12th Defence Plan: Focus on Navy’s ‘expeditionary’ ops

[sudhir007]

12th Defence Plan: Focus on Navy’s ‘expeditionary’ ops - Indian Express

Always reluctant to say it out aloud, India has finally “admitted” that the Navy will be inducting platforms and building capabilities over the next few years to undertake expeditionary operations and achieve force levels needed for “power projection”.

The recently approved 12th defence plan, which spells out the acquisitions that the armed forces are planning in the next five years and their financial implication, lays emphasis on the need to develop “adequate stand off capability” for “sea lift and expeditionary operations” — the ability to undertake military operations far away from homeland.

The most potent platform with the Navy currently for such operations is the INS Jalashwa — a retired US Navy landing platform dock. However, by the end of this year, a fresh tender for four new Land Platform Docks (LPD) will be floated by the Navy to upgrade its amphibious capabilities.

The 12th defence plan is based on the objective to “build adequate stand off capability for sea lift and expeditionary operations to achieve desired power projection force levels, influence events ashore and undertake military operations other than war”.

This implies the Navy is expanding reach and troop-carrying capability that will enable force projection far away from the mainland.

While the plan has not been made public, it seeks to augment the Navy’s airborne maritime surveillance and strike capability with the induction of shore-based aircraft as well as carrier-based planes.

The Navy is also looking at acquiring force multipliers in the form of additional Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).

With the first dedicated military satellite slated to get operational this year, the Navy is aiming for space-based assets that will enable the monitoring of sea traffic and will give it global communication and reconnaissance capabilities as per the plan.

A focus point of the plan will also be to arrest the decline of force levels of conventional submarines that has seen a drastic dip due to delays in acquisitions.

Over the next five years, the Navy will also upgrade its special forces to conduct ‘niche capabilities’ like conducting maritime intervention operations.

Another focus area in the 12th plan will be augmenting military infrastructure in the two island territories of Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar.

While the Navy commissioned its largest naval base in Lakshadweep, named INS Dweeprakshak, on Monday, military facilites will be further expanded in the two island chains to “support infrastructure for ships, submarines and aircraft and ports and airbases”.

 

[Abingdonboy]

I've got an interesting anecdote from my friend (who is a NRI) who works for a US maritime defence solutions (best to keep names out of this) and has been working with the IN closely for past 2/3 years on certain expansion/capacity building projects. This anecdote relates directly to this news.


Will post more later.

 

[ptltejas]

I've got an interesting anecdote from my friend (who is a NRI) who works for a US maritime defence solutions (best to keep names out of this) and has been working with the IN closely for past 2/3 years on certain expansion/capacity building projects. This anecdote relates directly to this news.


Will post more later.

Plz man do early dont do like Ekta Kapoor or Balaji television. suspense suspence and suspence.

 

[arp2041]

the article reveals almost nothing, 4 lpd inductions were always on card, din't get anything new.

 

[acetophenol]

These ships will help us to evacuate our citizens in case of a libya like situation. In libya,jalashwa helped us a lot.

 

[Archie]

Well , the article reveals nothing except that navy is looking to enhance its amphibious assault capability as well as Reconnaissance capabilities

Tender for 4 LPD/LPH will be released this yr , and likely recipient will be French Mistral Class , South Korean Dokdo Class , Spanish Juan Carlos Class , and American San Antonio class ,I have also heard that BAE has offered to build something based on HMS Ocean , but it is unlikely to be accepted
Winner will be announced in 2014 , with first ship entering service in 2022
My bet is on Mistral to win the tender
Last yr navy also placed an order with GRSE to build 8 , 2000 Ton Tank Landing ships capable of carrying 250 troops and 2 MBT to replace 12 ships currently in service , Navy actually wanted 14 of them but MOD cleared only 8 coz these ships can more troops than the 12 they will replace

As far as Reconnaissance aircrafts are concerned , well apart from 12 P8I , we are looking to acquire 9 Medium Maritime Patrol and Anti Ship aircrafts , Navy is also looking to acquire 12 very long range Recon UAVs , most likely the American Global Hawk

A lesser known indigenous project is the construction of 4 Multirole Amphibious assault ships to replace the Magar class which will retire between 2022-27

These ships will combine the Stealth Design and firepower of the Shivalik class with a Well Deck and ability to carry landing crafts from the Shardul Class
The ships will weigh approx 7000 Tons compared to the 5650 Ton Magar class which it will replace
But it will carry 350 Troops(450 in surge), 7 MBT and 10 APC compared to 500 Troops , 15 MBT and 8 APC carried by Magar
It will carry 2 ASW Helis compared to 1 carried by Magar

The main difference though would be in terms of firepower
Magar class only carries 4 x Bofors 40mm/60 guns, 2 x 122mm multiple-barrel rocket launchers

While The new ship will carry an array of weapons from Shivalik class in a Larger but stealthy hull
It will carry 1x30mm Otobreda naval gun , 8× VLS launched BrahMos anti-ship cruise missiles ,2× 2 DTA-53-956 torpedo launchers ,2× RBU-6000 (RPK-8)rocket launchers ,4x8 Barak SAM-launcher ,2× AK-630CIWS


Now let me tell you the most interesting part , The reason IN decided to go in for such a hybrid is coz it wants to avoid an Airavat type incident in future , these next gen assault ships would be able to operate in hostile environment without escort .

Lets just say , atleast the Idiots in MOD realised that had Airavat carried significant firepower , them some chincese coast guard would not have dared threaten it 2000 Km away from chincese mainland

 

[Abingdonboy]

As promised (^^^),

This information is from a friend of mine is employed by a US maritime defence solutions (best to keep names out of this like I said) and has been working with the IN closely for past 2/3 years on certain expansion/capacity building projects. His work was mainly in the A&N islands where he said the IN is constructing a major amphibious warfare training school for its dedicated marine infantry force- both will be ready by 2018-20. As amphibious maritime solutions is his main job he gleaned quite extensive information from IN in this regard. He told me that the IN has extensive plans regarding its future expeditionary force requirements which, he says, will be simply unmatched in the region and (again in his opinion) may only be secondary to US expeditionary force power. From what he told me the IN has already outlined plans to be implemented soon that will bring equipment online by 2019-22. He has told me the IN has requirements for and is seriously looking into equipment like MBTs for amphibious assault (it is unclear as of yet,apparently, whether the IN will simply inherit the IA's MBTs currently earmarked for amphibious assaults or- more likely, go ahead and by their own dedicated and tailored MBTs from abroad), dedicated naval attack helos (again it is unclear what source the IN will procure this equipment from), amphibious IFVs and dedicated heavy lift helos. He was rather vague because he is still heavily involved in dealings with the IN but he told me this marine force (from what he has gleaned and already seen) will be very well equipped, very well trained and well resourced.



+ they will not be part of the IA's F-INSAS roll-out but will be getting their own dedicated, specialized future combat system similar to the one the IN MARCOs are to receive within 1-2 years (with MARCOs being the guinea pigs of this kit for IN).

 

[sancho]

A lesser known indigenous project is the construction of 4 Multirole Amphibious assault ships to replace the Magar class which will retire between 2022-27...

Man I really wonder where you get these imaginary figures, specs and ideas you spread around in the recent month??? An anphibious assault ship is just a carrier of vehicles and troops, it will not have credible weaponary to attack other vessels, because nor will it have attack helicopters (only utility versions), because these kind of ships will never be send out to any serious mission without escorts. The INS Airavat issue that you brag about was none ( Assault ship INS Airavat was not confronted by China: Indian Navy - Economic Times ) and even if, it was on a PR tour visiting friendly countries, not any real IN mission.

...He told me that the IN has extensive plans regarding its future expeditionary force requirements which, he says, will be simply unmatched in the region and (again in his opinion) may only be secondary to US expeditionary force power. From what he told me the IN has already outlined plans to be implemented soon that will bring equipment online by 2019-22. He has told me the IN has requirements for and is seriously looking into equipment like MBTs for amphibious assault (it is unclear as of yet,apparently, whether the IN will simply inherit the IA's MBTs currently earmarked for amphibious assaults or- more likely, go ahead and by their own dedicated and tailored MBTs from abroad), dedicated naval attack helos (again it is unclear what source the IN will procure this equipment from), amphibious IFVs and dedicated heavy lift helos. He was rather vague because he is still heavily involved in dealings with the IN but he told me this marine force (from what he has gleaned and already seen) will be very well equipped, very well trained and well resourced...

What a waste of money that would be and people say IN gets too less money. Honestly, the only logical reason for India to use anphibious landing capabilities would be for recapturing our own Islands if taken over by any force (which could be done via air drops and transports as well and probably even faster), friendly Island in case they will be attacked (Maldives, Mauritius...) or in disaster relief missions (where you don't need all the attacking vehicles and aircrafts). There is no way we would use them against Pakistan, because we would need a credible part of IAF to back them and there wouldn't be a real tactical advantage either, nor would we use it against China, which is even more superior and far away.

he says, will be simply unmatched in the region and (again in his opinion) may only be secondary to US expeditionary force power.

Which is not surprsing, because other than the Australian navy, there is not a single navy / country in the Indian ocean that needs such capability, so even today with INS Jalashwa IN is unmatched in this field and area.
Instead of showing of and comparing themselfs with USN, they should get to the ground again and look what is really important for India in terms of defence requirements. They should use that money to procure more patrol vessels for costal defence against terrorists and pirats, but more importantly on the modernisation of the sub fleet to counter the main threat, PLAN subs!

 

[IHK_PK]

very right...... couldn't agree more.