Indian Navy Developments & Discussions

[SajeevJino]

Arnament of P17A Frigates (6,000tn) will be simillar to P17B Destroyers (7,500) and with max. automation and less crew. So these will be more like Destroyers, disguised as Frigates!! Some sources also say that these might be more advanced and lethal than Type 26 Global Combat Ships (UK's next gen. Frigates).

can you quote those some sources.. I want to see

 

[Superdefender]

Im curious. Do the Brits bother comparing their ships with their Indian counterparts?

Right now, they are just watching Navy's development afar. But they will begin to worry in future as long as Navy keep growing its advanced power. They will bother and compare later, not now. But we can compare any time

 

[Superdefender]

can you quote those some sources.. I want to see

Definitey, I am giving you one address page of the site. Wait a minute.

 

[rohit b3]

Right now, they are just watching Navy's development afar. But they will begin to worry in future as long as Navy keep growing its advanced power. They will bother and compare later, not now. But we can compare any time

They will never compare. Cause their pride is built on lies and propaganda. The day they commission first of these Frigates, their beloved BBC and other media will come up with the headlines "Britain commissions the most advanced Frigate in the World" and they will make 101 documentaries about them, and the "mass" will follow.

 

[rohit b3]

can you quote those some sources.. I want to see

You dont need sources to say that Project 17A are faaar more lethal.
A med range 3D Artisian Radar vs the MFSTAR Long Range AESA Radar
Short ranged CAMM SAMs vs Barak 8
Tomahawk/LR ASM vs the BrahMos
There shouldn be a need to compare on which is more lethal.

 

[Superdefender]

@SajeevJino, Here it is: www.defencyclopedia.com/2016/01/02/top-10-most-powerful-frigates-in-the-world/

The main defense expert of the site is a guy called N.R.P. Never mind that.
Go to the comment section. Read the 1st comment (by PINTU) and reply of N.R.P. -
P17A will definitely make it to the top five.

Then scroll down further. You will find comment of MIKE M (Jan 03, 2016) and
reply of N.R.P. - Type 26 can't make it to the top five.

See....However, if you want, you can read whole comment section as well as current top
10 frigates list.

 

[Superdefender]

Well @SajeevJino, I am waiting for your reaction. Could I satisfy you with my link?

 

[SajeevJino]

.

Well @SajeevJino, I am waiting for your reaction. Could I satisfy you with my link?

@rohit b3 's answer is far better than the link you provided .. anyway Thanks

 

[Superdefender]

Indian Navy Spreads its Wings - Part 1
Aug 25, 2015

Introduction : The Indian Navy currently operates around 200 aircraft comprising

1. MiG-29 fighters
2. Harrier fighters
3. P-8Is Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance (LRMR) aircraft
4. Tu-142 LRMR
5. IL-38 Medium Range Maritime Reconnaissance (MRMR) aircraft
6. Do-228 Utility and Short Range Maritime Reconnaissance (SRMR) aircraft
7. Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT)
8. Dhruv Light Utility and Search and Rescue (SAR) Helicopter
9. Chetak Light Utility and Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) helicopter
10. Sea King ASW & SAR helicopter
11. Kamov Ka-28 ASW helicopter
12. Kamov Ka-31 Airborne Early Warning (AEW) helicopter

In addition to the manned aircraft types listed above, the IN operates a fleet of Heron and Searcher UAVs for maritime reconnaissance.

The IN currently operates 2 aircraft carriers and has plans to acquire a third nuclear powered supercarrier.Navy plans envisage doubling aircraft inventory from 200 to 400 over the next 10 years.

In the following paragraphs we will take an in-depth look at the Navy's current aircraft fleet and its acquisition plans to replace obsolete aircraft and meet emerging security challenges.

Maritime Reconnaissance Aircraft
Maritime reconnaissance is undoubtedly the most important role of the naval air arm. It provides situational awareness and facilitates threat neutralization. The Navy has four aircraft employed in the role - Do-228, IL-38SD, Tu-144ME, and P-8I

Illushin IL-38
India purchased five Il-38s between 1975 and 1983. Two aircraft were lost in an accident on October 01, 2002, prompting replacement purchase of 2 aircraft.

In the 2000s the IL-38s were upgraded to the Sea Dragon version, featuring 14 hours of loiter time at a speed of 400 km/h. The maximum speed of these planes is 610 km/h, and the maximum range is 6,500 kilometers.

The upgrade, which extended the aircraft's surveillance capability, also increased aircraft life by 15 years. Russia's Illusion (Il) company is in the process of overhauling the five Indian Navy IL-38SD aircraft.

Boeing P-8I
India is procuring 12 P-8I Neptune Maritime Multimission Aircraft (MMA) aircraft for use by the Indian Navy. MoD signed an initial contract worth $2.1 b for 8 P-8I aircraft on January 1, 2009. Seven aircraft have already been delivered against the order which is likely to be fulfilled with 2015-16. Purchase of an additional 4 aircraft was cleared by the Defense Acquisition Committee in July 2015.

The P-8Is are earmarked to replace Indian Navy's antiquated fleet of 8 Russian Tu-142M maritime reconnaissance aircraft.

The P-8Is are based at INS Rajali, Arakkonam Naval Air Station in Tamil Nadu, which is currently home base for Indian Navy's 312 Squadron which operates eight Tupolev Tu-142MK-E Aircraft (Bear F mod 3 export variant).

In the future, the IN plans to forward locate its P-8Is at INS Baaz at Campbell Bay in Andaman Islands. However, it would not be a full-fledged base for the aircraft.

P-8I Capabilities
The Poseidon has a 1,200+ nautical miles range, with 4 hours on station. Its range / time on station can be considerably enhanced with in-flight refueling.

It is designed to fly low and slow through the weather.

The aircraft will be armed with sonobuoys, torpedoes and Harpoon anti-ship missiles.

The aircraft's sensor suite includes

1. AN/APY-10 Maritime Surveillance Radar with 240-deg degrees forward coverage and Telephonics APS-143C (V) 3 Multi-Mode Radar (MMR) for aft coverage. The forward and aft radars together give the Neptune a 360° surveillance capability.
2. Electro-optical / infrared sensors from Northrop Grumman's Electronic Systems
3. A rotary internal re loadable pneumatically controlled sonobuoys launcher.
4. Canadian firm CAE's AN/ASQ-508A Advanced Integrated Magnetic Anomaly Detection (MAD) System.
5. SIGINT equipment.

Tupolev Tu-144 ME
India purchased 8 Tu-142ME from Russia in 1986 for maritime patrol and anti-submarine operations.

The Tu-142M is the naval version of Tu-95 Bear strategic bomber. It has an operational speed of 500 kt, service ceiling of 45,000 ft and range of 6,775 nm (12.550 km).

The aircraft are operated by INAS 312 based at INS Rajali, Arakkonam. Starting 2004, the Tu-142s were fitted with Israeli Elta EL/M-2022A (V3) radar.

The 8 Tu-142 LRMR in the IN inventory underwent a 16-year life extension upgrade during the time period 2007-2011. All aircraft would be phased out by 2024.

Fighter Aircraft
The Navy uses fighter aircraft embarked on its two aircraft carriers - INS Viraat and INS Vikramaditya - to provide air cover to fleet ships operating far from home shores, and to strike at enemy ships and shore installation from standoff ranges.

The two fighters in the IN inventory are Harrier and MiG-29K.

Harrier V/STOL Fighters
India acquired a total of 23 Harrier V/STOL fighters from the UK for deployment on INS Viraat (formerly HMS Hercules) purchased from the UK in 1987. Less than 5 Harriers reportedly remain operational.

The aircraft is likely to be phased out with the decommissioning of INS Viraat, most likely in 2017-18, following the commissioning of Indian Aircraft Carrier - 1 (IAC-1).

MiG-29K Fighters
The Indian Navy currently operates its MiG-29K multi-role combat aircraft from the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya. The aircraft are home based at INS Garuda, Goa. A second MiG-29K base is coming up on the east coast at INS Dega, Vishakhapatnam. Following the commissioning of INS Vikrant into the Navy in 2017-18, MiG-29K from INS Dega will embark on the first Indian built aircraft carrier which is expected to join the Navy's Eastern fleet.

The Indian Navy ordered 16 MiG-29 aircraft (12 single seat MiG-29K fighters and 4 twin seat MiG-29KUB trainers) from Russia as part of the contract signed in January 2004 to acquire the decommissioned 44,570-tonne aircraft carrier, Admiral Gorshkov (now INS Vikramaditya), after refurbishing.

Russia completed the delivery of 16 aircraft by September 2011. In March 12, 2010, Russia and India signed a $1.5-billion follow-up contract for the supply of an additional 29 MiG-29K. The MIG Corporation is planning to complete delivery of 29 MiG-29K fighters to India by 2016.

Helicopter Fleet
Helicopters play a vital role in naval operations. And the IN has a large helicopter fleet comprising

1. Dhruv ALH SAR helicopters
2. Chetak SAR helicopters with limited ASW capability
3. Sea King and Kamov Ka-28 ASW & SAR helicopters
4. Kamov Ka-31 AEW helicopters

Chetak (Alouette-3) Helicopters
The IN has over 50 Chetak multi-utility helicopters based on shore and ships. On ships the helicopter undertake SAR and Anti-Submarine Torpedo Launch

Dhruv Helicopters
The navy initially ordered HAL developed Dhruv helicopters for use as ASW platforms but later realized the aircraft was unsuitable for operations from onboard ships. The helicopter has since been assigned primarily for shore based Search and Rescue (SAR). Its secondary roles include heliborne operations, and armed patrol with night vision devices.

The Indian Navy’s first Dhruv Squadron, INAS 322, was commissioned at Kochi on November 12, 2013. The Navy is satisfied with the performance of Dhruv in its reassigned role and the DAC on July 19, 2014 cleared acquisition of 32 Dhruv ALHs for the Navy and Coast Guard.

Sea King ASW Helicopters
Sea King helicopters are used principally for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and search & rescue roles. They are deployed on Landing Platform Dock INS Jalashwa (6) and warships like, Project 15A (Kolkata class) destroyers and Project 17 Stealth frigates. They are shore based at INS Garuda (Kochi) and INS Kunjali-II (Mumbai).

Kamov Ka-28 ASW Helicopters
Like the Sea King, the Kamov Ka-28 are used ASW and deployed on older Navy warships. (As in September 2014, the Navy had 11 Kamov-28 and 17 Sea King ASW helicopters. The Sea Kings are over 20 years old, the Kamov-28s are long overdue for a mid-life upgrade.)

Kamov Ka-31 AEW Helicopters
Kamov Ka-31 helicopters play a vital role in the Navy, as the only airborne platform with early warning capability.

The Kamov Ka-31 AEW helicopter is based on the Ka-28 Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) design and its development started in 1987. Volume production of the helicopter commenced after the Indian Navy placed an order for four in 1999, and a further five in 2001. The first four were inducted into the Navy in April 2003 and the second batch in 2005. A total of 14 Ka-31 helicopters were made for India.

Ka-31s are currently stationed on INS Talwar class frigates and INS Vikramaditya, Indian Navy's new aircraft carrier.


By Vijainder K Thakur


Vijainder K Thakur

 

[Superdefender]

Indian Navy Spreads its Wings - Part2
Aug 26, 2015

NMRH Project : The first part gave an introduction and talked about the Maritime Reconnaissance Aircraft, Fighter Aircrafts and Helicopter fleets. In 2008, the IN initiated procurement of 16 Naval Multi-Role Helicopters (NMRH), with an option for another 8, as replacement for its Sea King helicopters.

The Indian Navy plans to eventually acquire 91 NMRH to replace its fleet of aging Sea King and other helicopters. The helicopter being sought should be capable of in-flight refueling and possess anti-submarine and surface warfare capability as part of its primary mission.

The 10 ton weight category helicopter should be capable of carrying cruise missiles and lightweight torpedoes for advanced anti-ship and anti-submarine warfare, and ferrying 15 soldiers,

Also required is a secondary mission capability of anti-ship surveillance and targeting, search and rescue, medical evacuation and logistics missions from naval vessels.

Naval Utility Helicopter (NUH) Project
MoD on October 8, 2014 released a RFI for procuring more than 100 Naval Utility Helicopters (NUH) under Buy and Make (Indian) category of the Defense Procurement Policy. The NUHs will replace the ageing Chetak helicopters in service with the IN and be used for

1. Search and Rescue.
2. Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC).
3. Communication Duties.
4. Anti-Piracy and Anti-terrorism.
5. Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR).
6. Limited Maritime Reconnaissance and Targeting.

The Buy and Make (India) category involves initial off the shelf purchase from an Indian vendor (including an Indian company forming joint venture/ establishing production arrangement with OEM), followed by licensed production/ indigenous manufacture in the country.

Qualitative Requirements
The NUH is required to be twin-engined with wheeled landing gear and folding rotor blades. It should be capable of operating from ship and ashore and be able to carry weapons in support of its maritime surveillance and targeting capability.

The IN is looking for a helicopter with a max weight of 4.5 ton that is capable of flying day or night in adverse weather conditions. Field trials of the helicopter, as part of the selection process, will be held in India.

In response to the earlier RFP, HAL expressed its inability to bid against the requirement citing challenges in modifying its Dhruv to feature folding rotor blades.

Hawk AJT
The IN is in the process of acquiring 17 Hawk AJT from HAL for advanced training of its MiG-29K pilots.

Delivery of the 17 ordered aircraft is scheduled to be completed by 2016-17. The IN inducted its first four Hawks at INS Dega in Visakhapatnam on November 6, 2013. All the 17 Hawks on order will be based at INS Dega.

Dornier 228
The IN operates a fleet of over 40 Dornier 228 aircraft as utility transport and Short Range Maritime Reconnaissance (SRMR). The DAC on October 26, 2014 cleared the purchase from HAL of an additional 12 Dornier surveillance aircraft with enhanced sensors as part of the SRMR capability enhancement program.

UAVs
The Indian Navy is using Israeli Searcher medium endurance (20 hrs.) and Heron long endurance (50 hrs.) drones for maritime surveillance. Both the UAVs are fitted with Synthetic Aperture Radar capable of detecting and non-cooperatively identifying warships, electro optical sensors and Automatic Identification System (AIS) for identifying cooperative fishing boats and smaller vessels

The Indian Navy started operating UAVs acquired from Israel in 2003 from Kochi. It raised its first UAV squadron, INAS 342 ‘Flying Sentinels,' at Kochi on January 6, 2006. The Navy commissioned its second UAV Squadron, INAS 343 'Frontier Formidables,' on Jan 17, 2011 at Porbandar.

The third UAV squadron (IANS 344, Spirited Shadowers), the first on India's eastern coast, was commissioned at INS Parundu in Uchipuli near Chennai on April 11, 2012.A fourth squadron is planned to be raised in Behala for surveillance of the Sundarbans and the Bay of Bengal. Each squadron is established for eight Searcher II and six Heron UAVs each.

NSUAS
MoD released a RFI on February 5, 2015 for procuring from Indian vendors approximately 50 Naval Shipborne Unmanned Aerial System (NSUAS) for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), SLOC monitoring and Coastal/EEZ surveillance, antipiracy and anti-terrorism, assistance in Search and Rescue and assistance in Maritime Domain Awareness using AIS inputs.

Qualitative requirements for the NSUAS include

1. Small footprint
2. Day and night capability
3. Ability to operate from naval vessels 50 m or longer, both with and without helicopter decks
4. Onboard maritime surveillance radar.
5. Ability to fly pre-programmed or operator initiated missions using GPS and onboard flight control system.
6. Additional, ability to operate from shore.

Rotary Wing UAV (RUAV)
The Navy has projected the DRDO a specific requirement for a 10-t class RUAV. Technology development for the RUAV is underway. DRDO was exploring the option of either converting an existing manned platform (like Chetak) to a RUAV, or developing a new platform from scratch.

HAL is independently working on a RUAV and is funding development of a 2-t RUAV by IIT Kharagpur. The MOD officially confirmed on April 22, 2013 that DRDO is developing a rotary wing UAV or RUAV. [via PIB]

Rustom-1
DRDO is working with the Navy to equip Rustom-1 with AIS interrogator to facilitate surveillance of the maritime boundary between India and Sri Lanka.

Emerging Challenges
As a result of economic growth in Asia, particularly in China, the strategic importance of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) has steadily increased.

Approxiately two-thirds of the world’s oil shipments transit through the IOR to the Pacific, and in 2014, more than 15 million barrels of oil passed through the Malacca Strait per day. Much of the oil that transits through the Malacca Strait meets the growing energy requirements of China.

China is understandably concerned about its Sea Lines of Communication (SLOC) through the IOR and the Malacca Strait, and is rapidly building a blue water navy that can secure its SLOCs. People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) warships are now permanently deployed in the IOR on the pretext of countering the threat from Piracy. Chinese warships have established a permanent presence in the IOR through a base in Djibouti and replenishment port calls in Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Of particular concern to India is the increasing presence of PLAN conventional and nuclear submarines in the IOR. It's likely that a PLAN aircraft carrier would be deployed in the IOR within the next 10 years.

Like China, India too is heavily dependent on oil imports from the Gulf. Heavy PLAN presence in the IOR along with China's adversarial posturing towards India have rightly heightened concerns among Indian security planners.



By Vijainder K Thakur


Vijainder K Thakur

 

[indiandefencefan]

Indian Navy Spreads its Wings - Part 1
Aug 25, 2015

Introduction : The Indian Navy currently operates around 200 aircraft comprising

1. MiG-29 fighters
2. Harrier fighters
3. P-8Is Long Range Maritime Reconnaissance (LRMR) aircraft
4. Tu-142 LRMR
5. IL-38 Medium Range Maritime Reconnaissance (MRMR) aircraft
6. Do-228 Utility and Short Range Maritime Reconnaissance (SRMR) aircraft
7. Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT)
8. Dhruv Light Utility and Search and Rescue (SAR) Helicopter
9. Chetak Light Utility and Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) helicopter
10. Sea King ASW & SAR helicopter
11. Kamov Ka-28 ASW helicopter
12. Kamov Ka-31 Airborne Early Warning (AEW) helicopter

In addition to the manned aircraft types listed above, the IN operates a fleet of Heron and Searcher UAVs for maritime reconnaissance.

The IN currently operates 2 aircraft carriers and has plans to acquire a third nuclear powered supercarrier.Navy plans envisage doubling aircraft inventory from 200 to 400 over the next 10 years.

In the following paragraphs we will take an in-depth look at the Navy's current aircraft fleet and its acquisition plans to replace obsolete aircraft and meet emerging security challenges.

Maritime Reconnaissance Aircraft
Maritime reconnaissance is undoubtedly the most important role of the naval air arm. It provides situational awareness and facilitates threat neutralization. The Navy has four aircraft employed in the role - Do-228, IL-38SD, Tu-144ME, and P-8I

Illushin IL-38
India purchased five Il-38s between 1975 and 1983. Two aircraft were lost in an accident on October 01, 2002, prompting replacement purchase of 2 aircraft.

In the 2000s the IL-38s were upgraded to the Sea Dragon version, featuring 14 hours of loiter time at a speed of 400 km/h. The maximum speed of these planes is 610 km/h, and the maximum range is 6,500 kilometers.

The upgrade, which extended the aircraft's surveillance capability, also increased aircraft life by 15 years. Russia's Illusion (Il) company is in the process of overhauling the five Indian Navy IL-38SD aircraft.

Boeing P-8I
India is procuring 12 P-8I Neptune Maritime Multimission Aircraft (MMA) aircraft for use by the Indian Navy. MoD signed an initial contract worth $2.1 b for 8 P-8I aircraft on January 1, 2009. Seven aircraft have already been delivered against the order which is likely to be fulfilled with 2015-16. Purchase of an additional 4 aircraft was cleared by the Defense Acquisition Committee in July 2015.

The P-8Is are earmarked to replace Indian Navy's antiquated fleet of 8 Russian Tu-142M maritime reconnaissance aircraft.

The P-8Is are based at INS Rajali, Arakkonam Naval Air Station in Tamil Nadu, which is currently home base for Indian Navy's 312 Squadron which operates eight Tupolev Tu-142MK-E Aircraft (Bear F mod 3 export variant).

In the future, the IN plans to forward locate its P-8Is at INS Baaz at Campbell Bay in Andaman Islands. However, it would not be a full-fledged base for the aircraft.

P-8I Capabilities
The Poseidon has a 1,200+ nautical miles range, with 4 hours on station. Its range / time on station can be considerably enhanced with in-flight refueling.

It is designed to fly low and slow through the weather.

The aircraft will be armed with sonobuoys, torpedoes and Harpoon anti-ship missiles.

The aircraft's sensor suite includes

1. AN/APY-10 Maritime Surveillance Radar with 240-deg degrees forward coverage and Telephonics APS-143C (V) 3 Multi-Mode Radar (MMR) for aft coverage. The forward and aft radars together give the Neptune a 360° surveillance capability.
2. Electro-optical / infrared sensors from Northrop Grumman's Electronic Systems
3. A rotary internal re loadable pneumatically controlled sonobuoys launcher.
4. Canadian firm CAE's AN/ASQ-508A Advanced Integrated Magnetic Anomaly Detection (MAD) System.
5. SIGINT equipment.

Tupolev Tu-144 ME
India purchased 8 Tu-142ME from Russia in 1986 for maritime patrol and anti-submarine operations.

The Tu-142M is the naval version of Tu-95 Bear strategic bomber. It has an operational speed of 500 kt, service ceiling of 45,000 ft and range of 6,775 nm (12.550 km).

The aircraft are operated by INAS 312 based at INS Rajali, Arakkonam. Starting 2004, the Tu-142s were fitted with Israeli Elta EL/M-2022A (V3) radar.

The 8 Tu-142 LRMR in the IN inventory underwent a 16-year life extension upgrade during the time period 2007-2011. All aircraft would be phased out by 2024.

Fighter Aircraft
The Navy uses fighter aircraft embarked on its two aircraft carriers - INS Viraat and INS Vikramaditya - to provide air cover to fleet ships operating far from home shores, and to strike at enemy ships and shore installation from standoff ranges.

The two fighters in the IN inventory are Harrier and MiG-29K.

Harrier V/STOL Fighters
India acquired a total of 23 Harrier V/STOL fighters from the UK for deployment on INS Viraat (formerly HMS Hercules) purchased from the UK in 1987. Less than 5 Harriers reportedly remain operational.

The aircraft is likely to be phased out with the decommissioning of INS Viraat, most likely in 2017-18, following the commissioning of Indian Aircraft Carrier - 1 (IAC-1).

MiG-29K Fighters
The Indian Navy currently operates its MiG-29K multi-role combat aircraft from the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya. The aircraft are home based at INS Garuda, Goa. A second MiG-29K base is coming up on the east coast at INS Dega, Vishakhapatnam. Following the commissioning of INS Vikrant into the Navy in 2017-18, MiG-29K from INS Dega will embark on the first Indian built aircraft carrier which is expected to join the Navy's Eastern fleet.

The Indian Navy ordered 16 MiG-29 aircraft (12 single seat MiG-29K fighters and 4 twin seat MiG-29KUB trainers) from Russia as part of the contract signed in January 2004 to acquire the decommissioned 44,570-tonne aircraft carrier, Admiral Gorshkov (now INS Vikramaditya), after refurbishing.

Russia completed the delivery of 16 aircraft by September 2011. In March 12, 2010, Russia and India signed a $1.5-billion follow-up contract for the supply of an additional 29 MiG-29K. The MIG Corporation is planning to complete delivery of 29 MiG-29K fighters to India by 2016.

Helicopter Fleet
Helicopters play a vital role in naval operations. And the IN has a large helicopter fleet comprising

1. Dhruv ALH SAR helicopters
2. Chetak SAR helicopters with limited ASW capability
3. Sea King and Kamov Ka-28 ASW & SAR helicopters
4. Kamov Ka-31 AEW helicopters

Chetak (Alouette-3) Helicopters
The IN has over 50 Chetak multi-utility helicopters based on shore and ships. On ships the helicopter undertake SAR and Anti-Submarine Torpedo Launch

Dhruv Helicopters
The navy initially ordered HAL developed Dhruv helicopters for use as ASW platforms but later realized the aircraft was unsuitable for operations from onboard ships. The helicopter has since been assigned primarily for shore based Search and Rescue (SAR). Its secondary roles include heliborne operations, and armed patrol with night vision devices.

The Indian Navy’s first Dhruv Squadron, INAS 322, was commissioned at Kochi on November 12, 2013. The Navy is satisfied with the performance of Dhruv in its reassigned role and the DAC on July 19, 2014 cleared acquisition of 32 Dhruv ALHs for the Navy and Coast Guard.

Sea King ASW Helicopters
Sea King helicopters are used principally for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and search & rescue roles. They are deployed on Landing Platform Dock INS Jalashwa (6) and warships like, Project 15A (Kolkata class) destroyers and Project 17 Stealth frigates. They are shore based at INS Garuda (Kochi) and INS Kunjali-II (Mumbai).

Kamov Ka-28 ASW Helicopters
Like the Sea King, the Kamov Ka-28 are used ASW and deployed on older Navy warships. (As in September 2014, the Navy had 11 Kamov-28 and 17 Sea King ASW helicopters. The Sea Kings are over 20 years old, the Kamov-28s are long overdue for a mid-life upgrade.)

Kamov Ka-31 AEW Helicopters
Kamov Ka-31 helicopters play a vital role in the Navy, as the only airborne platform with early warning capability.

The Kamov Ka-31 AEW helicopter is based on the Ka-28 Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) design and its development started in 1987. Volume production of the helicopter commenced after the Indian Navy placed an order for four in 1999, and a further five in 2001. The first four were inducted into the Navy in April 2003 and the second batch in 2005. A total of 14 Ka-31 helicopters were made for India.

Ka-31s are currently stationed on INS Talwar class frigates and INS Vikramaditya, Indian Navy's new aircraft carrier.


By Vijainder K Thakur


Vijainder K Thakur

Indian Navy Spreads its Wings - Part2
Aug 26, 2015

NMRH Project : The first part gave an introduction and talked about the Maritime Reconnaissance Aircraft, Fighter Aircrafts and Helicopter fleets. In 2008, the IN initiated procurement of 16 Naval Multi-Role Helicopters (NMRH), with an option for another 8, as replacement for its Sea King helicopters.

The Indian Navy plans to eventually acquire 91 NMRH to replace its fleet of aging Sea King and other helicopters. The helicopter being sought should be capable of in-flight refueling and possess anti-submarine and surface warfare capability as part of its primary mission.

The 10 ton weight category helicopter should be capable of carrying cruise missiles and lightweight torpedoes for advanced anti-ship and anti-submarine warfare, and ferrying 15 soldiers,

Also required is a secondary mission capability of anti-ship surveillance and targeting, search and rescue, medical evacuation and logistics missions from naval vessels.

Naval Utility Helicopter (NUH) Project
MoD on October 8, 2014 released a RFI for procuring more than 100 Naval Utility Helicopters (NUH) under Buy and Make (Indian) category of the Defense Procurement Policy. The NUHs will replace the ageing Chetak helicopters in service with the IN and be used for

1. Search and Rescue.
2. Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC).
3. Communication Duties.
4. Anti-Piracy and Anti-terrorism.
5. Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR).
6. Limited Maritime Reconnaissance and Targeting.

The Buy and Make (India) category involves initial off the shelf purchase from an Indian vendor (including an Indian company forming joint venture/ establishing production arrangement with OEM), followed by licensed production/ indigenous manufacture in the country.

Qualitative Requirements
The NUH is required to be twin-engined with wheeled landing gear and folding rotor blades. It should be capable of operating from ship and ashore and be able to carry weapons in support of its maritime surveillance and targeting capability.

The IN is looking for a helicopter with a max weight of 4.5 ton that is capable of flying day or night in adverse weather conditions. Field trials of the helicopter, as part of the selection process, will be held in India.

In response to the earlier RFP, HAL expressed its inability to bid against the requirement citing challenges in modifying its Dhruv to feature folding rotor blades.

Hawk AJT
The IN is in the process of acquiring 17 Hawk AJT from HAL for advanced training of its MiG-29K pilots.

Delivery of the 17 ordered aircraft is scheduled to be completed by 2016-17. The IN inducted its first four Hawks at INS Dega in Visakhapatnam on November 6, 2013. All the 17 Hawks on order will be based at INS Dega.

Dornier 228
The IN operates a fleet of over 40 Dornier 228 aircraft as utility transport and Short Range Maritime Reconnaissance (SRMR). The DAC on October 26, 2014 cleared the purchase from HAL of an additional 12 Dornier surveillance aircraft with enhanced sensors as part of the SRMR capability enhancement program.

UAVs
The Indian Navy is using Israeli Searcher medium endurance (20 hrs.) and Heron long endurance (50 hrs.) drones for maritime surveillance. Both the UAVs are fitted with Synthetic Aperture Radar capable of detecting and non-cooperatively identifying warships, electro optical sensors and Automatic Identification System (AIS) for identifying cooperative fishing boats and smaller vessels

The Indian Navy started operating UAVs acquired from Israel in 2003 from Kochi. It raised its first UAV squadron, INAS 342 ‘Flying Sentinels,' at Kochi on January 6, 2006. The Navy commissioned its second UAV Squadron, INAS 343 'Frontier Formidables,' on Jan 17, 2011 at Porbandar.

The third UAV squadron (IANS 344, Spirited Shadowers), the first on India's eastern coast, was commissioned at INS Parundu in Uchipuli near Chennai on April 11, 2012.A fourth squadron is planned to be raised in Behala for surveillance of the Sundarbans and the Bay of Bengal. Each squadron is established for eight Searcher II and six Heron UAVs each.

NSUAS
MoD released a RFI on February 5, 2015 for procuring from Indian vendors approximately 50 Naval Shipborne Unmanned Aerial System (NSUAS) for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), SLOC monitoring and Coastal/EEZ surveillance, antipiracy and anti-terrorism, assistance in Search and Rescue and assistance in Maritime Domain Awareness using AIS inputs.

Qualitative requirements for the NSUAS include

1. Small footprint
2. Day and night capability
3. Ability to operate from naval vessels 50 m or longer, both with and without helicopter decks
4. Onboard maritime surveillance radar.
5. Ability to fly pre-programmed or operator initiated missions using GPS and onboard flight control system.
6. Additional, ability to operate from shore.

Rotary Wing UAV (RUAV)
The Navy has projected the DRDO a specific requirement for a 10-t class RUAV. Technology development for the RUAV is underway. DRDO was exploring the option of either converting an existing manned platform (like Chetak) to a RUAV, or developing a new platform from scratch.

HAL is independently working on a RUAV and is funding development of a 2-t RUAV by IIT Kharagpur. The MOD officially confirmed on April 22, 2013 that DRDO is developing a rotary wing UAV or RUAV. [via PIB]

Rustom-1
DRDO is working with the Navy to equip Rustom-1 with AIS interrogator to facilitate surveillance of the maritime boundary between India and Sri Lanka.

Emerging Challenges
As a result of economic growth in Asia, particularly in China, the strategic importance of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) has steadily increased.

Approxiately two-thirds of the world’s oil shipments transit through the IOR to the Pacific, and in 2014, more than 15 million barrels of oil passed through the Malacca Strait per day. Much of the oil that transits through the Malacca Strait meets the growing energy requirements of China.

China is understandably concerned about its Sea Lines of Communication (SLOC) through the IOR and the Malacca Strait, and is rapidly building a blue water navy that can secure its SLOCs. People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) warships are now permanently deployed in the IOR on the pretext of countering the threat from Piracy. Chinese warships have established a permanent presence in the IOR through a base in Djibouti and replenishment port calls in Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Of particular concern to India is the increasing presence of PLAN conventional and nuclear submarines in the IOR. It's likely that a PLAN aircraft carrier would be deployed in the IOR within the next 10 years.

Like China, India too is heavily dependent on oil imports from the Gulf. Heavy PLAN presence in the IOR along with China's adversarial posturing towards India have rightly heightened concerns among Indian security planners.



By Vijainder K Thakur


Vijainder K Thakur

Can you please provide the source for the article. I would like to know where this was published.

 

[aditya g]

ID this system ......

 

[abingdonboy]

Hey, anyone having any info on next P15C Destroyer specs??

There will be no "P-15C" it will be an entirely new class of vessel. The Delhis and P-15A/B are effectively the same hull design with successive upgrades in tech but the footprint remains the same. There is specualted to be a "P-18 DDG" under design that will be signifcantly larger than the P-15s.

 

[abingdonboy]

Total 63,000 crores ( 50 + 13 ) for 7 frigates.

Close to $ 1.3 Billion per frigate.

That's costly, we should be inducting Kolkata class destroyers at that cost .... What do you guys think ?

Sent from Moto G using Tapatalk

These are for ships being inducted from 2022 onwards, they need to be cutting edge from the moment they enter service. The P-17As will be absolutely world class with the ability to serve the future needs of the IN. The P-15Bs are not far off $1.3 BN each.

You pay peanuts you get monkeys.

 

[abingdonboy]

Arnament of P17A Frigates (6,000tn) will be simillar to P17B Destroyers (7,500) and with max. automation and less crew. So these will be more like Destroyers, disguised as Frigates!! Some sources also say that these might be more advanced and lethal than Type 26 Global Combat Ships (UK's next gen. Frigates).

It isn't really far to compare the T-26s to the P-17As IMO, the P-17A is a destroyer in all but name and being made for a navy in an expansion mode. The T-26's explicit purpose is to "make up the numbers' and to be as cheap as possible (hopefully with the potential of exports but I doubt it).

Remember that BAE offered the T-26 to the Indian navy who turned it down in favour of the P-17A.

 

[SajeevJino]

ID this system ......

View attachment 7953

Sea Eagle.... might be wrong .. no fins there

 

[garg_bharat]

These are for ships being inducted from 2022 onwards, they need to be cutting edge from the moment they enter service. The P-17As will be absolutely world class with the ability to serve the future needs of the IN. The P-15Bs are not far off $1.3 BN each.

You pay peanuts you get monkeys.

The cost is quite high. This world class swagger can get destroyed in one day in actual war.

The defence projects need audit and cost controls.

 

[garg_bharat]

FRIGATES

Absalon (Denmark)-$269 million

Bertholf National Security Cutter-$641 million

F100 Bazan (Spain)-$600 million

F105 Cristobal Colon (Spain)-$954 million

De Zeven Provincien (Netherlands)-$532 million

FREMM (Franco/Italian)-$745 million

LCS Freedom-$637 million

Holland (Netherlands)-$169 million

LCS Independence-$704 million

Iver Huitfeldt (Denmark)-$332 millon

Nansen (Norway)-$557 million

Sachsen Type 124 (Germany)-$1.06 billion

Valour MEKO A200 (South Africa)-$327 million

F-22P Zulfiquar (China/Pakistan)-$200 million

https://newwars.wordpress.com/warship-costs/

 

[indiandefencefan]

The cost is quite high. This world class swagger can get destroyed in one day in actual war.

The defence projects need audit and cost controls.

Hey man no need to be so pessimistic about it. These weapons may get destroyed in the 1st day of war, true. But they also serve the purpose of DETERRING any conflict in the first place.

 

[Superdefender]

@abingdonboy, I will choose P-17A over Type-26 anyday. Type-26 GCS will be primarily for ASW and land attack. Where as P-17A will be primarily for anti-air/surface/submarine warfare capabilities. P17A will have far better sensors, air defence and anti-ship capabilities compared to GCS. GCS will carry significant no. of Tomahawks for land attack. P17A will be on par with GCS in ASW capability.