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Volume 15 No. 1
2019
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L e a d s to r y
Page 4 Navy’s Quest for Modernisation
photograph: Indian Navy
Indian Navy’s Khanderi stealth submarine
Under the plan, the Navy aims to have a force level of 200 ships, 500 aircraft and 24 attack submarines. At present, the Navy has around 132 ships, 220 aircraft and 15 submarines. Lt General Naresh Chand (Retd)
Page 7 Maritime Surveillance
INS Vikramaditya, flagship of the Indian Navy Sikorsky MH-60R likely to be signed for Indian Navy under FMS
With the centre of gravity of conflict veering towards the Indian Ocean, the requirement of maritime surveillance of the Indian Navy (IN) is in more limelight. Lt General P.C. Katoch (Retd)
Page 8 Action Stations: Submarine Battle Ahead
Indian Navy:
A Formidable Blue Water Force in the Making India needs a modern Navy to protect its maritime interests and shoulder additional responsibilities, particularly in the current geo-political and security situation that prevails in the Indian Ocean region n Saloni Salil
Navantia S-80 Plus-class submarine
Vishal Thapar analyses how the Project 75(I) competition is poised after the shortlisting of contenders and points out the pitfalls that may be encountered ahead, as India ambitiously seeks to leverage this programme to gain submarine-building autonomy. Vishal Thapar
Plus
News in Brief
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T
he Indian Navy, which is the principle manifestation of India’s maritime power, aims to govern two oceans, the Indian Ocean as well the Pacific. It has been making untiring efforts to augment its naval prowess. However, its efforts have been hinged by various impediments such as budgetary constraints, Indian military industry facing several structural dysfunctionalities, thereby, retarding the Indian Navy modernisation ambitions.
Given the geopolitical nuances in the Indian Ocean, the Indian Navy needs to transform itself into a builder’s navy and achieve nation building through shipbuilding. What is left to be witnessed is, will the Indian Navy become a formidable blue water force to reckon with in the future. Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing the nation on Navy Day 2019, rightly took us back to the history of the Chola Kingdom. The Chola Navy was considered one of the strongest navy of its time and one of the major reasons behind the Chola’s economic supremacy.
This stands true even in the 21st century. The Indian Navy, a partner in progress, has been shouldering the aspirations of a New India, a young nation, on the move transforming itself into a modern nation. The commanding heights that the Indian Ocean enjoys is well known — Admiral Alfred T. Mahan highlighted strategic importance of the Indian Ocean in these words, whoever attains maritime supremacy in the Indian Ocean would be a prominent player on the international scene. Just like the seas, geopolitical environment has constant change in its nature
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The lead article is by an eminent Geopolitics and Security analyst who traces the evolution of the Indian Navy to its ‘Blue Water Avatar’ and what challenges are likely to be faced in the future. The Indian Navy is the principal manifestation of India’s maritime power and aims to govern two oceans, the Indian Ocean as well the Pacific. Thus, the Indian Navy stands as a strong pillar in guarding our national interest at home and abroad. The author makes a strong case for the timely expansion of the Indian Navy. Currently the Navy has a presence in the IOR in 19 locations but this has to be augmented with a stronger presence as India’s role in the region is globally recognised and is seen as a protector of the regional order particularly as it pertains to maintaining open sea lanes and the freedom of navigation and picking up the baton of becom-
ing a ‘Net Security Provider’. India has entered the 21st century with a small but formidable regional naval posture. An article is thus included which gives an overview of the modernisation plans for upgrading Indian Navy’s presence in the IOR and the Pacific. The Navy aims to have a force level of 200 ships, 500 aircraft and 24 attack submarines. At present, the Navy has around 132 ships, 220 aircraft and 15 submarines. In the article on modenisation, IN has the vision of transforming from a buyer’s navy to a builder’s navy. With the centre of gravity of conflict veering towards the IOR, the requirement of maritime surveillance of the Indian Navy is in focus. China’s moves to establish bases in the IOR, its nexus with Pakistan including PLA troops and marines based in Pakistan indicates China’s aggressive intentions. Thus an article on
maritime surveillance is included which gives out current capabilities and future requirements. The year started with a bang for acquisition when the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved a three-way competition among the private sector L&T and the public sector Mazagon Dock Limited and Hindustan Shipyard for the $6.3 billion Indian Navy programme to build six new diesel-electric submarines under Project 75 (India). This is a landmark project aimed at building up indigenous submarine design capability for future programmes. Read all about it in an ‘in-depth’ analysis of the programme. SP Guide Publications is proud to share that 7 articles by our journalists, in four categories, have been shortlisted for finals in the upcoming Aerospace Media Awards - Asia. These are the most prestigious awards in Aerospace Media and the number of nomina-
tions for finals received by us are amongst the highest by a publishing company, which includes global leaders and heavyweights. Details of the nominations can be seen on pages 6 and 7 inside. As usual this issue ends with the News Digest and Flag Postings. DefExpo 2020 is being held at Lucknow from February 5-8 and as usual SP Guide Publications will have presence. Do meet us at Hall 3 Stall Q47 in case you are there. We wish you discerning readers happy reading and a very Happy 2020.
Jayant BaranwaL Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
GRAPHIC: SP’s Design
and the Indian Ocean region stands at the center of it. From the Malacca Straits dilemma in the east to penetrating terrorism and the brewing middle east crisis between the United States and Iran in the west; furthermore, rapid militarisation and nuclearisation of the region. These issues are further compounded by weak capacity (political, economic and military) amongst the littorals to manage their affairs, current situation between in India and Pakistan is a boiling pot; and the most pressing issue of all, is the sense of a rising tide of Chinese influence that, it feels, now extends all the way into India’s backyard and beyond its extended neighbourhood, especially making inroads into vulnerable nations through its economic heft and land grab strategies. The increasing presence of China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) in and around Indian ocean, coupled with the rise of the home-grown Indian Navy and the US naval dominance over the global commons, has brought about a ‘strategic maritime triangle’ in the Indian Ocean. As Hew Strachan says “Geography shapes Strategy and strategy is the choices that one makes in the face of constraint”, the current milieu in the IOR is a multi-faceted interaction of numerous factors and India, by virtue of its centrality and strategic vantage point at the heart of the Indian Ocean Region, though has great leverage, is at the locus of many of the world’s most pressing geopolitical developments. Thus, the Indian Navy, which is the principle manifestation of India’s Maritime power stands as a strong pillar in guarding our national interest at home and abroad. Therefore, it’s time that the sea power of India be augmented and thus, makes a strong case for the timely expansion of Indian Navy.
Indian Navy’s Outreach and Modernisation Plans: What Have We Achieved So Far – The Indian Government and the Navy have made untiring efforts to amplify the naval prowess in the past decade. India needs a modern Navy to protect its maritime interests and shoulder additional responsibilities, particularly in the current geo-political and security situation that prevails in the Indian Ocean region. The aim of the expansion plan of Indian Navy is to govern two oceans, The Indian Ocean as well as the Pacific (Indo-Pacific construct) and thus, India has enhanced its
India’s Presence in the Indian Ocean Myanmar (construction of Sittwe Port, export of weapons)
Iran (construction of Chabahar Port, submarine training) UAE (cooperation with India’s oil reserves)
Thailand (joint patrol, Naval training)
Bangladesh (financial aid for Air Force)
Oman (permission for Indian Navy use of the port of Duqm)
Malaysia (joint patrol, Air Force training)
Mauritius (naval communication facility, provision of patrol boats, training) Madagascar (naval communication facility, permission for Indian Navy use of port) Reunion Island, France (permission for Indian Navy use of base)
eastward advancement strategy. The Indian Naval forces are playing a more pro-active role in the Indian Ocean now and has been expanding the scope of its engagement in the Indian Ocean. Indian Navy’s role is not limited to securing our coastline, maritime terrorism, piracy, human and contraband trafficking, illegal and unregulated fishing, arms running and poaching pose myriad challenges to maritime safety and security in the region. Response to these challenges requires enhanced situational awareness of the maritime activities in the region so as to enable security agencies function effectively. The Indian Navy has been proactive in Human Assistance and Disaster Risk Management by deploying its ships for evacuation of Indian Diaspora and also assistance during natural disasters. The number of Port calls, visits and participation in Maritime Exercises with International partners has also increased tremendously. The Indian Navy has also approved mission based deployment whereby mis-
Singapore (joint exercises, joint patrols, leasing of training ground)
INDIA
Seychelles (Indian base on Assumption Island (pending), provision of patrol boats, training)
Indonesia (joint patrol, repairing of fighter jets)
Sri Lanka (export of patrol boats) Maldives (provision of patrol planes and helicopters, training) Diego Garcia island, US (UK) (permission for Indian Navy use of base)
Andaman Nicobar Islands (modernisation of bases)
Australia (joint exercises, joint infrastructure development, security cooperation with the US, Japan, France, India and Indonesia etc)
Cocos Island, Australia
sion ready ships and aircrafts will be deployed year-round along critical Sea Lanes of Communication and Choke Points in the Indian Ocean to maintain vigil. The Navy is striving to address the capability voids in areas such as aircraft carriers, tankers, landing platform docks, mine countermeasures vessels, submarines and integral helicopters. We are also enhancing our surveillance capabilities through induction of long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft, integral helicopters and high-altitude long-endurance aircraft or remotely piloted aircraft. The focus has been to augment capability through induction of modern platforms, weapons and sensors. Apart from setting up a Tri-service command in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, there is a proposal to roll out a 10 year plan to create facilities for additional troops, warships, aircraft and drones on the islands, strengthening the existing military facilities. Andaman and Nicobar is not only important from strategic point
of view but has also become a staging post for India’s HADR efforts. INS Kohassa has been commissioned in Northern Andaman as Navy’s third aviation centre. The Indian government has setup listening posts and established Naval surveillance facilities in Madagascar and Mauritius. For domain awareness, the establishment of Information Fusion Centre (IFC) based at Indian Navy’s Information Management and Analysis Centre at Gurgaon. The IFC is to enhance maritime security and will share real-time vessel information of interest with friendly nations on white-shipping. The Indian Navy has been making strides in the formation of combat capabilities and construction of weapons and equipment in recent years. As per Maritime Capability Perspective Plan, the Indian Navy aims to have 200 ships, 500 aircraft and 24 attack submarines, they said. At present, the Navy has around 132 ships, Continued on page 10...
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M O DER N I SAT I O N
Navy’s Quest
for Modernisation Under the plan, the Navy aims to have a force level of 200 ships, 500 aircraft and 24 attack submarines. At present, the Navy has around 132 ships, 220 aircraft and 15 submarines photograph: Indian Navy
frigates integrate modern design and stealth features such as radar suppression screens and deck fittings with no radar signature. MDL and GRSE have signed a contract with Bharat Electronics Limited for Israel Aircraft Industry’s seven Barak-8 air defence missile systems in September 2018. MDL has also contracted Fincantieri to provide technical assistance for the Project 17A.
n Lt General Naresh Chand (Retd)
T
he April 2019 Naval Commanders Conference focused on significant aspects of force accretion and modernisation. During the deliberations it emerged that the Indian Navy (IN) is working on a mega plan to significantly boost its operational capability by inducting new warships, submarines and aircraft besides expanding its overall influence in the strategic maritime zones. Under the plan, the Navy aims to have a force level of 200 ships, 500 aircraft and 24 attack submarines. At present, the Navy has around 132 ships, 220 aircraft and 15 submarines. During the October 2019 conference, CNS Admiral Karambir Singh, while highlighting various key issues, also drew attention to the critical capability voids. He also focused on the requirement of three aircraft carriers so that at least one operational carrier is available at any given time. He stressed that the capability gaps are required to be made up, especially in light of the increasing mandate of the IN in the Indian Ocean Region.
Revised Maritime Security and Strategic Perspective The force level of any navy depends directly upon its role and the perceived threat. Based on these key aspects the IN came out with a White Paper on ‘Maritime Security and Strategic Perspective’. This was later on revised and called ‘Revised Maritime Security and Strategic Perspective’. Briefly it states that, “The revised strategy has been titled ‘Ensuring Secure Seas: Indian Maritime Security Strategy’, in recognition of two key aspects. First, the rise in sources, types and intensity of threats, with some blurring of traditional and non-traditional lines, requires a seamless and holistic approach towards maritime security. Second, in order to provide ‘freedom to use the seas’ for India’s national interests, it is necessary to ensure that the seas remain secure. The expanded outlook, reflected in the title, also takes into account the additional mandate of the IN, which has been entrusted with the responsibility for overall maritime security, including coastal and offshore security.”
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Indian Navy’s Maritime Capability Perspective Plan (MCPP) The IN’s present force level comprises about 150 ships and submarines. The Indian Navy’s perspective-planning in terms of ‘force-levels’ is now driven by a conceptual shift from ‘numbers’ of platforms to the one that concentrates upon ‘capabilities’. In terms of force accretions in the immediate future, the IN is acquiring ships in accordance with the IN’s current MCPP which targets a force level of about 200 ships by 2027. The IN has the vision of transforming it from a buyer’s navy to a builder’s navy. The Navy is also looking towards the private shipbuilders to accelerate the production rate.
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Project 15A Kolkata Class Destroyers The Kolkata-class guided missile destroyers are the new stealth destroyers built by MDL for the IN, under Project 15A. The destroyers are preceded by Type 15 Delhiclass destroyers and succeeded by the Project 15B destroyers. The first destroyer was commissioned in August 2014 and the third one November 2016. They are named INS Kolkata, INS Kochi and INS Chennai.
The Project 15B class of Guided Missile Destroyers Fourth Anti Submarine Warfare (ASW) Corvette of Project-28, christened ‘Kavaratti’
Indian Naval Indigenisation Plan (INIP) 2015-2030 The recently released Indian Naval Indigenization Plan (INIP) 2015-2030 has also encouraged domestic industries including Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to participate in construction of ships and associated naval equipment.
Recently completed and current projects Indian Aircraft Carrier (IAC) Project-71 IAC-1. The keel of India’s first indigenously built IAC-1 christened as INS Vikrant was laid on February 28, 2009 at Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL). With this Project India joined the elite club of nations in the world capable of designing and constructing an Air Craft Carrier. INS Vikrant became the Country’s most prestigious and largest warship project. CSL has been mandated to build the IAC for the IN. The basic design of the Air Craft Carrier was carried out by the Indian Navy’s Directorate of Naval Design (DND). The design was further developed by the design team of CSL. The ship has attained its designed length of about 260 m and is almost at its maximum breadth of 60 m and is designed for Short Take Off
The expanded outlook takes into account the additional mandate of the Indian Navy, which has been entrusted with the responsibility for overall maritime security, including coastal and offshore security
but Assisted Recovery (STOBAR). “IAC-I is expected to join the Navy in October 2020. All trial schedules have been worked out. We are going to sign advanced contracts with Cochin Shipyard Limited very soon,” Commodore J. Chowdhary, the Indian Navy’s Principal Director of Naval Design, said in January 2019. IAC-2. India’s second indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC-2), INS Vishal, is still awaiting approval of the government. As per RFP, IAC-2 will have a displacement of 65,000 tonnes and 300 m length and is planned to have Catapult Take Off, Barrier Arrested Recovery (CATOBAR).
Project 17 Shivalik Class Shivalik Class stealth frigates are multirole stealth craft built for IN by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL). The DND formed the initial design for the Project 17 Class frigates and the final design was developed by MDL. These are the first indigenous warships to be built with stealth features. The lead ship of this class is named ‘Shivalik’, followed by ‘Satpura’ and ‘Sahyadri’. All the ships have been commissioned and their designing and manufacture has given valuable experience for further projects.
Project 17A Nilgiri Class Project 17A Nilgiri-class stealth frigates are being built by MDL and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) for the IN. The Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) received approval from the Cabinet Committee on Security to develop warships under the Project 17A in September 2012. The MoD signed shipbuilding contracts with MDL and GRSE in February 2015.In December 2017, the keel-laying ceremony of the first stealth frigate INS Nilgiri (12651) was held at MDL. The ship was launched in September 2019 and is expected to be delivered in 2022. A total of seven frigates have been ordered out of which four will be constructed by MDL and three by GRSE. The Project 17A
Project 15B is a variant of the Kolkata-class destroyers which are being built by MDL. The contract for the construction of four Project 15B destroyers was signed in January 2011. The keel for the first Project 15B ship, named INS Visakhapatnam (D 66), was laid in October 2013 and the vessel was launched in April 2015. The keel laying ceremony of second destroyer in class, INS Mormugao (D 67), was held in June 2015 and the vessel was launched during September 2016. The first ship is expected to join the IN by 2021 and the remaining three ships will be delivered at the rate of one per. The P-15B ship retains the hull form of Kolkata-class and features a stealthier flush deck and advanced weapon systems. Designed indigenously by the DND, the vessels will offer improved survivability, sea keeping and high manoeuvrability. With state-of-the-art weapons and sensor package, the destroyers will be one of the world’s most technologically advanced guided missile destroyers.
Project 1135.6 Frigates The Indian MoD on January 30, 2019 stated that an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) between India and the Russian Federation was concluded on October 15, 2016, for construction of additional Project 1135.6 Follow-on ships in India, at Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL). In line with the IGA, the Government signed a contract for construction of two ships with GSL to-date, with scheduled delivery in June 2026 and December 2026 respectively. The Follow-on P 1135.6 series of frigates are customised to meet the IN’s specific requirements, are potent platforms, with a mission span covering the entire spectrum of naval warfare. The ships would carry highly sophisticated and stateof-art indigenous weapon systems and sensors such as sonar system, BrahMos missile system, Combat Management System etc.
Project 28 ASW Corvettes Four Kamorta Class indigenous Anti-submarine Warfare (ASW) corvettes are being built by GRSE for the IN. The Kamorta Class succeeds the Kora-Class guided-missile corvettes that are in service with the IN. The lead
M a r k e tin g f e atu r e
RUSSIAN-INDIAN COOPERATION Presently, Joint Stock Company “Central Design Bureau for Marine Engineering “Rubin” (JSC CDB ME Rubin) is a diversified design bureau – the leader in the field of concept development, design, project management, life-cycle support for multi-purpose naval equipment: submarines, technical facilities for offshore oil and gas field development, underwater robotic systems and floating power generating systems. CDB ME Rubin is a part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation that consolidates most of the design bureaus, shipyards and other enterprises related to Russian shipbuilding industry. One of the most important areas of activity of CDB ME Rubin is military and technical cooperation. CDB ME Rubin has been engaged in this activity for over sixty years. Over 110 submarines designed by Rubin were delivered to 15 countries. At present, export deliveries of submarines are going on successfully along with execution of a large work package on maintenance of earlier delivered submarines. For several decades CDB ME Rubin and Indian Navy have been engaged in a special and privileged partnership. Diplomatic relations between the USSR and India were established in 1947, which currently have grown into strategic partnership based on commonality of national interests and mutual respect. On the 1st of September 1965, the Soviet Union and the Republic of India signed the first contract for the delivery of naval equipment: four Project I641 diesel-electric submarines, five Project 159E corvettes and five Project 368P motor boats. The agreement also envisaged rendering Soviet technical assistance for the construction of submarine naval base in Vishakhapatnam. The first four submarines of Project I641 were delivered to India from 1967 to 1969. These were the first submarines built in our country under a special export order. It is pertinent to note that India was the first to become a foreign customer for whom ships were constructed based on dedicated export designs. Before that, only “standard” ships and motorboats had been delivered to foreign countries. Later in 1972-1974, another four submarines of improved Project I641K were built for India. From 1986 to 2000, India received ten Project 877EKM diesel-electric submarines built in Russia. The delivery of these boats definitively made India the largest buyer of Russian submarines. The last submarine of the series –Sindhushastra – was built based on a modified design and was the first boat to be equipped with the Club-S missile complex. It should be noted that in the course of Indo-Russian cooperation that goes on for over 50 years, our country has always offered the most state-of-the-art naval equipment to the Indian mariners and Russia is
Submarine Vladikavkaz of upgraded project 877 is currently operated by the Russian Navy
willing to successfully develop this principle of partnership in the 21 century. Indian MoD has always paid a lot of attention to optimization of submarine force levels. Nowadays, a major programme related to optimization and conduct of second mid-life refits of Project 877EKM submarines both in Russia and in India is being successfully undertaken. Along with that, the Russian side is ready to propose and implement delivery of advanced submarines of Project 636 to Indian partners within short time frames to enhance combat capabilities of the submarine force, should there be a request from the Indian Navy. Well-proven technologies of construction, well-established cooperation of equipment suppliers ensure construction of these submarines within short time frames, which has been proven by series deliveries of similar submarines for the Russian Navy. State-of-the-art conventional submarines, owing to their relatively small dimensions, are considered to be complex engineering objects that meet extremely stringent requirements and therefore very few countries can afford them. Undoubtedly, India, due to a well-developed industrial base and high scientific capability, should have indigenous submarines built by Indian shipyards for the Indian Navy. Our company fully supports Projects P-75(I) planned for implementation by Indian MoD. CDB ME Rubin closely cooperates with the Indian Naval Headquarters for this Project and offers a modern low-noise
Saint Petersburg is the lead submarine in a series of advanced conventional submarines of Project 677 (Lada class)
ship Amur-1650 equipped with AIP and powerful torpedo-missile complex Club-S that is a major advantage of the project. The Russian side confirms that it is possible to meet the requirements of the Indian Navy specified for this submarine. In addition, transfer of technologies and indigenization by Indian companies are the priorities to be met during implementation of Project P-75(I). CDB ME Rubin has gained vast experience in development of different classes of submarines and collaboration with equipment developers, manufacturers and scientific organizations, which come up with cutting-edge solutions for construction of modern submarines, and so it is ready to offer latest approaches to ensure utilization of this experience to the maximum extent possible. We believe that the optimum way of cooperation could be joint implementation of all the stages of development of Project 75 (I) submarines by the sides, including design, development and manufacture of required equipment, construction and subsequent maintenance throughout the life cycle. Russia is one of the few countries that has in its possession all design technologies for various ships and this diversified experience might be useful to the Indian Navy. CDB ME Rubin is always ready for development of fruitful cooperation with Indian MoD, as well as with state-owned and private Indian companies and yards. For more information you are welcome to visit site www.ckb-rubin.ru
Rubin offers low-noise submarine Amur-1650 for India’s Project P-75(I) tender
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M O DER N I SAT I O N corvette INS Kamorta, was commissioned into the IN in August 2014. The second vessel, INS Kadmatt, was commissioned into service in January 2016 and the third INS Kiltan was commissioned in October 16, 2017. The last ship INS Kavaratti, was launched in May 2015 and is to be commissioned soon.
Mines Counter Measures Vessels As per media reports India is soon expected to float a fresh RFP to build 12 mine-counter measure vessels (MCMVs), in collaboration with a foreign shipyard under a projected cost of `32,640 crore (about $4.5 billion). GSL has been nominated to collaborate with the selected foreign collaborator. No headway has been made so far and the existing mine sweepers are at the end of their life. It was also reported that the IN has signed a `306 crore ($42 Million) deal with Thales Australia for eight mine counter-measure clip-on influence sweeps to equip its fast interceptor crafts scheduled to be delivered in 2021-2022 as an interim measure.
Shallow Water ASW Crafts
The Navy will need more than one SSBN to be effective. India plans to have a total of six SSBNs with the second one named INS Arighat has already been launched and is expected to be commissioned by 2021
Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) has been contracted by MDL to upgrade two Shishumar-class submarines for `410 crore (about $0.05 billion) contract. Submarine Force Accretion-Project 75(I) The Defence Acquisition Council, approved on January 31, 2019, the construction of six diesel-electric submarines with AIP at a cost of over `45,000, crores (about $6.3 billion).
On June 20, 2019, Expression of Interest (EOI) was issued for shortlisting of potential Indian Strategic Partners (SPs) for P 75(I). All six submarines will be built in India by the selected Indian SP in collaboration with the selected OEM. In addition, IN would have the option to manufacture six additional submarines under the project. The potential SPs are expected to respond to the EOI within two months. Media reported that three Indian shipyards- L&T, MDL and HSL are expected to respond to the EOI. The next step would be to issue the RFP to the shortlisted companies. Five leading foreign manufacturers of submarine i.e. Navantia’s S-80, ThyssenKrupp’s Type 214, Rubin’s Amur, Naval Group’s Scorpene and Daewoo’s KSS3. are expected to respond to the EOI. Nuclear Submarine Programme Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) submarine programme was the first baby steps taken by India during 1983 to develop and deploy nuclear submarines to act as India’s sea-based nuclear deterrent, which is one of the three legs of India’s triad of air-
borne, naval, and land-based platforms as a minimum nuclear deterrent. In order to gain experience in operating nuclear submarines, a Russian Charlie-class nuclearpowered cruise missile submarine was leased from Russia and served in the IN as INS Chakra from 1988 to 1991. In 2012, India again inducted an Akula-II class SSN on a ten-year lease. The first submarine Arihant was launched in 2009 and commissioned in August 2016. The Navy will need more than one SSBN to be effective thus it is reported that India plans to have a total of six SSBNs with the second one named INS Arighat has already been launched and is expected to be commissioned by 2021. In addition, the IN has reported to have already begun construction of two to four more Arihant-class submarines of progressively larger configurations. It is reported that India is also negotiating for a ten-year lease of a Russian Project 971 Shchuka-B class vessel at a cost of $3-billion that will be customised and fitted with indigenous communications systems and sensors. It is likely to be named Chakra-III. SP
GRSE has signed with the MoD a contract for construction and supply of eight antisubmarine warfare shallow water crafts (ASWSWCs) for IN at a cost of `6,311.32 crore. The first craft is to be delivered within 42 months and the last by 84 months.
For the First Time in 2019,
Amphibious Capability MoD has cleared during July 2018, four Landing Platform Docks (LPD) at a cost of `20,000 crore (about $2.9 billion). LPDs are ships that help armed forces to transport troops, defence equipment, helicopters and amphibious vehicle into a war zone by sea. IN already has INS Jalashwa (LPD) and five landing ship tanks (Large).
SP GUIDE PUBLICATIONS offered its submissions to the organisers of Aerospace Media Awards, a prestigious platform that offers the recognitions to the Excellence in Journalism in the arena of Aerospace & Defence around the Globe. Honoured in sharing the fact that a total of seven articles written by SP GUIDE PUBLICATIONS’ journalists have been short listed as the
Fleet Support Ships India had signed with Italian Shipbuilder Fincantieri in 2008 for a fleet tanker with follow-on option of up to three tankers. IN has now exercised this option for one follow-on ship. Meanwhile Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) has selected Turkey’s Anadolu Shipyard to support the construction of five 45,000 tonne fleet support ships for the IN. MoD has also approved induction of five fleet support ships to be indigenously constructed.
Subsurface Vessels The Maritime Capability Perspective Plan (MCPP) launched in 2012, envisages at least 18 conventional submarines as compared to 24 in 1997. However the completion of the Kalvari Class project and the final approval to build six additional diesel-electric submarines with Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) under Project 75 (India), when finalised, will leverage towards filling the chasm in the existing and future combat power.
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Ongoing projects-Project 75 Kalvari Class INS Kalvari is the first of the six Scorpene class submarines built under Project 75 which was commissioned on December 14, 2017. The second submarine INS Khanderi was commissioned on September 28, 2019. At present Karanj and Vela are under construction. The fifth submarine is named INS Vagir and the sixth INS Vagsheer. The final delivery of the remaining submarines is planned by 2022. Life Extension and Refit To overcome the voids in the combat capability, the IN has resorted to upgrading six of its submarines-four of Sindhughosh class and two of Shishumar class under a Major Refit and Life Certification (MRLC) programme. In July 2018, Russia’s shipbuilder Zvezdochka and Larsen and Toubro announced their partnership on an upgrade of four the Sindhughosh-class class submarines at a cost of about `5,000 ($0.7 billion).
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Finalists in the categories of:
BEST BUSINESS AVIATION SUBMISSION
BEST MILITARY AVIATION SUBMISSION
BEST MRO SUBMISSION
BEST PROPULSION SUBMISSION
“It’s an honour for having been selected as at the least seven finalists in at the least four categories by one of the most renowned and the most prestigious Aerospace Media Awards’ platform in the world. This clearly reflects and reinstates our commitments towards Excellence through Enlightening, we have been following since last 56 years and are poised to rigorously following the same for coming years and coming decades.”
—JAYANT BARANWAL, EDITOR IN CHIEF, CHAIRMAN & MANAGING DIRECTOR, SP GUIDE PUBLICATIONS
8 7 6
number of short listed finalists: SP GUIDE PUBLICATIONS versus global leaders
5 4 3 2 1 0
SP Guide Publications
FlightGlobal
IHS Jane’s
Aviation Week Group
C o a s ta l S e cu r it y
Maritime Surveillance W n Lt General P.C. Katoch (Retd)
ith the centre of gravity of conflict veering towards the Indian Ocean, the requirement of maritime surveillance of the Indian Navy (IN) is in more limelight. China’s moves to establish bases in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), its nexus with Pakistan including PLA troops and marines based in Pakistan indicates China’s aggressive intentions. Chinese vessels have been snooping in India’s EEZ especially in vicinity of the Andaman and Nicobar Group of islands (ANI), and movement of Chinese ships and submarines in the Indian Ocean is on the increase. The US administration under President Donald Trump had approved the sale
of armed drones to India in June 2019 and offered these to be equipped with required missiles and other systems. Our media reported in November that our Ministry of Defence (MoD) was moving towards deals for procuring US defence equipment worth some $7.5 billion including Sea Guardian armed drones and naval spy planes. According to a government official a Letter of Request (similar to a Request for Proposal - RFP) is expected to be issued to the US for a government-to-government deal through the FMS route by February-March 2020. The other major deal in the pipeline is the project for the acquisition of the 10 x P-8I anti-submarine warfare and long-range surveillance aircraft which would be adding to the existing fleet of 12 such planes in the IN. The P-8I planes are expected to
cost around $3.1 billion and would also be acquired under the FMS route post approval by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) headed by the Prime Minister. Separately, the IN is also being equipped with 24 x MH60R Seahawk Anti-Submarine Helicopters from the US at a cost about $2.616 billion which includes accessories, spare parts, technical support and maintenance facilities. The Seahawks are to be equipped with cutting edge sonar and radar to detect submarines travelling on the surface or just below the surface’ modern nuclear submarines travel just below the ocean surface to get rid of exhaust fumes. Presently, the IN is looking at procuring 30 x Sea Guardian unmanned aerial systems (UAS), and another Boeing 10 x P-8I Poseidon multi-mission maritime aircraft (MMA)
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for monitoring the Indian Ocean. The P-8I aircraft already occupy a pride of place in the IN and are deployed for a variety of operations, from submarine tracking to search and rescue (SAR) and even reconnaissance over land. The first batch of 8 x P-8I aircraft were ordered under a $2.1 billion deal in 2009 and a follow on order for four was placed in 2016. P-8I aircraft that specialises in tracking and hunting down enemy submarines with lightweight torpedoes and depth charges are also operated by the US and Australian navies, which operate in coordination with India to keep track of ship movements. With the contract of 10 x P-8I aircraft to be procured now, the Navy’s fleet of P-8I aircraft will go up to 22. This will ensure these aircraft arrive early with continuous supply over the next four years, facilitating and compensation for older maritime reconnaissance assets of Russian origin retiring. The deal of 10 x P-8I aircraft reportedly includes a mandatory clause for at least 30 per cent offsets to domestic companies. The fleet of 22 x P-8I aircraft will help the IN maintain strong vigil over a region that has seen increasing deployments by the Chinese Navy. An idea has now been thrown up that since the US Air Force (USAF) has proposed to discard two-thirds of its fleet of about 35 x RQ-4 Global Hawk drones, India should dump the move to procure the 30 x Sea Guardian UAS and 10 x Boeing P-8I aircraft and instead go for the discarded Global Hawk drones, the claim being that up to 24 x Global Hawk drones can be purchased within the same price as being spent on 30 x Sea Guardian and 10 x P-8I. How this claim is made remains a mystery unless US has intimated the sale price of the Global Hawks under discard. There is no doubt USAF has proposed retiring some 21 of its 35 x RQ-4 Global Hawk high-altitude drones, currently collecting intelligence across the Middle East and elsewhere, as part of a series of steep cuts to legacy programmes. But the real reason why USAF wants to dump the RQ-4 Global Hawk is because Iran shot down one such drone over the Strait of Hormuz on June 20, 2019. According to Loren Thompson of the Lexington Institute, “It (RQ-4 Global Hawk) was well suited to go against terrorists, but against a threat like China it just won’t survive. Flying a Global Hawk over Chinese airspace would be suicidal. When a secondrate power like Iran can shoot your weapon with its own indigenous missile, that’s not a good sign for the future.” Therefore, it would be downright stupid for India to buy discarded RQ-4 Global Hawks instead of new Sea Guardian drones and P-8I aircraft, especially when the RQ-4 Global Hawk with a wingspan of 131 feet is easily spotted by radar and has no defensive systems. Interestingly, Commercial Earth imaging company Satellogic announced on December 19, 2019, that it has raised $50 million to help scale up its satellite constellation; Chinese company Tencent and Brazilian fund Pitanga contributed about 40 per cent of the funding, rest coming from new investors. Satellogic has eight satellites in orbit and plans to launch 16 satellites in 2020, with the first two scheduled to launch from China in mid-January. India just launched its second ‘eye in the sky’ — sharp-eyed surveillance satellite RISAT-2BR1 with synthetic aperture radar - a radar imaging satellite. Given the prowess of ISRO, India must plan its own satellite constellation (using low-costing ISRO satellites) focused on the India Ocean, in addition to Navy’s maritime surveillance platforms under procurement. SP
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Submarine Battle Ahead Vishal Thapar analyses how the Project 75(I) competition is poised after the shortlisting of contenders and points out the pitfalls that may be encountered ahead, as India ambitiously seeks to leverage this programme to gain submarinebuilding autonomy photograph: Navantia
n Vishal Thapar
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n January 31, India’s Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh set the stage for the Project 75(I) competition by approving shortlists of contenders for the estimated $6.3 billion tender to build six AIP-fitted, missile firing diesel-electric submarines for the Indian Navy under the Strategic Partnership Model. “The DAC approved shortlisting of Indian Strategic Partners (SP) and the potential Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) that would collaborate with SPs to construct six conventional submarines in India,” the Ministry of Defence announced in a statement. This is a landmark project aimed at building up indigenous submarine design capability for future programmes. Indian hopefuls which have made the cut are the Ministry of Defence-owned Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) and the private sector Larsen & Toubro. This is the first time that an Indian private sector shipyard will get an opportunity to compete in a major tender. All five foreign OEMs which had responded to the Indian Navy’s Expression of Interest (EoI) have made it to a parallel shortlist. These are Navantia of Spain ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems of Germany, Rosoboronexport/Rubin of Russia, Naval Group of France and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering of South Korea. SP’s Naval Forces had earlier exclusively reported that Saab of Sweden had pulled out of the competition. The Indian hopefuls would be required to negotiate with the shortlisted OEMs to throw up the best offer for an eventual two-way competition. The submarine design would be owned by the Government of India through a separate contract with the OEM involved in the winning bid. India is not seeking a submarine off-theshelf, but the competition would be shaped by the existing or under development submarines of the shortlisted OEMs. The final product delivered to India would be a derivative of one of the five submarines which represent what the contenders have on offer. These are Navantia’s S-80, ThyssenKrupp’s Type 214, Rubin’s Amur, Naval Group’s Scorpene and Daewoo’s KSS-3. While the final quality requirements will be reflected in the RFP, the Indian Navy has indicated the broad contours of the capabilities it seeks. This includes a fuel cell-based AIP and tube-launched land attack missile on a submarine with a dive displacement of over 2,000 tonnes. Here’s how the five options measure up at the starting point of competition:
ThyssenKrupp’s Type 214 The Type 214 is the only contender with a proven fuel cell AIP. Both the Type 214 and its predecessor are capable of firing
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Navantia’s S-80 class submarine
American-supplied Harpoon UGM-84 missiles from torpedo tubes. ThyssenKrupp has the advantage of a long-standing relationship with India, the experience of transferring technology for building two Type 209 Shishumar class submarines at Mazagon Dock in Mumbai, and maintaining and upgrading four submarines for the Indian Navy. And unlike the rival Scorpene of the French Naval Group, which is made only for export since the French Navy operates only nuclear-powered submarines, the Type 209 and 214 are operarted by the German Navy, giving the German shipbuilding complex more intimate stakes in the submarines its develops. A proven submarine and a proven fuel cell AIP work to its advantage. But this offer is not backed by the geopolitical heft of the type which beef up Russian and French bids in India.
Naval Group’s Scorpene+ The Naval Group’s Mesma AIP technology is not fuel cell based. The Scalp missile brings with it a 1,000-km range land attack capability. The French offer has the advantage of a running Scorpene construction facility at MDL and around it an established Indus-
The terms of the programme require transfer of ownership of submarine design to the Government of India, which seeks deep transfer of technology to give it selfreliance in submarine design and development in the future
trial eco system which could save Industrial costs and enable a low price bid. The significant leverage which France exercises over India as a time-tested strategic partner will also make the offer Scorpene Plus.
Rubin’s Amur The Amur submarine is still work in progress, and it doesn’t have a proven AIP. Known as the Lada in Russia, the first boat faced development challenges and did not appear to have met the requirements of the Russian Navy. The second ‘Lada’, launched in 2016, is intended to be the first operational submarine in its class with the Russian Navy. Land-attack capability is proven with the Klub missile on the Kilo class submarines of the Indian Navy over a range of about 300 km. As India’s traditional and most trusted military supplier, Russia exercises enormous influence over its decision making.
Daewoo’s KSS-3 The surprise package of this competition is the South Korean emergence. Building blocks firmly in place after building the Type 209 and Type 214 with deep transfer of technology from Thyssenkrupp, Daewoo has proven submarine capability which is reflected in the Indonesian order for the Type 209. It has now clearly emerged as a rival to its German mentor for export orders and is developing on its own the more capable, 3000-ton KSS-3. Daewoo is also taking a step beyond the proven German AIP technology. It is developing a much improved lithium iron battery-based fuel cell AIP as against the traditional lead acid battery AIP. The Germans are following suit. While Korean Type 209’s are reportedly armed with Harpoon missiles, there’s no clarity on what it could offer for Project 75(I). Also, as a new entrant into the India’s arms bazaar labyrinth, Daewoo does not have the decade-long exposure to the Project 75(I) environment.
Navantia’s S-80 The first of the four S-80s ordered for the Spanish Armada should have been in the water in 2014-15 but it still hasn’t hit that milestone due to design and buoyancy issues. An American consultant finally helped Navantia to resolve the buoyancy problem posed by about 300 tonnes of excess weight by redesigning the submarine to extend its length. Also, Navantia doesn’t have a proven AIP yet. The first two S-80 boats will come without an AIP. The third and fourth boats will be fitted with an AIP, but the performance will be known not before 2024. Also, no clarity on which land attack missile could be offered with the S-80 but it may be the Harpoon. While it did tie up with L&T to bid for the Indian Navy LPD tender in the past, Navantia lacks the background and experience of the Russians, French and Germans in negotiating defence contracts in India.
ToT RIDDLE & THE LONG ROAD AHEAD The terms of the programme require transfer of ownership of submarine design to the Government of India, which seeks deep transfer of technology to give it self-reliance in submarine design and development in the future. This would necessitate a stand-alone contract between the Government of India and the OEM for transfer of design ownernship, besides the one between the Government and the SP entity for the purchase of submarines and another between the SP and the OEM for submarine construction and transfer of technology. Observers closely associated with discussions on Project 75(I) reckon the design alone could be worth billions, which could possibly push the aggregate cost to $9-10 billion. There is also abundant skepticism about the SP Industrial Model to deliver the submarines. “Potentially, each of the five shortlisted OEMs two separate bids for partnership with MDL and L&T. This is a huge and very complex exercise, given that the two shipyards have different capabilities. This could take years,” cautions one seasoned inside. He reckons that due to the demands of the process, it will take at least a decade from now to deliver the first boat. Another concern is over compliance on transfer of technology (ToT). “This has to be an evolutionary process. You can’t put a cut-off date to it. Also, there need to be clear yardsticks for measuring ToT. There needs to be a model which will provide for reasonable audit and control. The Navy will have to be on board the entire Industrial process,” reckons an Industry veteran. But the “biggest hazard” of this procurement model is the L1 approach which contenders will be forced to adopt in order to win, since all technical bids are expected to be compliant. “Deep transfer of technology and the L1 approach can’t go together,” he warned. SP
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CLUB-T UPGRADED WITH ANTI-SHIP MISSILE Strike complex CLUB incorporating both the anti-ship cruise missile with a supersonic combat stage and the land-attack missile has been present at the international arms market for about 20 years. At first the complex served to arm submarines (named CLUB-S); then its OEM modified the complex for various carriers, namely, for surface ships (CLUB-N), aircraft (CLUB-A), self-propelled vehicle of the coast defense complex CLUB-M. Though the placement of strike missiles on a mobile chassis was a natural step to involve new customers, currently there is no news neither on the contracts for the CLUB-M, nor on the plans of anybody to buy it. The probable reason is that the complex has proved monstrous since includes, besides the missile launchers per se, many separate functional units like mobile means of reconnaissance and targeting, of communication and control, of flight mission preparation, etc. This experience was minded while creating another offspring of the CLUB family, the CLUB-T, first shown by the NOVATOR design bureau at the GDA 2017 exhibition in December 2017 in Kuwait. As opposed to the predecessor, all the equipment required for routing, for missile pre-launch preparation and launch, for communication, etc. is now placed on a self-propelled chassis together with six missiles in transport-and-launch canisters. The option shown in Kuwait had only land attack missile (named 3M-14E1). Its combat use is similar to any other land-attack CLUB missile (see Fig.1). Since all the known CLUBs can attack both sea-surface and land targets using common both launcher and fire control system, it looks reasonable to include into the CLUB-T an anti-ship missile (designated 3M-54E2). It is being demonstrated by the CLUB-T OEM at the DEFEXPO-2020 exhibition. All the equipment necessary for this missile preparation and launch is also placed on the self-propelled chassis. For the missile combat use diagram, also see Fig.1. The main features of the CLUB-T complex missiles are as follows: - takeoff mass – 1700 kg, - warhead mass – 450 kg, - flight speed at cruise – about 240 m/sec, - flight altitude: • over land from 50 m (for surface skimming) to 2000 (to fly over mountains) • over sea 20m (on the route), 5 m (before target) firing accuracy: • land targets – maximum miss 50 m • sea targets – direct hit The customer may order either two different missiles or a bit more costly universal missile to attack both land and sea-surface targets. To include an anti-ship missile into the CLUB-T complex is a way to considerably improve its marketability. The complex design ensures such important features like high mobility, autonomous and simple operation with minimum number of combat units resulting in minimum expenses for the complex acquisition and exploitation. The successful combat use of the KALIBR complex was favorable also to its export version, the CLUB. The availability of such weapon would make any aggressor think twice. For the country not having enough resources for powerful Navy, having the CLUB-T would safeguard its sea and land border.
Figure 1. The CLUB-T missiles combat use
Figure 2. The CLUB-T features
KALIBR complex was successfully employed during anti-terrorist campaign in Syria
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ARKTIKA: UNIQUE EXPERIENCE AND POTENTIAL Northern Production Association Arktika (member of United Shipbuilding Corporation) was founded in 1952. Main directions of activity are wiring works, adjustment and tests of all electric systems and electrical equipment in warships under building and repair. There are already more than 200 of such ships, including diesel-electric submarines and aircraft-carrier Vikramaditya of Indian Senior Service. Professionals perform adjustment, service maintenance and repair of radio communications systems, radiolocation and radioreconnaissance, television, navigation, hydroacoustics and hydrolocation, automation of handling the torpedo and missile weapon, ship mechanisms of protection and handling nuclear reactors. The company also develops and assembles unique optical-fiber cable marine lines, manufactures and repairs ship electrical engineering: boards and control panels, hermetic cable junctions, busbars, luminous-signal gears and other similar items. Besides, manufactured production is delivered to space centers Baikonur and Plesetsk. At present JSC “NPA “Arktika” takes part in construction engineering of nuclear submarines of the fourth generation, repair and modernization of the Admiral Nakhimov cruiser, the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier. The Association is actively working on opening regional production branches in Russia. The creation of technical-scientific center is also planned for coordination of wiring works at building and repair of ships and vessels with designers of ship systems, complexes and equipment.
The Company has central factory laboratory featuring the newest equipment enabling to hold all types of electrical, climatic and mechanical tests. High technical activity level of the laboratory is confirmed by approval of Ministry of Defense of Russia, by recognition of the Russian Maritime Registry of Shipping and Russian River Registry of Shipping. JSC “NPA “Arktika” has licenses, certificates and approvals for all types of its activity. Quality management system efficiently functions according to requirements of standards. Oleg Loginov, General Director of Arktika said that the Association is proud that huge experience, unique equipment and professional staff help handling serious challenges and solving all tasks which arise. Mr. Loginov confirmed that Company used extend scope of interests, develop various directions of activity and always ready for collaboration with new partners. NORTHERN PRODUCTION ASSOCIATION
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Indian Navy: A Formidable Blue Water...continued from page 3 220 aircraft and 15 submarines. Currently, the Indian Navy has only one aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya, we require atleast three aircraft carriers. The Navy has requested for additional funds since there is a requirement of 65,000 tonnes Catapult Assisted Take-Off But Arrested Recovery (CATOBAR) carrier with electric propulsion. The trials of Naval Light Combat Aircraft have begun meant to operate from INS Vikramaditya ranking India the sixth in the world after Russia, US, France, UK and China to have mastered the art of an arrested landing and ski-jump takeoff on the deck of a carrier. However, there are pertinent issues before the Indian Navy that remain to be addressed.
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Is The Indian Navy Future Ready? India’s role in the region is globally recognised and is seen as a protector of the regional order particularly as it pertains to maintaining open sea lanes and the freedom of navigation and picking up the baton of becoming a ‘Net Security Provider’. India entered the 21st century with a small but formidable regional naval posture. Long considered a “blue water” navy, the Indian Navy faces major challenges. One of the major challenges for Indian forces is the budgetary support. The Indian government also admitted that India’s military spending has not seen any significant increase for the past five years. Although deemed to be the 7th most powerful navy in the world, we have one of the lowest fiscal spending on military. Figures from FY20172018 indicate that India spends only 15 per cent of its total military expenditure on its
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navy, far lower than its peers in the Quad. The United States leads the pack, spending nearly 30 per cent of its military expenditure on its navy, while Australia and Japan spend nearly 25 per cent and 23 per cent, respectively. Official numbers from China are hard to obtain, but reports indicate that China spends nearly three times as much as India on its military overall. Though predominantly a Maritime Nation, amongst the three forces, the Indian Navy gets the lowest share of the pie. In 2019-2020 Government allocated `23,156 crore, landing a big blow to its ambitious plan to be amongst the best in the world. Thus, budgetary constraints stand in the way of the dream, to transform Indian Navy into a “World Class Navy”. India’s military industry suffers from challenges that constrain the development of the Indian Navy. At present, India has five major shipbuilding factories, however, these large-scale shipbuilding industries have developed chronic problems of low production and poor organisation and management due to the serious bureaucratic structure, resulting in the much longer construction cycle of the main naval ships for the Indian Navy than the world average. Ironically, The Indian Navy amongst the three forces has used the social media platform the most, however, the recent arrests of seven navy personnel alleged of leaking of sensitive information, the Indian Navy banned the use of social media and smartphones on bases. This nevertheless showcases the vulnerability of forces and thus functional reorganisation of Indian Navy towards improving cyber security and sur-
veillance. Also operational efficiency and optimal manning is the need of the hour. Another problem worth noting is that some of the ships in the lineup under construction are going to replace those being phased out, thus, if on an average every 2-3 ships inducted, one retires from the existing strength. There are also delays due to defects, such as the induction of Second Kalvari Class attack submarine was delayed due to 36 defects. The Indian Navy also needs to come out with concrete plans to adopt new age technology such as big data analytics and artificial intelligence for solutions. Also the Indian Navy has also so far focused more on increasing its fleet of submarines rather than improving their efficiency. Nevertheless, India still retains a powerful desire to build up a naval force capable of fulfilling its strategic goal of emerging as a major global player.
The Road Ahead The Indian Navy is not on the list of top five naval powers of the world, while US is leading and China follows right behind. Navies are not built in a day, they require consistent efforts and thus, the Indian Navy now needs to transform from a ‘Buyer’s navy into a Builders Navy’. Times have changed so has the attitude. The Indian Navy needs to adapt and augment its maritime preparedness to be reckoned as formidable blue water force. The focus should be rapid capability expansion that is anchored in indigenous construction, self-reliance, public and private sector participation, and it’s called ‘nation building
through shipbuilding’. However, apart from counting numbers, focus should be on capability enhancement. According to a statement published by the US Foreign Policy website, India is preparing to play a more active role as a “maritime security provider” in the eastern Indian Ocean. If India wants to become a regional naval power, it will need to continue to invest in the technology, manpower and force-readiness capabilities. Despite the daunting challenges as noted above, in the past decade, the Indian Navy has shown an exceedingly high operational tempo and emerged as a multi-dimensional networked force, that is combat ready to take on any challenge in the maritime domain in the 21st century. The Indian Navy remains a credible, organised and combat worthy force. The Indian Navy performs four types of roles—military, diplomatic, constabulary and benign to protect the maritime interests of the nation. However, As India’s selfdescribed quest to become a leading power continues, will it also eventually become a force to reckon with in the seas? SP Saloni Salil, is an independent Geopolitics and Security analyst. She has held honorary positions in various organisations and has a number of published works among her credentials. She has also been associated with Future Directions International, as a Visiting Fellow in the Indo Pacific Research Programme since 2012. Saloni Salil contributes to the growing discourse on the concept of the Indo-Pacific and major power intentions in that region.
News
News in Brief India-US 2+2 Dialogue takes Strategic Partnership forward Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar met US Secretary of Defense Dr Mark T. Esper and Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo in Washington DC on December 18, 2019, for the second annual India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue. This 2+2 Ministerial is the highest-level institutional mechanism between the two countries and provides for a review of the security, defence and strategic partnership between India and the United States. This was the second 2+2 meeting and the first in US. Salient points were: zz Both sides positively appraised the growing partnership between India and the US and noted that important milestones had been achieved. zz Both sides reiterated their commitment to advancing a free, open, inclusive, peaceful, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. zz Both sides also committed to further deepen military-to-military cooperation, including between the IN and the US Navy. Also intend to expand similar cooperation between their respective Armies and Air Forces. zz Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) programme. Industrial Security Annex was concluded and priority initiatives have been identified for execution under the DTTI programme. The two sides also agreed to move forward in their engagement in the area of defence innovation. Earlier, on the morning of December 18, Defence Minister was received at the Pentagon by US Secretary of Defence Dr Mark T. Esper, with a ceremonial Guard of Honour and accorded a 19-gun salute. After the 2+2 meeting, Rajnath Singh, along with Dr S. Jaishankar, called on President at the Oval Office.
MDL Commences Production of Y-12654, Fourth Ship of P17A MDL commenced production of Y-12654, fourth stealth frigate of Project 17A series on January 22, 2020. The P17A class frigates are built using indigenously developed steel, have enhanced stealth features and are fitted with state-of-the-art weapon and sensor systems along with advanced Integrated Platform Management System. P17A frigates are built using ‘Integrated Construction (IC) methodology’ to reduce the build period of warships. First ship of P17A, Nilgiri was launched by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on September 28, 2019. The other two ships in the series are at various stages of production.
Curtain Raiser for MILAN 2020 After successfully hosting the International Fleet Review (IFR) in February 2016, the City of Destiny Visakhapatnam is gearing up to host another International Naval event ‘MILAN’ in March 2020. With about two months to the mega event, the
>> SHOW CALENDAR 5–8 February DefExpo 2020 Vrindavan Yojna, Sector 15, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India https://defexpo.gov.in 16–18 March DIMDEX 2020 Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC), Qatar www.dimdex.com
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LCA’s Naval Variant
ndia on January 11 announced the first arrested landing of the naval version of its indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA Navy) on the deck of the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya. “After completing extensive trials on the Shore Based Test Facility (at Goa), Naval version of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) did a successful arrested landing onboard INS Vikramaditya at 1002 hrs “ the Ministry of Defence announced in a statement. This is a significant milestone in the development of indigenous capability for carrier-borne fighters, and puts the basic technology blocks in place for commencing the development of a twin-engine deck-based fighter which meets the requirements of the Indian Navy. The single-engine LCA Navy is a technology demonstrator of a Short-Take Off Barrier Arrested Recovery (STOBAR) capability for launch and recovery of a fighter aircraft from the deck of an aircraft carrier. This new variant comes with two additional distinct features; an arrestor hook and pilot controlled LEVCONs. Leading Edge Vortex Controllers (LEVCONs) are flaps that open up on the side of the aircraft like air brakes, and let the aircraft
Contributors India Vice Adm K.N. Sushil (Retd), Vice Adm Anup Singh (Retd), Vice Adm Satish Soni (Retd), Cmde Sujeet Samaddar (Retd), Cmde A.J. Singh (Retd) Europe Alan Peaford, Doug Richardson, Andrew Brookes (UK)
reduce landing speeds. “LEVCONs are a very unique introduction to the LCA-Navy variant. This is a vital development that has taken place in the country which will stay in use in the years to come,” said Dr Kota Harinarayana, Chairman General Aeronautics Pvt. Ltd. Dr Harinarayana is also hailed as the father of the LCA programme. LCA Navy has been developed by the Aeronautical Development Agency of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Defence Minister Rajnath Singh hailed the maiden deck landing of the LCA Navy as “a great event in the history of Indian fighter aircraft development programme”. SP
Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee. Vice Admiral R. Hari Kumar was commissioned into the Indian Navy on January 1, 1983, and specialized as a Gunnery Officer in 1989. Flag Officer has commanded Coast Guard Ship, Missile Boat, Corvette, Destroyer and Aircraft Carrier. His Flag appointments include Commandant of Naval War College at Goa, Flag Officer Sea Training, Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet, Chief of Staff at Western Naval Command, Controller Personnel Services and Chief of Personnel at NHQ. zz Vice Admiral Ravneet Singh, AVSM, NM, took over as Chief of Personnel from
Vice Admiral R. Hair Kumar AVSM, VSM on December 2, 2019. Commissioned on July 1, 1983, Vice Admiral Ravneet Singh is a qualified flying instructor with Master Green Instrument Rating. As a Flag Officer he has held appointments as Assistant Controller Carrier Project and Assistant Controller Warship Production and Acquisition at IHQ MoD(N), Flag Officer Goa Area/Flag Officer Naval Aviation at Goa, Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet at Mumbai, Chief of Staff at Headquarters Western Naval Command at Mumbai and Director General Project Seabird at IHQ MoD(N). zz Vice Admiral S.R. Sarma, AVSM, VSM, takes over as Controller Warship Production
and Acquisition on November 30, 2019. Commissioned in the Indian Navy on March 31, 1983, Vice Admiral S.R. Sarma an electrical engineer, had served as an electrical officer of guided missile destroyer INS Mysore. As a Flag Officer, he has held appointments as Assistant Chief of Materiel (Information Technology & Systems) at Naval headquarters, Admiral Superintendent Dockyard at Visakhapatnam, Chief Staff Officer (Tech) at Eastern Naval Command, Director General Naval Projects at Visakhapatnam and Principal Director Advanced Technology Vessel Project at Delhi.
Senior Bangladeshi Navy officials received two Chinese Type-053H3 frigates, Jiaxing (Hull 521) and Lianyungang (Hull 522), in Shanghai Jiangnan Shipyard on December 18. The two missile frigates, purchased by the Bangladesh in 2018, will steam to Ban-
USA & Canada Lon Nordeen (USA), Anil R. Pustam (West Indies) West Asia/Africa H.R. Heitman (S. Africa) Chairman & Managing Director Jayant Baranwal Executive Vice President (Planning & Business Development) Rohit Goel Manager – HR & Admin Bharti Sharma Assistant Manager – HR & Admin Pooja Tehlani Deputy Manager – Circulation Rimpy Nischal circulation@spsnavalforces.com Group Research Associate Survi Massey Creative Director Anoop Kamath
—By Vishal Thapar & Ayushee Chaudhary
zz Vice Admiral R. Hari Kumar, AVSM, VSM assumed the appointment of Chief of
Bangladesh Navy receives two Chinese Frigates
Group Executive Editor Vishal Thapar Ayushee Chaudhary Staff Correspondent
Appointments
preparations were reviewed at the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) by Vice Admiral S.N. Ghormade, Chief of Staff ENC on January 7, 2020 along with the local government agencies. A detailed presentation to apprise the attendees of the planned activities of MILAN 2020 with the theme ‘Synergy Across the Seas’, was conducted. MILAN 2020 is a multilateral naval exercise aimed to enhance professional interaction between friendly foreign navies and learn from each other’s strengths and best practices in the maritime domain. Of the 41 navies invited, confirmations from over 30 navies have been received towards their participation in MILAN 2020.
Senior Technical Group Editor Lt General Naresh Chand (Retd) Air Marshal B.K. Pandey (Retd)
gladesh after the hand-over ceremony. Type 053H3 frigates are the second generation of the PLA Navy’s frigates that equipped with anti-aircraft missile systems. A total of ten Type 053H3 frigates were built by China. At present, the PLA Navy still has eight Type 053H3 frigates in service. The two frigates will be officially renamed as BNS-Omar Farooq and BNS-Abu Ubaidah after joining the Bangladeshi Navy.
Turkey’s First-Generation Submarine ‘Piri Reis’ docked Turkey’s first Type 214 class submarine TCG Piri Reis was docked with a ceremony held in the northwestern province of Kocaeli’s Gölcük district. As per plan one submarine will go into service each year. By 2027, all six of our submarines will be in service. TCG Piri Reis, the first vessel of Turkey’s New Type Submarine Project, is planned to start operating in 2020. The Type 214 class vessels are regarded as a first for the Turkish Navy due to its air-independent propulsion characteristics brought by their fuel cell technology. SP
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