[DoroKickcrofe]

Excerpts from Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Nirmal Verma gave a farewell press conference:
INS Teg
“The past three years have seen the publication of three major documents – the Maritime Capabilities Perspective Plan 2012-27, the XII Plan document and the XII Infrastructure Plan document. During XI Plan period, which concluded on 31 Mar this year close to 200 Acceptances of Necessity (AoNs) with a total value of Rs 2,73,070 Crs ($ 55 bill)were obtained. Of these, 161 contracts with a total value of Rs 92,069 Crs ($ 20 Bill) have been concluded.”

“A record number of 15 ships have been commissioned into the Navy over the past three years, which include the three Shivalik class stealth frigates – Shivalik, Satpura and Sahyadri – two fleet tankers, Deepak and Shakti, one follow-on 1135.6 class stealth frigate, INS Teg, the sail training ship, Sudarshini, and eight water-jet FACs…..and the nuclear attack submarine INS Chakra………......the Arihant is steadily progressing towards its operationalisation, and we hope to commence sea trials in the coming months……."

"Our indigenous warship building program is poised to touch new heights with 43 warships currently under construction in our shipyards."
“In order to augment our offshore patrolling capability, four offshore patrol vessels are under construction at Goa Shipyard Limited. The ships are scheduled for induction from the end of this year onwards. Five other offshore patrol vessels will be built at a private Shipyard. These ships, along with two cadet training ships under construction at another private Shipyard, are the first warship orders ever given to private shipyards….. Eight new, upgraded landing craft are also under construction at GRSE."

"To augment their force levels, six new catamaran hull Survey vessels are being built by M/s Alcock Ashdown Gujarat Ltd, at Bhavnagar. The first ship (INS Makkar)is undergoing sea trials and is scheduled to be commissioned later this year. The construction of Scorpene submarines under Project 75 is underway and MDL and the Department of Defence Production maintain that the first submarine is likely to be commissioned in 2015 and the sixth submarine by 2018."

"In addition to the 46 ships under construction, Acceptance of Necessity for 49 more ships and submarines has been obtained. These include seven more follow-on ships of the Shivalik Class, under Project 17-A, which are to be built at both MDL, Mumbai and GRSE, Kolkata and we are working towards contract conclusion in the current financial year. Contracts for four water-jet FACs, to be built at GRSE, Kolkata, one more training ship, to be built at a private shipyard and two mine hunters to be built in South Korea are likely to be concluded during the current financial year. Six more mine hunters will be subsequently built at Goa Shipyard under ToT. Options for the Deep Submergence and Rescue vessel (DSRV) are presently undergoing technical evaluation. In addition, approval for construction of six submarines under Project -75(I) is at the final stages of approval. Requests for Proposals in respect of four LPDs, 16 shallow water ASW ships – the order being split between two shipyards, one survey training vessel and two diving support vessels will also be issued in the coming months."