Indian Navy Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta Spells Out Vision 2022

[nitesh]

Indian Navy to acquire anti-mine fleet

Indian Navy to acquire anti-mine fleet

Expands blue-water capabilities

By Aharon Etengoff @ Thursday, October 30, 2008 6:38 AM




The Indian Navy has announced plans to acquire eight mine countermeasure vessels (MCMVs).

MCMVs typically detect mines with high-definition sonar and destroy them using remotely detonated explosives. The new ships will replace 12 Pondicherry-class ocean minesweepers purchased in the 1970s and 1980s.

New Delhi has asked a number of countries to submit bids, including DCN International, Fincanteri, Izhar, Kangnam and Northrop Grumman. At least six of the ships are slated to be built at India's state-owned Goa Shipyard.

When completed, the MCMVs will be equipped with one 30mm anti-surface air gun, two 12.7mm heavy machine guns and a pair of Kavach chaff launchers manufactured by the Jabalpur Gun Carriage Factory.

 

[nitesh]

Your Industry News - Fincantieri to Build New Fleet Tanker for the Indian Navy

Fincantieri to Build New Fleet Tanker for the Indian Navy

Thursday, Oct 30, 2008

On the occasion of the international exhibition Euronaval – the most important trade fair for the defence industries currently in progress in Paris-Le Bourget – Fincantieri has announced the company has gained an order to build a fleet tanker for the Indian Navy.

Following previous orders to Russian industries, this is the first order for a surface vessel for which India has chosen a foreign company, Fincantieri, which competed to win the order against leading international players, especially from Russia and Korea.

The vessel, which will be built at the shipyards in Liguria, for delivery at the end of 2010, will be 175 metres long, 25 wide and 19 high and will have a displacement at full load of 27,500 tonnes. The ship will be powered by two 10,000 kW diesel engines which will enable it to reach a maximum speed of 20 knots and its propulsion system will feature an adjustable blade propeller. There will also be a flight deck on board for medium-heavy helicopters (up to 10 tons).
The ship will accommodate up to 248 passengers – crew and supplementary personnel.

Equipped with double hatches, the vessel will be able to service four ships at the same time.

In accordance with the new Marpol regulations of the International Maritime Organization concerning the protection of the environment, this will be the first ship of this type to be built with a double hull thereby improving protection of the fuel tanks and avoiding the risk of pollution in case of collision or damage.

Fincantieri has already built the “Sagar Nidhi” for India, an oceanographic vessel for the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) in Madras which was delivered at the end of 2007. In addition, in 2004 the company drew up two contracts with Cochin shipyard regarding the design of the engine, technology transfer and the provision of complementary services for the construction of the Air Defence Ship (ADS); activities are also in the process of being finalized for the sharing of the functional design and details of the propulsion system. The assistance stage at the Indian shipyard is about to start up shortly.

In order to better service the Indian area, Fincantieri has set up a permanent, representative office in New Delhi.

Commenting on the order, Giuseppe Bono, Fincantieri C.E.O., said: “This further, important order confirms that the Indian market is strategic for our company, as it should be seen within the framework of a process of growing internationalization of our activities and a return to the military export market.”

In view of the experience Fincantieri has gained in the construction of this vessel type, both for the Italian Navy and for a number of foreign navies, the company has recently been admitted, together with another three yards, to the final stage of the tender for the high prestige British programme MARS (Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability), which involves the construction of six fleet replenishment tankers for the Royal Navy.

In view of such a significant order, and to consolidate its presence on the British market, Fincantieri has recently formed an alliance with NSL (Northwestern Shiprepairers and Shipbuilders Ltd), a British yard specialized in ship repair, conversion and military refit.

NSL has built some of the Royal Navy's finest vessels including HMS Ark Royal along with the first guided missile destroyer and a number of submarines, and is today a prime contractor to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Service.

 

[nitesh]

new twist in the saga:

India rejects Russian aircraft carrier price demand

India rejects Russian aircraft carrier price demand
By Radhakrishna Rao

India's finance ministry has for the second time rejected a proposal from the nation's defence ministry to approve an additional $1.2 billion in funds to complete a retrofit project to the decommissioned Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov.
Moscow had originally agreed to deliver the modernised vessel for $1.5 billion, but demanded the additional payment after citing factors including an underestimation of the level of work required at its Sevmash shipbuilding yard.
India, which has already paid Russia two-thirds of the original programme cost, has made no further payments since January 2007, and the 44,500t carrier's expected delivery date has slipped from 2009 until at least 2012. The finance ministry's latest decision also stemmed from a request to allocate $60 million to perform sea trials of the refurbished vessel during 2011.
The Indian navy has ordered 12 RSK MiG-29K fighters and four MiG-29KUB trainers to operate from the ex-Russian navy ship.

 

[nitesh]

good news

ndian Navy crews to move to Russia to start training on Chakra

Sandeep Unnithan
New Delhi, November 1, 2008

Batches of Indian naval personnel are to shortly leave for the Russia's far eastern port of Vladivostok to train on board the Chakra, (formerly the Nerpa) a Russian Akula-2 nuclear powered attack submarine which is to be transferred to India on a 10-year lease next year.

The Nerpa was launched at the Komsomolsk on-Amur shipyard in June this year after which she began harbour trials. Earlier this week, the shipyard announced that the submarine had been shifted out of the shipyard to a maintenance facility in the Primorye territory near Vladivostok for trials in the Sea of Japan.

The 12,000 tonne submarine, said to be the quietest and deadliest of Russia's attack submarines, has a crew of 100 personnel is currently being operated by the Russian Navy

The Indian crew, which has already been trained at a facility in Sosnovy Bor and later at the School of Advanced Undersea Warfare in Visakhapatnam, is to board the submarine in small batches based on their specializations.

The final acceptance team is slated to leave for Russia in March next year and the submarine is to be handed over to the Indian Navy in July for a likely commissioning date of August 15, 2009.

Both India and Russia have publicly denied plans to lease the submarine. Under the secret lease signed in January 2004, India agreed to pay $ 650 million which would go into completing the unfinished hull of the submarine laid down by the Soviet Union in 1991.

The Nerpa is being leased for 10 years to rapidly train personnel to man the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) a series of three indigenously built nuclear powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs).

The first ATV has been completed and assigned a yet undisclosed name. The submarine is to be launched at the Shipbuilding Centre (SBC) in Visakhapatnam on January 26 next year to begin harbor trials

http://indiatoday.digitaltoday.in/i...iew&id=19146&sectionid=22&issueid=31&Itemid=1

 

[nitesh]

Chinese navy chief to arrive on first-ever visit-India-The Times of India

Chinese navy chief to arrive on first-ever visit
1 Nov 2008, 0324 hrs IST, TNN


NEW DELHI: In a first ever visit by a Chinese Navy chief to India, Admiral Wu Shengli will arrive in New Delhi on Saturday. He is slated to hold discussions with defence minister A K Antony and his Indian counterpart Admiral Sureesh Mehta to boost military confidence-building measures.

This comes at a time when India and China are jostling for the same strategic space in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) to secure their energy and other needs. India, of course, does not want this "competition" to escalate into "conflict".

With China on course to acquire aircraft carriers, the one capability lacking in its otherwise potent naval force, its Navy chief is especially keen to get a first-hand look at India's operation of 'INS Viraat' and its Sea Harrier jump-jets.

"Apart from holding talks with Antony and Admiral Mehta during his visit from November 1 to 5, he will be visiting the Western Naval Command at Mumbai, the naval airbase at Goa and the upcoming naval base at Karwar," said an official.

Indian and Chinese armed forces have been incrementally building up their military ties, which in December 2007 led to the first-ever joint counter-terrorism exercise between the two armies at Kunming, with the return exercise planned at Belgaum in India this December.

Apart from other concerns, India remains worried about strategic moves by China in maritime domain. In keeping with the "string of pearls" strategic construct, China is forging linkages with eastern Africa, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Cambodia, among others, in a bid to encircle India.

 

[nitesh]

The Hindu News Update Service

Indian Navy crew to train on nuclear-powered submarine
New Delhi (IANS): A batch of Indian Navy personnel will leave for Russia this month to get training on board a Russia-built nuclear powered submarine, which will be delivered to India by next year on a 10-year lease.

Partly financed by India under a hush-hush deal signed with Russia in January 2004 for $650 million, the 12,000-tonne Akula class attack submarine was being built at the Komsomolsk-on-Amur shipyard in Russia. It will be commissioned into the Indian Navy as INS Chakra.

"The Indian Navy crew of nearly 40 personnel will leave for the Russian port of Vladivostok in batches to train on board INS Chakra this month," said a senior naval official, requesting anonymity.

The shipyard in Russia announced last month that the submarine had been shifted out of the shipyard to a maintenance facility in Primorye territory near Vladivostok for trials in the Sea of Japan.

The Akula-II class vessels are considered to be the quietest and deadliest among Russian nuclear-powered attack submarines. The likely date of commissioning of INS Chakra in the Indian Navy is Aug 15, 2009.

According to defence officials, three domestically-designed nuclear submarines are under construction under a top-secret Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) programme at Mazagon docks in Mumbai, but the navy needs to gain first-hand experience in nuclear submarine operations, deployment and maintenance prior to the deployment of domestic submarines. The first of the three indigenous nuclear submarines is expected to begin its sea trials Jan 26, 2009.

According to experts, INS Chakra would help India fill the void caused by the delays in the indigenous ATV project to build a nuclear powered attack submarine capable of firing missiles.

Three Indian naval crews for the nuclear submarine have already been trained at the specially set up training centre in Sosnovy Bor near St. Petersburg.

The nuclear submarine leased by Russia will not be equipped with long-range cruise missiles due to international restrictions on missile technology proliferation, but India may later opt to fit it with domestically-designed long-range nuclear-capable missiles.

At present, India operates 16 conventional diesel submarines and awaits six French-Spanish Scorpene class diesel attack submarines, to be delivered between 2012 and 2017. India plans to deploy at least three nuclear submarines armed with long-range strategic missiles by 2015.

India previously leased a Charlie-I class nuclear submarine from the Soviet Union from 1988 to 1991.

 

[nitesh]

this is a step towards right direction:

India setting up world's third naval pilots training facility-India-The Times of India

India setting up world's third naval pilots training facility
9 Nov 2008, 1040 hrs IST, PTI

GOA: To help its fighter pilots hone their skills ahead of more aircraft carriers joining the fleet, the Navy is setting up a shore-based training facility (SBTF) in Goa for MiG-29K and Naval LCA aircraft.

This will be the third such mock flight deck facility in the world, with only the US and Russia having the other two.


The work on the SBTF has already started at the Naval air base INS Hansa, which houses the Navy's fighter squadrons and training squadrons flying the existing fleet of sea Harriers, Navy sources said.

The work on setting up the SBTF with the ski-jump facing the sea-front in INS Hansa has been handed over to Goa Shipyard Limited, a Defence public sector undertaking, through the Bangalore-based Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA).

GSL sources said the SBTF is likely to be completed next year, much ahead of schedule in 2010.


Coinciding with the SBTF getting ready for use by naval fighter pilots for training, India would get the delivery of the first four MiG-29Ks early next year, after a delay of nearly six months from the original deadline of September this year.

The rest 12 of the 16 MiG-29Ks, for which India signed a deal with Russia in January 2004, would come by later next year.

 

[nitesh]

escorting the shipe




commandos landing there

 

[nitesh]

Indian way of doing the things
LiveFist: Photos: Indian Navy prays for INS Vikramaditya (last resort!)

The Sevmash shipyard's publicist Anastasia Nikitinskaya writes about a function at the shipyard yesterday. Hilarious stuff: The Indians asked God for happy fortune for the aircraft-carrier which is soon going to be launched. One of the most important stages of repair and re-equipment of Vikramaditya cruiser (former Admiral Gorshkov) is coming to the end. The Sevmash specialists are getting ready to undock the ship, all the works required already finished. The representatives of the Indian Navy WOT, held a ceremony before the operation starts, with prayers offered up to Lord Ganesha. It is the first time for Sevmash: lamps, fragrant sticks, fruit and flowers were put near the Ship, for Ganesha to be gracious to the aircraft carrier and to those serving onboard. Instead of the traditional bottle of champagne, a coconut was broken against the ship board, and all the guests were treated with fruits.

"We hope that this beautiful and reliable ship will serve for a long time for the greater glory of friendship between Russia and India," said Sevmash Director General Nikolay Kalistratov. "But in the first place our leaders are to come to an agreement and find the means to carry the work to its conclusion." The Ship is getting ready for launching, and in the picture which was given to the Indian colleagues as a keepsake the aircraft-carrier is already furrowing the seas.

That last comment by the Sevmash Director is hilarious. Trust the Russians to be all sombre and ironic even at a felicitation ritual! Some nerve. Oh well, here's hoping the coconut does its job.

 

[nitesh]

Times Now video of the rescue:
Exclusive: Dramatic rescue on high seas-News-Broadband - Indiatimes.com

 

[nitesh]

SA naval chief praises Indian Navy's action against pirates

Kochi (PTI): Praising the Indian navy's recent action against Somali pirates, South African Naval Chief Magalefa today said that the entire world should join together to tackle piracy on high seas.

"We should support such an action," Rear Admiral Magalefa said, referring to the Indian navy's action against pirates foiling their attempts to hijack a commercial liner in the Gulf of Aden recently.

Speaking to reporters on board South African warship 'Sas Spioenkop', which arrived here this morning, he said "we cannot as a coastal country be blind and insensitive to the threat of piracy. We are very much concerned with what is happening around the whole of Africa."

"We believe that this problem that is around the whole of Africa and any other such places like the west Africa, it is a problem that the international community must come up and have consensus on how to deal with it," he said, adding "it is not a problem that can be left to one country. It is a problem that the whole world should look at it."

He said, "we do not believe in unilateralism, we believe in multi-lateralism. We should come together as a world and say how do we deal with it."

"... South Africa will not hesitate to get involved ... you can count on us. We will get involved," he said.

Replying to a query, Rear Admiral Megalefa said, "One must applaud India for its intervention a few days ago."

"One of the issues we will be talking about with India is how best to proceed, may be under the India Brazil South Africa Agreement, which is already there. These issues must be addressed because the threat that is out at sea is threatening the very economic well being of India itself and South Africa as well," he said.

The Hindu News Update Service

 

[nitesh]

News coming in that INS Tabar has sunked a pirate sship/boat when they fired towards it

 

[nitesh]

RIA Novosti - Russia - Russia, India to hold joint naval drills in Jan. 2009

Russia, India to hold joint naval drills in Jan. 2009
14:03 | 20/ 11/ 2008

VLADIVOSTOK, November 20 (RIA Novosti) - Russia and India will conduct joint naval exercises in the Indian Ocean in January next year, a spokesman for Russia's Pacific Fleet said on Thursday.

INDRA is a biennial Russian-Indian exercise aimed at practicing cooperative engagement to enforce maritime law and counter piracy, terrorism, and drug smuggling. It is the fourth such exercise since 2003.

"A task force from the Pacific Fleet, led by the Varyag missile cruiser, will leave Vladivostok in December and set sail for the Indian Ocean to participate in joint drills with the Indian navy," Capt. 1st Rank Roman Martov said.

He said that the task force will also conduct joint exercises with a task force from Russia's Northern Fleet, led by the Pyotr Veliky nuclear-powered missile cruiser, which will arrive in the Indian Ocean after joint drills with the Venezuelan Navy in late November.

"Following the exercises, the Russian warships will pay friendly visits to several ports in India and China," the spokesman said.

Martov also cited Vice Admiral Konstantin Sidenko, commander of the Pacific Fleet, as saying that Russian warships from the fleet will make several long-range training sorties in the South Pacific and Indian oceans in 2009, and participate in a number of exercises involving live-firing drills.

Russia announced last year that its Navy had resumed and would build up a constant presence in different regions of the world's oceans.

 

[nitesh]

The Hindu : National : ‘Indonesia, India taking steps to thwart littoral threats’

‘Indonesia, India taking steps to thwart littoral threats’

Staff Reporter

Ties between the two countries emerge stronger, says Andi M. Ghalib

Indonesian Navy’s corvette calls at Kochi

Navy’s role to keep Somali pirates at bay lauded

KOCHI: The navies of Indonesia and India are initiating steps to thwart littoral threats arising off the coast of the two countries, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Indonesia in India Lt. Gen (retd.) Andi M. Ghalib said.

He was addressing journalists on board the Indonesian Navy’s freshly-acquired corvette KRI Sultan Iskandar Muda that called at Kochi on Friday. The ship is the third such vessel that was built by the Dutch for the Indonesian Navy and is on its maiden voyage from the Netherlands to Indonesia. It can hunt submarines, aircraft and also counter surface threats.

Lt. Gen. said that the ties between Indonesia and India emerged stronger after they signed a new strategic partnership in 2005. “This was later ratified to include defence cooperation. Four of our Navy officers are being trained at India’s Southern Naval Command, while some Indian defence personnel are trained at our establishments. Indonesia is a regular participant at the MILAN programme hosted by Indian Navy in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.”

He lauded the proactive role being played by the Indian Navy to keep Somali pirates at bay. “It also rushed help to our Aceh region when the tsunami struck.”

He referred to the two countries as ‘cultural superpowers’ and said that Indonesians remain rooted in their culture, though they have adapted themselves to modern technology. On the explosions that rocked Bali some years ago, he said that the government was swift to clamp down on extremists and three of the accused have been exterminated. “We have achieved major success in the war against terror.”

The warship’s Commanding Officer, Cdr. Arianto C. Wibowo spoke of the threat both the countries are facing from pirates, illegal fishing and other activities. “Apart from Malacca Strait, we have to ensure the safety of a vast area of the seas.”

Asked whether Indonesia planned to acquire an aircraft carrier for overseas operations, the Indonesian Defence Attache in India Colonel (Navy) Nugroho Mujianto said that such huge vessels were primarily used for offensive operations far away from a country’s coast. “Indonesia is focused on defensive capabilities.” The acting Consul General of the Indonesian Consulate in Mumbai Dicky Fabrian was present.

 

[nitesh]

MOSCOW: The delivery of a Russian nuclear submarine to the Indian Navy next year may be delayed by several months because of the accident involving the vessel’s fire safety system, but the deal is still on, Russian defence experts have said.

Sea trials of the Nerpa submarine, to be leased to India, were interrupted when an accidental discharge of poisonous fire-fighting gas killed twenty and injured over 40 people aboard on November 8. Prosecutors have charged a crewmember with tampering with a temperature gauge which allegedly activated automatic fire extinguishers.

A leading Russian expert on weapon systems suggested that the sophisticated submarine control system, Molibden-I, installed on the Nerpa for the first time may have malfunctioned.


“In contrast to earlier versions, Molibden-I is a fully digital system that has not been proven yet on any other submarine. Some kind of a computer glitch cannot be ruled out,” editor of the authoritative Moscow Defence Brief magazine Mikhail Barabanov said.

The expert told The Hindu that the accident could delay the delivery of the Nerpa to the Indian Navy by several months. The submarine was to join the Indian Navy in August 2007, then the induction was rescheduled to August 2009, but that was before the accident.

Modernisation

Repeated delays may be due to a large number of new systems and technologies installed onboard the Nerpa, the latest in a series of Schucka–B or Akula-II (NATO designation) class attack submarines built in Russia. Experts refuted media reports that Russia had decided not to lease the Nerpa to India and keep it for its own Navy. The reports appeared after Chief of the Russian General Staff Nikolai Makarov said the submarine would be inducted in the Russian Navy early next year. Russian officials have consistently denied any plans to sell India a nuclear submarine.

“Induction in the Russian Navy is part of the export procedure,” said Ruslan Pukhov, director of the Centre for Analysis and Technologies, Russia’s leading arms export think tank. “The shipyard hands over a vessel to the Russian Navy, which then delivers it to the navy of the destination country.”

He ruled out the possibility of Russia pulling out of the leasing deal. In the light of the current problems with the Gorshkov aircraft carrier refit for India, cancellation of the submarine deal would deal a crushing blow to defence cooperation, Mr. Pukhov said.

“The acquisition of the Nerpa will give a quantum jump to India’s naval capabilities,” Mr. Barabanov said.
The Hindu : National : Submarine deal with India still on, say Russian defence experts