of the LCA-Navy," the official said.

The approval comes even as the project was finding the going tough over the plane's General Electric F404 engine providing inadequate power -- about 80 kiloNewtons -- for a carrier-borne fighter.

Therefore, India's first home-built carrier-borne combat jet may finally be powered by GE F414 engine that provides 90 kiloNewton thrust to meet the specifications for LCA-Navy.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) project will see the light of the day soon, with the aircraft going through its first flight this year, followed by the necessary approvals for final operational clearance in the next three-four years, in time for the IAC's induction.

The 40,000-tonne IAC is under construction at the Cochin Shipyard, and will carry about 30 combat planes, apart from choppers.

The LCA-Navy had a significant milestone in its development process with the first successful ground-run of its engine in September last year.

The Indian Air Force has ordered seven squadrons - about 140 aircraft - of the LCA and its induction is expected to begin next year.