Indian Navy News & Discussions

[kurup]

Navy completes Tropex war drills in India Ocean region

The Navy has successfully completed one of its largest war drills spread over Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal region and involving its frontline assets such as INS Chakra and 75 combat and surveillance aircraft.

“The Navy’s major annual exercise Theatre Level Operational Readiness Exercise (TROPEX) concluded yesterday involving large scale naval manoeuvres in all three dimensions surface, air and underwater, across the Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean Region (IOR),” a Navy release said on Saturday.

The month-long exercise was aimed at assessing the operational readiness of naval units, validate the Navy’s war fighting doctrine and integrate newly included capabilities in its ‘Concept of Operations’, it said.

Around 60 ships and submarines along with 75 aircraft took part in this exercise, which saw participation of units from Air Force and Coast Guard.

The exercise also saw the maiden participation by the newly acquired P 8I Long Range Maritime Patrol aircraft and the nuclear submarine, Chakra.

The exercise also provided the Navy with an opportunity to validate its network centric warfare capabilities, with effective utilisation of its recently launched satellite GSAT-7.

Navy completes Tropex war drills in India Ocean region | idrw.org

 

[kurup]

Captain pulls it off this time too

INS Sindhuratna’s commanding officer, taken grievously ill on Wednesday after jumping into a hellish pit of poisonous fumes to try and save two juniors, has cheated “the jaws of death” and been taken off the ventilator, navy sources said.

Commander Sandeep Sinha, 40, had inhaled toxic gases during the accident on the submarine, when a battery leak started a fire and extinguisher fumes filled two compartments. Two officers died and many were left critical.

“He has been taken off the ventilator. He was quite serious till morning but in the afternoon, there was a sudden turnaround,” a Western Naval Command source said.

“The doctors are saying that his willpower has brought him back from the jaws of death.”

A fellow submariner and former National Defence Academy mate had yesterday described “Sandy” Sinha as a “fighter” and hoped he would “pull this one off too”.

Sinha is the son of a retired naval commander of the logistics directorate and the son-in-law of a retired rear admiral from the naval armament inspectorate.

His wife Meetu, a computer engineer, had quit her Tata Consultancy Service job two years ago to support him during his command posting in Mumbai. The couple have a four-year-old daughter and a two-and-a-half-year-old son.

“Meetu has been by his side. Coming as she does from a family of naval officers and submariners, she has shown a stoic grace during these very tough and painful two days that few can emulate. The doctors were not sure how Sandy would fare,” the navy source said.

Meetu’s brother, Commander R. Sominder, is a submariner too. “Sandy and Sominder were course mates and close friends,” the source said.

The family’s naval connection doesn’t end there: the husband of Meetu’s sister is also a navy commander.

“This is a family that has the Indian Navy in its veins. They know the challenges of the job. They know the sacrifices that are needed and are not scared of them,” the senior naval officer who spoke to this newspaper said.

‘Heroic’ effort

Sinha had rushed into compartment 3 of the Sindhuratna on finding that two officers —Lieutenant Commander Kapish Muwal and Lieutenant Manoranjan Kumar — had been trapped inside.

“He had gone in to try to rescue them in total disregard of his personal safety. But his heroic efforts failed to save the two juniors’ lives,” said the source.

Despite taking in the gases and fully aware that they could be lethal, Sinha had manned the controls personally and brought the submarine up to the surface.

He had then stood by till every single soul had climbed to the surface to breathe in fresh air and revive themselves.

“He insisted he wouldn’t go up till every person on board had done so. Then, after ensuring shutdown of the controls, he was the last to go up,” the source said.

By that time he was quite sick, but still refused to be air-evacuated with the first lot of seven critically ill crew members.

“He agreed to go only when a ship came in after three hours to evacuate 22 more sailors and officers. This worsened his condition,” said the source, who is on the navy’s board of inquiry that will probe the accident.

The board of inquiry is to be headed by Rear Admiral S.V. Bhokare, Flag Officer Submarines. Bhokare is posted in Visakhapatnam but was in Mumbai during the accident.

This afternoon, the navy conducted a wreath-laying ceremony with full military honours in memory of Muwal and Kumar at the Western Naval Command, where there were few dry eyes. The bodies had been handed over to their families last night.

Sources said Muwal had probably been the first to spot the fire and had swiftly jumped in to contain its spread, with Kumar’s help. The two of them died trying to save the others in the two gas-filled compartments.

After the ceremony, Muwal was cremated in Mumbai. Kumar’s body will be flown to hometown Jamshedpur for the last rites.

It was erroneously reported in today’s edition that Muwal was married and leaves behind a child.

Captain pulls it off this time too | idrw.org

 

[jarves]

Hyderabad: Just days after a fire on submarine INS Sindhuratna led to the death of two naval officers, another fire has been reported, this time from INS Kalinga raising serious questions about the outdated fleet of the India Navy.

A short circuit led to the fire at around 1 pm which resulted in injury to three civilians. One of the injured has been discharged while two others are being treated in a hospital. The fire is under control as per latest reports.

Commissioned in 21 November, 1985, INS Kalinga is an Indian Navy establishment reporting to the Eastern Naval Command. It is responsible for preparing, storing and delivering advanced missiles to ships of the Eastern Fleet. INS Kalinga is a fully fledged Station with co-located units such as MARCOS (E), NAD (V), NAI (V) and MES. The station is spread over an area of 734.1 acres and consists of over 900 service and civilian personnel with their families.

INS Kalinga is located on the Visakhapatnam - Bheemunipatnam beach road, about 40 kilometers north east of the Visakhapatnam Naval Base.

Now, fire breaks out at INS Kalinga

 

[Abingdonboy]

Western command chief still eyeing top naval post, but AK Antony not keen

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After the sudden resignation of navy chief Admiral DK Joshi, Western naval commander Vice-Admiral Shekhar Sinha, who is now the senior-most naval commander, has been desperately trying to reach the defence ministry to explain his position. Sources said Sinha has been unsuccessfully trying to seek defence minister AK Antony’s appointment for the past two days given the fact that he is the frontrunner for the top post in the navy.

A source told dna that Sinha has even been making attempts to reach Antony through top officials of the defence ministry. “As the defence minister has ignored his request so far, it appears to be an act to convey his displeasure. He is now trying to put up a case for himself by approaching other key officials of the ministry,” the source said.

Ironically, most of the mishaps involving naval warships, including three submarine accidents in seven months, have taken place in the Mumbai-based Western naval command, which Sinha heads.

Antony has also refused to visit Goa where he was scheduled to inaugurate a shore-based take-off facility for the Indian Navy’s fighter aircraft such as MiG-29Ks and the light combat aircraft on Saturday. The Goa naval base also comes under the Western naval command.

The ministry of defence has initiated the process of appointing the new chief of naval staff after Admiral DK Joshi quit from his post by taking moral responsibility for a series of mishaps, including the fire on INS Sindhuratna on Wednesday, involving warships. The names of three top naval commanders will be considered for the top post after following the legitimate procedure.

After admiral DK Joshi’s resignation, there was speculation that Sinha might also put in his papers because his command directly comes under the scanner for a series of mishaps. However, the following day, Sinha put all speculation to rest by refusing to quit. Vice-Admiral Sinha, commissioned in the navy in 1974, is the senior-most naval commander followed by Vice-Admiral RK Dhowan (vice-chief of the naval staff, but presently discharging duties as chief of naval staff) and Eastern naval command Vice-Admiral Anil Chopra.

Two officers, who were untraceable after a fire broke out on INS Sindhuratna, were declared dead on Thursday. Seven others were injured. The navy has ordered a high-level inquiry into the mishap. After DK Joshi decided to put in his papers after the mishap, Antony met prime minister Manmohan Singh and consulted everyone before accepting his resignation.

Western command chief still eyeing top naval post, but AK Antony not keen | idrw.org

Shows what an arrogant, ignorant and immature a-hole Antony really is.

 

[SR-91]

Another scam hits defence ministry, Antony orders CBI probe - The Times of India

And it just doesnt stop.

 

[kurup]

Four admirals in race for top job after Joshi’s exit

The Centre has opened the race for the top job in the navy to four admirals, after DK Joshi resigned as chief on February 26, taking moral responsibility for the recent naval mishaps.

The defence ministry has asked the naval headquarters to provide their dossiers for a thorough examination before selecting the new chief, said the official. The ministry is likely to make its choice soon and send the name for clearance to the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, headed by the PM.

Of the four contenders, Sinha, who joined the navy in June 1974, is the senior-most but comes with a lot of baggage. As reported by HT on February 28, two navy chiefs had advised the ministry against giving operational assignments to Sinha, who has presided over some of the worst accidents, including the sinking of INS Sindhurakshak that killed 18 sailors last August. The INS Sindhuratna mishap that killed two officers last week and led to Joshi’s resignation also took place under Sinha’s watch.

A source said defence minister AK Antony couldn’t risk to be seen rewarding Sinha for the same reasons he promptly accepted Joshi’s resignation, a first in India’s military history.

Sinha, who retires on August 31, 2014, could either resign or drag the government to court if he is passed over. The second senior-most admiral, Dhowan, who was commissioned in January 1975, hasn’t led a fighting command, either the WNC or the ENC.

However, there are precedents that could work in Dhowan’s favour. Admiral Sushil Kumar did not have the experience of running an operational command but he was still named chief after Vishnu Bhagwat’s sacking in December 1998. Also, late Admiral Oscar Stanley Dawson, chief during 1982-84, had not led a fighting command. Dhowan retires on May 31, 2014.

Had Joshi not stepped down, he would have served till August 2015 and then been replaced by Soni, who retires in March 2016. A chief can either serve for three years or till the age of 62.

Four admirals in race for top job after Joshi’s exit | idrw.org

 

[kurup]

Sindhuratna mishap: Seven reasons why the Indian Navy is in troubled waters

It is the best of times; it is the worst of times for the Indian Navy. Flush with recently inducted sophisticated warfighting platforms over the past two years, it has now come face to face with an alarming level of operational incidents during routine missions. The death of two officers on board the Sindhuratna is the latest in a series of tragic incidents involving Naval vessels.
Besides the INS Sindhuratna and before her the INS Sindhurakshak, other Naval vessels that have been in accidents in recent times include the tank-landing ship INS Airavat, guided missile frigate INS Betwa, kilo-class submarine INS Sindhughosh, INS Talwar, INS Konkan, among others. The mishaps, and their frequency, are actually symptomatic of a deeper malaise in the Indian Navy.

Here are seven factors to address urgently:

1. Our Submarines Are Aging: The Submarine arm of any Navy is its elite component. It takes supreme physical and mental conditioning to live on board a metal tube underwater for days on end. The Indian Navy has a professional submarine cadre that is well regarded around the world. However, even the best warriors need good weapons to use. The government,various ministries and even the Navy itself have not been pushing for the acquisition of new submarines. This has led to the existing submarines being pushed to their limits. Someone has to go beyond being a safe file pusher to being the aggressive decision maker. Procurements are also besieged with delays — the procurement cycle needs to be monitored with timely cutoffs, penalties for stalling. Delays not only push up costs, vendors also charge us more for keeping manufacturing lines open till we take a decision.

2. Inadequate Sea Time: ‘Sea time’ is the period when an officer/sailor is assigned to a warship or a submarine. All officers have to do sea time to acquire warfighting skills and to move up in their careers. They serve on different classes of ships at various ranks at different stages of their career. They go for specialist courses and come back to a ship to use those skills. However, there appears to be a trend of sea time tenures being reduced.Today, an average officer would spend less time at sea than he would do a few years ago. Newer ships with automation means crew sizes are now smaller. However, the complexity of managing a ship has increased and all crews are stretched. Perhaps there is a case for longer tenures on board a ship to ensure better familiarity with ships and better bonding among crews.

3. Training: Lacunae in training will have to be addressed. The training syllabus has to be re-assessed and overhauled if needed. Further, the training and evaluation of cadres must be augmented so that they can match the enhanced requirements of the Navy.

4. Honesty: It is tempting for commanding officers to run unnecessary risks while doing even basic manoeuvres. Such an attitude needs to be stopped as it can cause damage to ships. The culture of not owning up to mistakes should be discouraged. More openness and transparency will do the navy a world of good.

5: Enough of VIP culture: This cannot be understated — functions and frivolous events end up being full of political VIPs and those from the bureaucracy. Organisers of such naval events are so busy ensuring a perfect unit that all other regular activity comes to a grinding halt for those two-three days. Officers’ Annual Reports too are often focused on how well they organise events, arrange sponsorships and get publicity.

6. Increase sailing deployments: A navy is supposed to be at sea instead of frequently being in home port. Now that we have the ships suitable for regular deployments,we should do so often for longer durations. This increases the crew’s confidence about their ship and the ability to handle emergencies.

7: Assess workloads: The Navy is the smallest of all the services and has been rightly called the Cinderella Service. But its manpower requirements far exceed what it has available. Add to it the fact that the Navy seeks sailors who are matriculates in science and its recruiting pool becomes so much smaller. New posts need to be sanctioned, or workloads reduced. The Indian Navy is a superb navy and does an impressive job of operating some of the most cutting edge systems and equipment. Its roles range from preserving democracy in the IOR, to supporting UN Peacekeeping missions, sanitising pirate-controlled seas, sailing around the world and yet being alert and on station as India’s first line of defence. The recent incidents have been depressing and tragic,but the Navy will emerge stronger from them. Maybe it will be like the IAF’s Mig-21 problem: Incidents+ adverse publicity leading the force to pull together and fix the problem through various innovative and yet common-sensical approaches. Our duty as citizens should compel us to question our elected representatives about why they ignore India’s soldiers, sailors and airmen.

Sindhuratna mishap: Seven reasons why the Indian Navy is in troubled waters | idrw.org

 

[SRP]

ins sindhuratna officer foretold disaster 96 hours before death: ख़बरें: आज तक

https://twitter.com/x/status/440402859650068481

https://twitter.com/x/status/440392070197293056

Fck off Saintony

 

[SRP]

https://twitter.com/x/status/440421230949060608

 

[SRP]

https://twitter.com/x/status/440429229935570944

https://twitter.com/x/status/440429742878388224

https://twitter.com/x/status/440429271690280960

 

[nik22]

Fire in cables led to INS Sindhuratna mishap: Navy | NDTV.com

New Delhi: The fire in submarine INS Sindhuratna, which resulted in the death of two officers and severely affected seven other sailors last week, was caused due to problems in the cables of the vessel.

The Board of Inquiry (BoI) into the February 26 mishap has found that the fire in INS Sindhuratna was caused due to problems in the cable and not the battery compartment, as was being feared earlier, Navy officials said.

The investigations are still going on into the incident and other two mishaps involving the Kilo Class submarines of the Navy in the last seven months, they said.

The battery pit has been found to be fully safe and the fire took place in the compartment above it, Navy officials said.

Former Navy Chief Admiral DK Joshi resigned after the mishap involving the Sindhuratna taking moral responsibility of the ten mishaps involving maritime force's assets.

The Sindhuratna is one of the navy's fleet of nine Kilo class submarines. A tenth submarine, the INS Sindhurakshak exploded and sank in the naval dockyard on August 14, 2013 killing 18 crewmen on board. The Sindhuratna was moored nearby and suffered minor fire damage when the Sindhurakshak exploded.

 

[SRP]

 

[kurup]

Incomplete training facilities at India Naval Academy haunt Navy

Former Naval chief Admiral DK Joshi may have set the right precedent by stepping down from his post following eruption of fire on February 26 on board submarine INS Sindhuratna, around 40 nautical miles off Mumbai, but the same quantum of seriousness seems to be missing from the Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala – the breeding ground of officers – where training facilities are yet to be completed, and it may take at least four years for the necessary infrastructure to be fully established. RTI documents in possession of TOI reveal that apart from the infrastructure woes, housing problems of officers and sailors at INA, Ezhimala also haunts the men in white and the prospective officers.

As per the documents, till 1954, the training of Indian naval officers was done at Dartmouth (United Kingdom). “After independence,Indian Navy started ab-initio training of the cadets from a makeshift facility. The facility needed to grow in order to encompass the charging requirements of the Navy, which was said to modernise. A better facility was considered essential.

The above factors necessitated shifting of the academy of INS Mandovi from Kochi in January 1986, till a permanent set-up could be created. In January 2009, the Naval Academy shifted to the current location at Ezhimala. The training facility was needed in order to provide a suitable and well-equipped environment for the ab-initio training of the cadets as also to cater to train large number of officers being inducted to meet the manpower requirements for the growing Navy,” reads the RTI reply.

The project overlay allocation for the Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala is Rs 1062.6 crore.The project pertaining to INA, Ezhimala is covered in two phases. The broad objective of Phase-1 was to set up facilities to train 600 trainees, which was revised to 750 trainees. Phase-2 aims to increase the strength to 1200 trainees. “Phase-1 is scheduled to be completed by December 2015, while phase-2 by April 2018,” reveals the RTI reply and adds that as many as 15 firms were assigned the task of construction work pertaining to the INA, Ezhimala, while 71 bidders participated for the works.

Apart from this, housing shortage is staring the INA Ezhimala as well, as 79 sailors and 31 civilians are residing outside the naval base, Ezhimala. The sanctioned strength of officers is 180, sailors – 429 and civilians – 393. As many as 144 houses of officers and 716 houses for sailors and civilians are currently available.What is interesting is the fact that the swimming pool of the academy became functional in 2007, almost two years before the academy was eventually shifted to its current location.

Navy’s peacetime casualties overshadow wartime losses: The Indian Navy in a RTI reply admitted, “Three ships have been lost/destroyed since August 15, 1947. These include INS Khukri (missile corvette) on December 9, 1971; INS Andaman (ASW corvette) on August 21, 1990 and INS Prahar (missile boat) on April 22, 2006.”

While INS Khukri was lost during war time, INS Andaman and INS Prahar have been peacetime causality. INS Khukri was lost because it sank at sea and could not be salvaged.The total loss of human lives in naval vessels getting lost/destroyed is 237.

This includes 204 in INS Khukri, 15 in INS Andaman and 18 in INS Sindhurakshak (submarine), which suffered extensive damages at Mumbai on August 14, 2013.The RTI reply further states, “In addition to the above, following had suffered extensive damages in accident/collision, but are not classified as lost or destroyed. These include: INS Agray (ASW craft), which met with an accident at sea and was extensively damaged on February 5, 2004. The ship was salvaged and subsequently made operational.” Similarly, on January 30 INS Vindhyagiri (Frigate) collided with a merchant ship in Mumbai harbour resulting in a major fire onboard.

The ship was salvaged and thereafter decommissioned. On August 14, 2013, INS Sindhurakshak (submarine) met with an accident while berthed alongside in Mumbai harbour.

Incomplete training facilities at India Naval Academy haunt Navy | idrw.org

 

[kurup]

Veterans lash out at navy's Submarine-in-Chief Rear Admiral Soonil V. Bhokare

Flag Officer Submarines (FOS) Rear Admiral Soonil V. Bhokare.

As Defence Minister A.K. Antony continues to be the object of simmering anger within the navy over what has been a traumatic week with Admiral DK Joshi's resignation, there's parallel fury freshly raging against the navy's serving 'Submarine-in-Chief', the officer currently investigating the INS Sindhuratna accident.
Flag Officer Submarines (FOS) Rear Admiral Soonil V. Bhokare's personal Rediffmail inbox has been invaded by angry e-mails from retired veterans who believe the officer should follow his chief's example and quit service. While veterans, including former submariner Rear Admiral (Retd.) K. Raja Menon believe Antony to be the worst Defence Minister in independent India, others now believe that anger must be directed at those who call the shots within the navy. With Admiral DK Joshi out, that anger is now focused on Western Naval Command chief Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha, and now, Rear Admiral Bhokare.

A particularly angry e-mail from a retired Commander-rank submariner to Rear Admiral Bhokare, currently being posted on naval veteran forums says, "I write to you in extreme anguish at the very sad and sorry state of affairs of a once proud and most professional arm of the Navy. Today we hang our heads in shame, both serving and retired submariners, thanks to the legacy left behind by illustrious people like you and a few others who have followed you."

The officer, who has preferred not to be identified, writes, "Today in the Navy sporting a 'Dolphin' [insignia of the submarine service] on your chest is a shame. The mood amongst the men in the arm is absolutely militant and young officers, the leaders of tomorrow are absolutely depressed and disgusted at our dilution of standards and safety norms. (Sindhuratna was sailing with 94 people on board. Were there enough IDA sets on board for all 94.)"

That last point is the subject of Rear Admiral Bhokare's investigation now, and is an aspersion on naval standard operating procedures, adherence to safety protocols and basic training. Part of the buck, angry veterans feel, stops with senior officers in the Indian Navy, whose job it is to ensure laxity never for a moment creeps into daily duties. Several e-mails of a similar tenor to the one quoted above are understood to have been shot off by veterans to those currently making sense of the INS Sindhurakshak and INS Sindhuratna incidents.

The navy sought to dispel anger against the MoD over reportedly expired batteries on the INS Sindhuratna by stating today that, "There are no signs to indicate any initiation of fire from the battery pit. The batteries appear to be clear of any damage and would now be put through normal checks and maintenance routines prior operationalisation. The preliminary inspection of third compartment indicates that the fire has emanated from the third compartment mess deck (sailor's accommodation). The batteries which were being exploited by Sindhuratna at the time of incident were operationally in-date."

While the MoD gets to duck any damage over batteries, at least for the moment, it continues to evade questions over modernisation of the submarine arm at large. As HEADLINES TODAY reported last week, the MoD has sat motionless on a 2010 classified naval report literally pleading for high-level intervention to save the submarine service from a crisis.

Questions over procedure, protocol and training within the navy are likely to take centrestage, with deeply uncomfortable questions emerging. Perhaps in an effort to deflect the adverse publicity playing out in the media and veterans community, the navy yesterday published a statement saying, "The fast pace of operations, accentuated by increasing complexities often puts men and material under strain, thus requiring stringent adherence to safety procedures. The Indian Navy is sensitive of the fact that all naval evolutions need to be effectively undertaken within a well defined safety operating envelope. Accordingly, 'safety culture' as a way of life, amongst personnel, traditionally forms a part of naval ethos, and several initiatives have additionally been introduced based on emerging requirements."

Veterans lash out at navy's Submarine-in-Chief Rear Admiral Soonil V. Bhokare : India, News - India Today

 

[kurup]

Taken steps to enhance safety, says Navy

After accidents involving some submarines caused concern, the Indian Navy on Monday said it had taken several measures to enhance safety of its vessels including extensive checks of weapon systems and audit of the standard operating procedures.

“Post recent incidents onboard submarines, safety stand-downs were ordered and extensive checks on weapon related safety systems and audit of standard operating procedures on all operational submarines were ordered,” a Navy release said.

It said that any incident was thoroughly investigated to not just identify any errors, but to address critical areas on material and training related aspects.

“The analysis of all incidents is also being promulgated to the concerned training establishments and operational authorities for further dissemination of corrective measures,” it said.

“As an added step, Naval Headquarters directed conduct of safety ‘stand-down’ and a one-time safety audits prior operational deployment of any ship or submarine. This has since been institutionalised as a regular annual audit for all operational units,” it said.

The Navy said it is seized of the fact that safety of men and material is vital and is a necessary component of any armed forces organisation.

“The observance of ‘safety first, safety always’ is, therefore, intended to strengthen the professional approach to enhance combat capability and to facilitate conduct of naval operations with the desired elan,” it added.

Naval vessels have suffered 10 accidents in the past seven months.

Two Navy personnel were killed and seven were injured after smoke filled a compartment in the INS Sindhuratna submarine that was underwater last week.

Taken steps to enhance safety, says Navy | idrw.org