Indian Navy Developments & Discussions

wild goose

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Navy to induct new landing craft



The Indian Navy is looking to strengthen its amphibious warfare capabilities as it seeks to add a new landing craft, used for delivering armed troops and assault material like tanks on shore, into its fleet. Amphibious warfare is an important component of the naval doctrine which needs specific kind of assets.The Naval Headquarters has alerted shipyards around the world with expertise on construction of these mechanised landing craft, or LCM. The Navy wants that these crafts should be able to carry one T-72 or T-90 tank, the main stay of Indian Army's armoured regiments, and two BMPs (mechanised infantry combat vehicle) apart from 2.5-tonne trucks and four light vehicles.The delivery of weapon platforms should have the capacity to carry 150 fully armed troops. The Navy wants the new LCMs to be used on its biggest Landing Platform Dock INS Jalashawa, formerly USS Trenton. The ships capable of beach landing with men and material are not only essential in the battlefield scenario but also have a major role during humanitarian crisis like tsunami. The new LCMs would be designed to make smooth landing at unprepared beaches or shores. Amphibious operations are of particular importance in the islands like Andaman and Nicobar where the Navy has been regularly holding exercises to master this technique. The access to land through sea for the Armed Forces is critical in any operation to dominate any scenario.The move is part of the Navy's plan to augment its fleet strength. A number of ships are being produced in Indian shipyards. Indigenisation of warship manufacturing is one of the areas under focus. The Navy is expected to induct four of these crafts but numbers could go up later. These world war-like boats form a critical part of amphibious operations.


http://idrw.org/?p=2037
 

neo29

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India deploys 4 warships in to check pirates

In wake of rise in incidents of piracy off the coast of Lakshadweep, the Indian Navy and Coast Guard have deployed at least four warships in the Arabian Sea and pressed into service aircraft for surveillance as part of efforts to check such incidents.

To deter the pirates from attempting any action in the region near Lakshadweep and Minicoy Islands, the two sea guarding agencies have decided to maintain sustained presence of four to five of their vessels in the Central Arabian Sea , Navy officials said here.

The step comes soon after pirates captured Bangladeshi merchant ship MV Jahan Moni on December 5 off the coast of India's Lakshadweep Islands on its way to Europe with 25 crew members and 41,000 tonnes of nickel ore on board.

Officials said the measures have been taken after it was observed that a piracy "hot spot" was emerging there with rise in such incidents.

The arrangement of stationing of ships including Naval frigates and Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) in the region would continue for a month and will come up for review after that period, they added.

The efforts to thwart piracy attempts in the Arabian Sea are in addition to the Indian warship deployments close to the Gulf of Aden to secure merchant vessels from the attacks of Somalian pirates there.

The ships present in the Arabian Sea would also help in securing the sealanes of communication connecting countries such as Seychelles, Maldives and other islands in the vicinity.

To enhance aerial surveillance in the region, the two forces would also press their Dornier reconnaissance aircraft into service.

The Indian Navy is one of the major international players in attempts to curb piracy off the coast of Somalia and has been deploying frigates and destroyers in turns to prevent such incidents.

http://idrw.org/?p=2059
 

vikramrana_1812

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About india's future aircraft carrier fleet


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India has long striven for a three carrier fleet comprised of one carrier battle group stationed on each seaboard, and a third carrier held in reserve. This would enable Delhi, by rotating ships, to continuously protect both its flanks, since aircraft carriers regularly require long periods of maintenance at berth. The struggles and travails that the Indian Navy has encountered while doggedly pursuing this goal, what with the seemingly interminable negotiations surrounding the purchase and modernization of the ex-Admiral Gorshkov, and the chronic delays in construction of the IAC, or indigenous aircraft carrier, have become somewhat emblematic of the sometimes frustratingly ponderous rhythm of India's naval expansion.

It would seem now, however, that Delhi's long-sought quest for a three carrier force is at last edging towards fruition. Indeed, it was announced earlier this year, shortly before Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's visit, that a price finalization for the future Vikramaditya had finally been reached. The 44,500 ton ex-Soviet vessel, which is undergoing an extensive modernization, (70 per cent of the structure will be completely renewed) will carry 16 new MiG-29K aircraft, as well as an assortment of Kamov-28 and Kamov-31 helicopters. Now that the price has been finalized, the Vikramaditya is expected to arrive in late 2012 or early 2013.

It will be joined, hopefully little more than a year later, by India's first indigenously built aircraft carrier, a 37,000 ton ship, which, like the Vikramaditya, will be equipped with a STOBAR (short-takeoff, barrier-arrested design) and is slated to field a slightly smaller air wing of 12 MiG-29K Aircraft. Both aircraft carriers will also in time carry India's indigenously designed LCA, or light combat aircraft. The IAC project, which will embody a significant milestone in India's shipbuilding capacities once completed, has been plagued by difficulties from the outset, be it due to budget-related quibbling over its tonnage, insufficient quantities of high quality steel for the hull, or, some say, Cochin Shipyard Limited's struggle to adopt a modern modular assembling technique to speed up construction. Recent reports, however, seem to indicate that the IAC is back on track, and that there is a good chance that it will be launched later this year, and commissioned in 2014/2015.


Following its launch, the Indian Navy is expected to officially out its plans for a second home-built aircraft carrier, the ubiquitously named IAC-II, which will be both larger and more formidable than its predecessor. Details surrounding the vessel were long murky at best, but information has now begun to surface, although many aspects remain somewhat sketchy. The Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Nirmal Verma, indicated in December 2009 that the IAC-II would be sizeably larger than the IAC-I, with a displacement of 50,000 tons.1 It would also have a more modern launch system, either via steam catapult or, as some as yet unconfirmed rumours have suggested, an EMALS (Electromagnetic Aircraft System). It is also unclear whether the carrier will be conventionally or nuclear-propelled. In any case, its larger size and more efficient launch system will enable it to field an aircraft wing that is superior both in size and diversity. An RFI (Request for Information) has thus been issued for 40 new multi-role fighters. It is hoped that Cochin Shipyard, having already run through all the hoops while constructing the first IAC, will be able to deliver the second carrier with greater alacrity. If this is indeed the case, one can fully expect the Indian Navy to boast three operational carrier groups by 2020 at the latest.

What would be the strategic ramifications of such a quantum leap in India's naval capabilities? Over the years so much time and energy has been devoted to the pursuit of this "constabulary" blue-water force,2 that scant attention has actually been paid to the tactical options and possibilities proffered by India's new carrier fleet. Here follows an attempt to briefly summarize the panorama of uses India's carrier force could serve in future contingencies, be they wartime or during peace, as well as the need to protect what some sceptics have termed the "white elephants" of modern naval warfare.
Strengthening the Elephant's Hide: Protecting India's Aircraft Carriers

An aircraft carrier is undoubtedly one of the most potent symbols of national power. This symbolic potency, however, can rapidly morph into a disadvantage, if the fear of its loss irreversibly damaging the nation's morale prevents it from fulfilling its full spectrum of wartime capabilities. In the past, an unsavoury blend of political indecisiveness and inappropriate threat assessments have frequently stunted Indian aircraft carriers' tactical flexibility in times of conflict. During Operation Vijay, for example, which was conducted in 1961 to successfully wrest Goa from Portugal, the INS Vikrant was instructed to keep clear of the embattled enclave when a foreign submarine was detected. Similarly, in 1965, fears related to the INS Vikrant's severe deficiencies in terms of anti-submarine warfare played a part in the decision to maintain her under refit.3 In 1971, the Vikrant was able to operate relatively unimpeded off the Bay of Bengal only because the Pakistani submarine PNS Ghazi had already been sunk. In 2002-2003, during Operation Parakram, the INS Viraat was hastily retrofitted with the Israeli Barak Anti-Missile System once it dawned on Naval Headquarters that it would be particularly vulnerable to submarine-launched Harpoon missiles.4

The most recent existential threat to India's carrier force takes the form of China's newly inducted anti-ship ballistic missile, the DF-21, which can reportedly hit a moving target while travelling at a speed of Mach 10. Whereas before it would have been extremely difficult to locate and target a fast-moving carrier, China's progress in the field of ISR, notably via satellite surveillance, has rendered such a feat increasingly possible. It would seem, however, that the Indian Navy is determined to break a historical pattern of being more reactive than proactive when it comes to dealing with threats to its carriers, and it was recently reported that Lockheed Martin had held talks with Indian authorities regarding a potential collaboration with the DRDO, which would result in an integration of the future Prithvi Air Defence Shield (PADS) with the firm's celebrated phased array AEGIS missile defence system.5 Although it is not yet certain whether the AEGIS system could ward off a DF-21 strike, it would certainly provide the Indian fleet with a greater degree of anti-missile protection. An abiding concern however remains the prohibitive cost of such a system, as it is estimated that equipping a Kolkata class destroyer with an AEGIS defence system would more than triple its cost.
Preparing for Diverse Combat Contingencies

India's Maritime Strategy lays out a wide gamut of roles for the Indian Navy in times of war. It is stated, for example, that it will be expected to perform operations ranging from "distant credible sea denial over large areas of the Indian Ocean" to "distant sea control in selected areas of the Indian Ocean to protect economic interests and mercantile traffic," to conducting "phased operations" which will result in the use of maritime power to support land or air-borne strikes.6 India's carrier fleet will therefore have to display a high degree of tactical flexibility. This can be accomplished in part by reconfiguring the vessels' air wings depending on the nature of the crisis at hand. A flotilla of Chinese submarines could be met by an eastern carrier fleet more heavily geared towards anti-submarine warfare, with a flight deck comprising a greater number of maritime patrol aircraft or Seaking and Kamov ASW helicopters. An anti-piracy operation in a large body of water may require less strike aircraft and more maritime surveillance capabilities in the shape of patrol aircraft or UAVs. MARCOS commando strikes could be facilitated by increasing the number of helicopters aboard, or by adding specific Special Forces ammunition and equipment modules on board.

In the course of the next two to three decades, China's string of pearls, which is still very much in its embryonic phase for the time being, may gradually take on a more decidedly military nature. This would require Indian naval practitioners to develop a capacity for opposed amphibious landings. The fleet's amphibious component has received a considerable boost over the past few years with the induction of the 17,000 ton INS Jalashwa in 2007, as well several smaller landing ships. Direct amphibious assaults may become less feasible in time, however, as the gradual proliferation of medium and long-range anti-ship missiles renders landing craft ever more vulnerable to a devastating hit which would obliterate not only the ship but also the precious amphibious strike force it hosts.7 Aircraft carriers can play an important role by providing a first over-the-horizon attack, either by air strike or by the air-borne insertion of special forces. This would serve to isolate and soften up the beachhead before engaging in a full heliborne assault, supplemented by the landing craft and LSTs ferrying in reinforcements.
Vital Humanitarian Platforms

Aircraft carriers can prove to be extremely valuable assets when responding to humanitarian emergencies or engaging in NEOs (non-combatant evacuation operations). A carrier can provide a self-generating supply of fresh water, medical assistance or engineering expertise to populations in dire need, and have revealed themselves time and time again to be vital humanitarian platforms. The participation of the INS Viraat in the 2004 tsunami relief effort comes to mind, as does the recent action of the USS Carl Vinson off the coast of Haiti. Much can be done, nevertheless, to further bolster a carrier's humanitarian response skills.8 First, the air wing can be reconfigured in order to field more helicopters, as well as vertical lift aircraft, such as the recently upgraded Sea Harriers, which can gain access to rough terrain. Secondly, medical modular facilities can be installed on board in order to enhance the carrier's medical responsiveness. Finally, a command centre can be set up so that key government personnel and civil response teams can coordinate their efforts via the carrier's communication systems. This could be extremely useful, for example, in the event of disruption of landlines or the destruction of government offices.

http://www.amazon.com/Aircraft-Carriers-India-Active-Indian/dp/1157763634?ie=UTF8&tag=latestdefe-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969




In less than a decade, India's naval force structure will have undergone a seismic shift, able to continuously deploy carrier groups on both seaboards. In order for the Indian Navy to efficiently project both hard and soft power throughout the Indian Ocean Region, its commanders will need to display a degree of strategic flexibility by learning how to leverage the many uses of Indian's new aircraft carriers. Only this way will they prove themselves to be the formidable force multipliers, both in peace and war, required to lead the Indian Navy into the 21st century.
 

neo29

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DRDO working on cutting submarine vulnerability

Work is apace at the Defence Research and Development Organisation's Naval Materials Research Laboratory at Ambernath in Maharashtra on developing a land-based prototype plug, and subsequently an engineered, operational version of an Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system that will significantly cut the 'indiscretion rate' of diesel and electric submarines.

The 'indiscretion rate' is the percentage of time a submarine spends snorting when it is most vulnerable. By eliminating the need for conventional submarines to frequently resurface for recharging batteries by breathing in air, it would considerably enhance their sub-surface endurance.

Satisfied

Talking to The Hindu here recently, J. Narayana Das, DRDO's Chief Controller, Research and Development (Naval Systems, Materials and Human Resources), said the Navy was satisfied with the DRDO's proposal. "We are first having a land-based demonstrator. And, as we progress, we will concurrently start an engineered version because engineering anything for a submarine platform is a completely different ballgame."

(Incidentally, The Hindu has learnt from sources in the Navy that it has asked the DRDO to come up with a fully engineered fuel cell AIP by 2014 for possible use in the last two of the six Scorpene submarines being built in Mumbai's Mazagaon Dock. The Navy has also given sanction for the land-based prototype AIP in August this year.)

http://idrw.org/?p=2073
 

neo29

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Indian Navy receives offer to upgrade troop carrier's choppers

The Indian Navy has received an offer to renew and upgrade the six utility helicopters it acquired along with a large troop carrier from the US in 2007.

The utility and cargo version Sea King helicopters, acquired virtually free but for the cost of some immediate repairs, have been facing lack of spares and maintenance issues. The helicopters had been sold by the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation to the US Navy long back and were phased out after completing their requisite hours of flying operations.

Sikorsky has offered to renew and upgrade the helicopters the Indian Navy acquired along with USS Trenton, now renamed INS Jalshwa, in a $50 million deal.

Sikorsky's India Managing Director, Air Vice Marshal (retd) A.J.S. Walia told India Strategic defence magazine that although the company had no role in the sale of the helicopters, or the deal for the ship, it was getting a bad name as it had built the choppers.

Accordingly, the company had made an offer to the Indian Navy to update and upgrade the helicopters to give then a last them 9,000 hours, which should make them as good as new. The Indian Navy can choose to change engines, shell, avionics or other systems even partially, and 'we will cooperate fully and do our best,' he said.

If he proposal is accepted, the Indian Navy can do a Direct Commercial Sale (DCS) or take the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route if it wants to. 'We are comfortable either way,' Walia said.

The US Navy had given the job of refurbishing the helicopters to a small company, which made them airworthy. But recently, even the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India came down on the fact that the six helicopters were not properly operational.

Walia said that he has had some discussions with the Indian Navy on the helicopters.

While a decision has to come from the Indian Government and the navy, 'Sikorsky is willing to assist in any respect from tip to tail to modernize the old helicopters, and reset their flying clock from zero to 9000,' he said.

The $50 million India paid for the ship was mostly spent on refurbishing and repainting it. The vessel's two onboard Phalanx guns, which can fire very hard, depleted uranium bullets at very high speed, were also repaired free by its manufacturer, Raytheon, in the hope that their demonstration would help the company sell these guns to the Indian Navy for its other ships.

INS Jalashwa, based in the Indian Navy's Eastern Command port of Vishakhapatnam, was acquired after the Indian Navy realized during the 2004 Tsunami that while its ships could reach various countries to help them, they really could not deliver anything directly to their shores due to the debris scattered all over.

INS Jalashwa has a well deck, which can be flooded with water, from where it can deliver disaster relief material, or soldiers and tanks directly on shore.

The ship has given the Indian Navy this capability for the first time, and there are plans now to indigenously build at least four more such vessels.

http://idrw.org/?p=2070
 

shuvo@y2k10

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Indian Navy receives offer to upgrade troop carrier's choppers

The Indian Navy has received an offer to renew and upgrade the six utility helicopters it acquired along with a large troop carrier from the US in 2007.

The utility and cargo version Sea King helicopters, acquired virtually free but for the cost of some immediate repairs, have been facing lack of spares and maintenance issues. The helicopters had been sold by the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation to the US Navy long back and were phased out after completing their requisite hours of flying operations.

Sikorsky has offered to renew and upgrade the helicopters the Indian Navy acquired along with USS Trenton, now renamed INS Jalshwa, in a $50 million deal.

Sikorsky's India Managing Director, Air Vice Marshal (retd) A.J.S. Walia told India Strategic defence magazine that although the company had no role in the sale of the helicopters, or the deal for the ship, it was getting a bad name as it had built the choppers.

Accordingly, the company had made an offer to the Indian Navy to update and upgrade the helicopters to give then a last them 9,000 hours, which should make them as good as new. The Indian Navy can choose to change engines, shell, avionics or other systems even partially, and 'we will cooperate fully and do our best,' he said.

If he proposal is accepted, the Indian Navy can do a Direct Commercial Sale (DCS) or take the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route if it wants to. 'We are comfortable either way,' Walia said.

The US Navy had given the job of refurbishing the helicopters to a small company, which made them airworthy. But recently, even the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India came down on the fact that the six helicopters were not properly operational.

Walia said that he has had some discussions with the Indian Navy on the helicopters.

While a decision has to come from the Indian Government and the navy, 'Sikorsky is willing to assist in any respect from tip to tail to modernize the old helicopters, and reset their flying clock from zero to 9000,' he said.

The $50 million India paid for the ship was mostly spent on refurbishing and repainting it. The vessel's two onboard Phalanx guns, which can fire very hard, depleted uranium bullets at very high speed, were also repaired free by its manufacturer, Raytheon, in the hope that their demonstration would help the company sell these guns to the Indian Navy for its other ships.

INS Jalashwa, based in the Indian Navy's Eastern Command port of Vishakhapatnam, was acquired after the Indian Navy realized during the 2004 Tsunami that while its ships could reach various countries to help them, they really could not deliver anything directly to their shores due to the debris scattered all over.

INS Jalashwa has a well deck, which can be flooded with water, from where it can deliver disaster relief material, or soldiers and tanks directly on shore.

The ship has given the Indian Navy this capability for the first time, and there are plans now to indigenously build at least four more such vessels.

http://idrw.org/?p=2070
ins jalashwa and its six sea king helicopters are a piece of junk which were intended to be retired but indian navy bought them in 2007.it is an absolute waste of public money.even singapore makes better lpd than jalashwa,we could have gone for a brand new from singapore
 

Kunal Biswas

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ins jalashwa and its six sea king helicopters are a piece of junk which were intended to be retired but indian navy bought them in 2007.it is an absolute waste of public money.even singapore makes better lpd than jalashwa,we could have gone for a brand new from singapore
U will not get it below 154.78 million USD..

Where Jalashwa cost us 50 million USD..


Check the specification :

ENDURANCE Class Landing Ship Tank (LST)
Length: 141 m
Width: 21 m
Draught: 5 m
Speed: In excess of 15 knots (20kn?)
Range: 5000 nm at 15 knots
Displacement: 6,500 tons
Armament: 1 x 76mm OTO Melara gun, 2 x MISTRAL SAM systems, 2 x 25mm M 242 Bushmaster, 4 x CIS 0.5 MG
Loading Facilities: 1 x bow door/ramp,1 x stern ramp, 2 x 25 ton deck cranes
Helicopter Facilities: Flight deck & hangar for 2 Super Puma
Boats: 4 × 13 m Fast Craft Equipment & Utility (FCEU) on davits, 2 × 25 m Fast Craft Utility (FCU) inside well deck
Complement: 8 officers & 57 men
Capacity: 18 tanks, 20 vehicles and bulk cargo/Troops 350
INS Jalashwa:
Displacement: 8894 tons light, 16590 tons full, 7696 tons dead
Length: 173.7 meters (570 feet) overall, 167 meters (548 feet) waterline
Beam: 30.4 meters (100 feet) extreme, 25.6 meters (84 feet) waterline
Draught: 6.7 meters (22 feet) maximum, 7 meters (23 feet) limit
Propulsion: Two boilers, two steam turbines, two shafts; 24,000 shp
Speed: 20 knots (40 km/h)
Capacity: 900-1000 troops
Complement: 28 officers, 480 men, 1436 marines
Armament: 4 × 3 in / 50 caliber AA gun mounts
Aircraft carried: 6 UH-3 Sea King helicopters
Notes: Four LCM-8 landing craft housed in a hangar below
 

icecoolben

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U will not get it below 154.78 million USD..

Where Jalashwa cost us 50 million USD..


Check the specification :

Shardul class landing ship


Class overview
Name: Shardul class
Builders: Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers
Operators: Indian Navy
Preceded by: Magar class
Completed: 3
Active: 3
General characteristics
Type: Tank landing ship
Displacement: 5,650 tons
Length: 125 m
Beam: 17.5 m
Draft: 4 m
Propulsion: Kirloskar PA6 STC engines
Speed: 16 knots
Capacity: 11 MBT, 10 armored vehicles
465.8 m³ water, 1,292.6 m³ diesel fuel
Troops: 500
Complement: 11 officers, 145 sailors
Electronic warfare
and decoys: Decoy: Chaff launchers
Armament: 2 x WM-18 rocket launchers
4 x CRN-91 AA (Naval 30mm Medak) guns, MANPAD's.
Aircraft carried: 1 Sea King/HAL Dhruv

Shardul class landing ships are large amphibious warfare vessels built at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers for the Indian Navy.

The class has an indigenous content of over 90% with state-of-the-art equipment.
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Ships
* 3 References
o 3.1 Notes
o 3.2 External links

[edit] History

INS Shardul was the first vessel commissioned at Karwar Naval base INS Kadamba. The second ship INS Kesari was commissioned at the Vishakapatanam Naval base,[1] and later moved to Port Blair.[2] The third ship INS Airavata was handed over to the Indian Navy of sea trials in 2008 and was expected to enter active service in August 2008 with Eastern command of the Indian Navy.[3] The ship was commissioned into service on 19 May 2009.[4][5]
[edit] Ships
Name Pennant Builder Commissioned Status
INS Shardul L16 GRSE 4 January 2007 Active
INS Kesari L15 GRSE 5 April 2008 Active
INS Airavat L24 GRSE 19 May 2009 Active
[edit] References[/hide]
[hide]

Using INS jalaswa, we can easily progress from INS arihan to a large mistral class ship, with the least R&D design stage.[/hide]
 

Parthy

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Indian Navy receives offer to upgrade Jalashwa's Sikorsky choppers

The Indian Navy has received an offer to renew and upgrade the six utility helicopters it acquired along with a large troop carrier from the US in 2007.

The utility and cargo version Sea King helicopters, acquired virtually free but for the cost of some immediate repairs, have been facing lack of spares and maintenance issues. The helicopters had been sold by the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation to the US Navy long back and were phased out after completing their requisite hours of flying operations.

Sikorsky has offered to renew and upgrade the helicopters the Indian Navy acquired along with USS Trenton, now renamed INS Jalshwa, in a $50 million deal.

Sikorsky's India Managing Director, Air Vice Marshal (retd) A.J.S. Walia told India Strategic defence magazine (www.indiastrategic.in) that although the company had no role in the sale of the helicopters, or the deal for the ship, it was getting a bad name as it had built the choppers.

Accordingly, the company had made an offer to the Indian Navy to update and upgrade the helicopters to give then a last them 9,000 hours, which should make them as good as new. The Indian Navy can choose to change engines, shell, avionics or other systems even partially, and 'we will cooperate fully and do our best,' he said.

If he proposal is accepted, the Indian Navy can do a Direct Commercial Sale (DCS) or take the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route if it wants to. 'We are comfortable either way,' Walia said.

The US Navy had given the job of refurbishing the helicopters to a small company, which made them airworthy. But recently, even the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India came down on the fact that the six helicopters were not properly operational.

Walia said that he has had some discussions with the Indian Navy on the helicopters.

While a decision has to come from the Indian Government and the navy, 'Sikorsky is willing to assist in any respect from tip to tail to modernize the old helicopters, and reset their flying clock from zero to 9000,' he said.

The $50 million India paid for the ship was mostly spent on refurbishing and repainting it. The vessel's two onboard Phalanx guns, which can fire very hard, depleted uranium bullets at very high speed, were also repaired free by its manufacturer, Raytheon, in the hope that their demonstration would help the company sell these guns to the Indian Navy for its other ships.

INS Jalashwa, based in the Indian Navy's Eastern Command port of Vishakhapatnam, was acquired after the Indian Navy realized during the 2004 Tsunami that while its ships could reach various countries to help them, they really could not deliver anything directly to their shores due to the debris scattered all over.

INS Jalashwa has a well deck, which can be flooded with water, from where it can deliver disaster relief material, or soldiers and tanks directly on shore.

The ship has given the Indian Navy this capability for the first time, and there are plans now to indigenously build at least four more such vessels.


http://idrw.org/?p=2070
 

Parthy

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Sea trials of Autonomous Underwater Vehicle scheduled for January-end

The sea trials of the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) designed and developed by the Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI), Durgapur — a constituent establishment of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) — are slated to begin off the Chennai coast during the last week of January.

The 'AUV-150,' as the prototype is named, is built to operate 150 metres under the sea. It was developed in technical collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur.

The performance parameters of the lab-scale model, developed by the IIT, acted as a precursor to the prototype developed by CSIR-CMERI. The project is sponsored by the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

The cylindrical AUV is capable of independently carrying out a plethora of underwater operations, including ocean floor-mapping, surveillance activities and oceanographic studies, based on data gathered using its onboard sensors.

The AUV underwent a series of sheltered water trials at the Defence Research and Development Organisation's Underwater Acoustic Research Facility (UARF) in Kerala's Idukki Reservoir over the last two years. The final leg of the still-water trials was conducted in the reservoir between September and October 2010.

CMERI Director Gautam Biswas said: "The National Institute of Ocean Technology [NIOT] earlier developed a Remotely Operated Vehicle [ROV] with the capability to dive much deeper. Our vehicle, however, is different in that it is not remotely operated from a control station ashore. It has an onboard computer that can be pre-programmed to carry out specific tasks, which makes it a smart vehicle endowed with the ability to devise its own stratagems to execute a mission. The payload and the configuration are determined by the nature of the mission it is tasked with."

During the sea trials, the AUV's image processing capability would be assessed.

"Besides, its capacity to model environmental parameters such as temperature gradient, current, depth and salinity gradient would be scrutinised. Once the technology is proven through extensive sea trials, the AUV can be customised for applications like close-to-coast undersea monitoring, mine counter-measures, cable and pipeline surveys, besides a host of oceanographic studies," Professor Biswas said.

Features

The AUV has hybrid communication channels. It uses radio frequency while on surface, but switches to acoustic communication when submerged. "The AUV has its own power, propulsion, navigation and control systems. For movement underwater, it locates own geographical position using navigational sensors, while its forward-looking sonar facilitates obstacle evasion and safe passage. For effective operation, it is equipped with navigational sensors like the inertial navigation system, depth sonar, altimeter etc., and payload sensors like camera, side scan sonar and the like. It has extra roll stability, a cruising speed of up to four knots, and weighs about 490 kg," Professor Biswas said.

'Major project'

The CSIR-CMERI held numerous meetings with experts from IIT-Kharagpur and NIOT during the development of the vehicle.

"We also made a presentation at the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory [NSTL] at Visakhapatnam, which is developing its own AUV. The AUV-150 is one of the major projects executed by the CSIR family, and based on a few such projects, a joint R&D Council of CSIR-DRDO has been formed. The Indian Navy has also shown immense interest in our project," Professor Biswas said.

The 'AUV-150' was developed by a team of scientists of the Robotics and Automation division of CSIR-CMERI under the leadership of S.N. Shome.


http://hindu.com/2011/01/03/stories/2011010362441400.htm
 

sesha_maruthi27

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Indian Navy to commission UAV squadron at Porbandar on Jan 17


NEW DELHI (PTI): Aiming at enhancing its coastal surveillance capabilities, Indian Navy is going to commission a squadron of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) at Porbandar in Gujarat on January 17.

The squadron will comprise Israeli-made Searcher and Heron UAVs and would help in enhancing our surveillance capabilities off the coast of Gujarat, Navy officials said here.

The Indian Navy had commissioned its first UAV reconnaissance squadron at its base in Kochi in January, 2006 and is one of the few maritime forces to be using such equipment.

The Navy is also planning to acquire high-altitude long endurance (HALE) UAVs.

In an RFI (Request For Information) issued recently, the Navy has specified that it wants a platform with at least 25 hours mission endurance, an all up weight of no more than 15 tons, service ceiling of 40,000 feet and cruise speed of 100 knots.

The Navy presently uses a small mix of Israeli Heron and Searcher Mk2 UAVs, and is making efforts to acquire shipborne unmanned rotorcraft.

Post 26/11, India has taken several measures to strengthen coastal security after terrorists sailed close to the Gujarat coast in a dhow and reached Mumbai to launch multiple attacks on various targets.

To plug gaps in the radar coverage of its over 7,500 km coastline, the Government has also decided to deploy coastal surveillance radars atop 90 light houses along both the eastern and western sea boards.

Under the plan, the light houses would also be fitted with cameras capable of operating during both day and night to keep an eye on the movement of vessels in coastal areas.
 

chex3009

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Indian Navy Pushes Tech Self-Reliance



BENGALURU, India — The Indian navy on Jan. 5 declared its commitment to helping the nation become self-reliant in critical defense technologies.

Rear Adm. D.M. Sudan, assistant chief of the naval staff for air, says homegrown products enhance India's strategic flexibility. The navy is widely perceived as the only wing of the Indian armed forces that backs indigenous defense research and development (R&D), as compared to the army and air force.

"Imports will have to be arrested and we will have to reduce our dependency on foreign suppliers and manufacturers," Sudan told a select group of scientists and technologists in Bengaluru. "Today, the navy is operating many ships that are designed and developed [by] Indian industries. We are completely committed to the Defense Research and Development Organization [DRDO] and are closely watching various projects that [are] undergoing trials."

Given the growing expectations of the Indian armed forces, Sudan says there should be a better dialogue between national R&D organizations and the Indian navy. "We certainly need to communicate better, and we are keen to know the strengths of Indian R&D firms," he says.

"The private sector must be encouraged and roped in more for speedy production. Nonavailability of critical technology is a matter of great concern, and hence we are now entering into [joint ventures] with key players."

He says the only way India can reduce its imports of foreign military technology is if DRDO's work can be passed more quickly through industries to the Indian armed forces.

"Modernization should go hand in hand with indigenization," he declares. "The Indian navy is also closely watching developments with laser-guided bombs that are developed by DRDO."

The Indian armed forces rarely come out so strongly in support of DRDO, which often suffers delays and cost overruns. For example, the naval prototype (NP-1) of the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft is expected to have its first flight by March, although Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony had said it would fly before the end of 2010.

"It is late by 3-4 months and that can't be called a huge delay," says Dr. Prahlada, DRDO's chief controller. "We are ensuring that everything is in place and don't want to hurry through. We will have the first flight of NP-1 in March."

Photo credit: Indian Navy

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story.jsp?id=news/asd/2011/01/06/06.xml&headline=Indian%20Navy%20Pushes%20Tech%20Self-Reliance&channel=defense
 

sandeepdg

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Retd officer says facts distorted on Khukri


CHANDIGARH: The chapter of naval history on Indian Navy's frigate INS Khukri that was torpedoed by Pakistan's submarine 40 years ago, has been termed a ''fiction based on wishful imaginary thoughts'' of Vice-Admiral (retd) S N Kohli by Commander (retd) Benoy Bhushan, who probed its sinking.

More skeletons are likely to tumble out of the Khukri as Bhushan has sought information from naval headquarters about those responsible for ''distortion of facts.''

Admiral Kohli was the flag officer of Western Naval Command (WNC) when the Khukri sank in December 1971. Commander Bhushan had conducted an inquiry on directives from Admiral Kohli and submitted his reports on January 12 and 22, 1972.

Recently, one of the survivors of the ship, sailor Chanchal Singh Gill, had approached the Armed Forces Tribunal seeking inquiry by a judicial commission, withdrawal of gallantry awards from those who allegedly showed cowardice.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...s-distorted-on-Khukri/articleshow/7239323.cms
 

kuku

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Posted in a closed thread, i thought the discussion was good...............
http://defenceforumindia.com/showthread.php?t=17863
Certainly PN Surface ships aren't very limited to given area of operation which was quite arrested by the fact that they now got some long range missile which threaten Indian Sea Lanes.

PN Submarine's are real threat not only to Indian Surface Vessel but also to our Oil rigs and important Logisitics ships require to replanish Warships. Our Hunter class Kilo will have to defend our Oil Rigs and all other Offshore assets to keep PN subs at bay.
PN ships are severly limited in numbers, which restricts the area they can operate in, IMO very limited as now they have two ports and the path that merchant shipping to Pakistan is both unique and can be put under a blockade, with limited numbers they are going to operate in a environment where Indian Navy will be aggressive in the air, surface and sub-surface.

Everything is a real threat, especially AIP equipped submarines as long ranged detection is very difficult (when they do not surface to charge batteries for a long time), however the Indian Navy is going to be a very very aggressive force, with both the fleets moving in to do the damage, at which point most of Pakistan's AIP SSKs will be engaged in defensive missions, protecting their own ports and denying the IN assets the freedom to operate.

Pakistan has a very limited SSK force, some of which will be under regular maintenance cycle at a time, on top of that the infrastructure required to operate the submarine would be a very high priority target for the Indian Navy now that it has multi role fighters of its own.

Indian Navy has also equipped many of its ships with defensive weapons (Barak missile system), to deny the Pakistan Navy the advantage of firing anti ship missile from a safe distance.

If the Indian Navy concentrates on defending our shorelines from the PN submarines, we will never be successful in doing so and the first sign of the submarine we will have will be when it has launched its missiles & torpedoes, its a bit like lots of policemen trying to avoid a suicide bomb attack, you will have very limited chance of stopping the attack at the attack site as you are playing to the rules of the terrorist, however if you have a good intelligence net you can(may be) find the terrorist before they even reach the target, the only certain way to stop such an attack is if you can take the war to terrorists home territory, you will make him fight there instead of him crossing over and going to attack a target here. That should be the ultimate goal of the Indian Navies submarine force, large enough, capable of very fast rate of deployment and a high rate of availability.
 
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RPK

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Indian Navy to add two new fleet tankers this year news

http://www.domain-b.com/defence/sea/indian_navy/20110112_two_new_fleet.html
12 January 2011

New Delhi: The Indian Navy is all set to add a brand new tanker to its fleet this month. With a sister ship due to join in June-July the additions will add a distinct punch to its capabilities as a blue-water navy.

The first tanker, christened INS Deepak, will be commissioned at Mumbai on 21 January, with the second tanker, INS Shakti, slated to arrive by June-July. With a full-load displacement of 27,500 tonnes, the 175-metre long INS Deepak will be able to carry 17,900 tonnes of cargo, including 15,250 tonnes of fuel.

The ship will boast of a flight deck and have a double hull with a capacity to refuel four ships at a time.

The tankers are equipped with four AK-630 guns and have an endurance of 10,000 nautical miles at a speed of 16 knots.

The two ships were contracted for in April 2008 from M/s Fincantieri Cantieri Navali Italiani SpA of Italy for 159.32 million Euros.

The two ships will join the two older fleet tankers, INS Jyoti and INS Aditya, currently being operated by Navy.

The Indian Navy's strategic area of interest stretches from the Hormuz Strait to Malacca Strait. It currently has over 40 warships on order at Indian shipyards, including six French designed Scorpene submarines, and a 40,000-tonne indigenous aircraft carrier being built at the Cochin Shipyard.

It also has a refit programme of the 44,570-tonne Admiral Gorshkov or INS Vikramditya underway at a Russian shipyard as well as construction of three additional Talwar-class stealth frigates.
 

RPK

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Indian Navy commandos to be armed with Israeli rifles
http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=local&newsid=215958

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New Delhi, Jan 12 (IANS) The Indian Navy's elite marine commandos will this month be armed with Israeli assault and rifles that will enhance their operational capability as a force trained for special operations.

A consignment of over 500 TAR-21 Tavor assault rifles and another 30 Galil sniper rifles worth over Rs.15 crore ($3.3 million) and
Rs.2 crore respectively was delivered to the MARCOS (marine commandos) in December 2010, a defence ministry official told IANS here.

A team from the Israeli Military Industries (IMI), the manufacturer of the specialist weapons, will be in India to carry out joint inspection of the consignment's post-delivery quality to ensure the weapons are in fighting-fit condition.

"The lot of over 500 Tavor and 30 Galil rifles has arrived and the Israeli team will be here to jointly inspect the delivered weapons and for assembling them. The MARCOS will begin using these rifles and start training on them from this month," the official said. He did not wish to be identified because of ministry rules.

The defence ministry had placed the orders for the rifles for the MARCOS - their actual strength is classified - in 2008.

The two weapons are already in use with the Indian Army's special forces and the Indian Air Force's Garud special forces units. The army's special forces got about 3,000 of the Tavors and another 1,000 of the Galils some time in 2004, for which they had placed orders in 2002.

The Tavor, a 5.56mm calibre weapon of NATO specifications, is a 21st century assault rifle from IMI. The MARCOS have been using the indigenous INSAS rifles and the Russian Kalashnikov variants. The Tavor would also be a standard weapon for the force from now.

The Galil is a 7.62mm sniper weapon, again manufactured by IMI, popularly known as Galatz in the Israeli defence forces.
 

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