Indian Navy News & Discussions

[Major Shaitan Singh]

KD-707 (cn 4115) 'Nabhratna' (Jewel of the Sky) is the first test bed for India's Defence R&D Organisation (DRDO) and is basically a Navy-spec Do 228 minus all the bells and whistles. It will be used to test a range of airborne systems under development in India.

 

[Abingdonboy]

“Even the primeval Stone Age islanders of the Sentinelese, who still persist in 2015 and shoot everybody who tries to talk to them with cane bows, are under satellite surveillance. The Indian Navy rigorously protects them from any knowledge of the Indian Navy.”
— Bruce Sterling, ‘State Of The World 2015' (2015)

@levina I remember our dicussion on this topic.

 

[Manindra]

The Challenges of Indigenization on the Nilgiri Project

In today's day and age when Foreign Direct Investment flows in freely it is hard to perceive the difficulties we faced as a nation in getting basic license production of important pieces of machinery even after signing a large contract with the British Government to build 6 Leander class frigates. I am penning these down for the younger generation on Team BHP and other readers who started their careers after 1991 to learn about how things were in earlier years.

In Photo #F in the main article it is explained how the British reneged on supplying the license to assemble and (later) build the radar suite. And how the Dutch stepped in and built a long term relationship. The story did not end there. The transmission of these ships was through a David Brown Engineering gear box. Naval gear boxes are not only mechanical marvels they are also a work of art and metallurgy gearing down from 10,000 RPM steam turbine to a 150 RPM marine propeller. David Brown point blank refused to sell us the license rights for assembly and manufacture. They assumed we will have no choice but to buy it from them and also save them the bother of transferring know how to a third world country. Interestingly Walchand Nagar Industries who had a technical collaboration with a Swiss company called MAAG said 'hey our collaborators can make these transmission units and they will sell the know-how too'. Walchandnagar were known more for production of sugar and not gearboxes - understandably the Navy was nervous as hell. But necessity is the mother of invention and we plunged ahead on what was a high risk path. The British said we cannot guarantee the mating of your Swiss gearbox to our turbines at one end or the propeller at the other. The Swiss proved as good as their word. There were few hiccups in the trials but they stayed the course with us and produced perfectly mated gearboxes.

Vickers, UK were the suppliers of the gun, some of the weapons, the turbines, the boilers and more. They were unduly skeptical that these ships will ever get built in a backward country like India and their Chairman said so in so many words to admiral BA Samson but Vickers were happy to sign the contract and collect the fee all the same! In fact their Managing Director Sir Issac Eric came for the final trials convinced that Nilgiri would fail them and he had kept a team of British engineers on standby with air tickets to fly down, from the UK, on this expected 'failure of final tests'. One test is to race the ship forward at full power and full speed and then suddenly switch to full aft ie reverse by reversing the turbines. This puts the ultimate strain on all the machinery and the hull and is conducted but once in a ship's lifetime in pre-commissioning tests. Fortunately they had to cancel their tickets as the tests went off without a hitch.

 

[Levina]

“Even the primeval Stone Age islanders of the Sentinelese, who still persist in 2015 and shoot everybody who tries to talk to them with cane bows, are under satellite surveillance. The Indian Navy rigorously protects them from any knowledge of the Indian Navy.”
— Bruce Sterling, ‘State Of The World 2015' (2015)

@levina I remember our dicussion on this topic.

Haha

Yeah I remember you talking about UAVs.
I'm glad that the island is under surveillance, so now the north sentinel is not so isolated.

 

[Hindustani78]

INS Alleppey decommissioned - The Hindu
Updated: March 14, 2015 03:34 IST

INS Alleppey, one of the six Ponchicherry class coastal minesweepers purchased from the erstwhile USSR in the 1970s, was on Friday decommissioned at sunset after nearly 35 years of service under the Western Naval Command.

After INS Alleppey’s decommissioning, the Indian Navy will be left with five other operational minesweeper vessels.

The ship was decommissioned by Rear Admiral MS Pawar, Flag Officer Commanding, Maharashtra and Gujarat Naval Area, at Mumbai Naval Dockyard on Friday. It was attended by ex-Commanding Officers of the ship as well as senior officers of the Western Naval Command.

 

[Agent_47]

 

[Hindustani78]

Major rejig in Indian Navy top ranks | Zee News

New Delhi: In a major rejig in the Indian Navy, Vice Chief S Lanba was on Saturday appointed the chief of the southern naval command, replacing SPS Cheema who will take over the frontline western naval command, highly placed sources said.


Vice Admiral Cheema will take charge from Vice-Admiral Anil Chopra, who retires on March 31.

Chief of Personal at Navy Headquarters, Vice Admiral P Murugesan will succeed Vice Admiral Lanba as vice chief.



IANS

 

[Water Car Engineer]

 

[Hindustani78]

The First Sea Lord and CNS, Royal Navy, Admiral Sir George Zambellas inspecting the Guard of Honour, in New Delhi on March 16, 2015.

The First Sea Lord and CNS, Royal Navy, Admiral Sir George Zambellas calling on the Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral R.K. Dhowan, in New Delhi on March 16, 2015.

The Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral R.K. Dhowan exchanging memento with the First Sea Lord and CNS, Royal Navy, Admiral Sir George Zambellas, in New Delhi on March 16, 2015.

UK Navy Chief to hold talks with defence officials | Zee News
Last Updated: Monday, March 16, 2015 - 16:29

New Delhi: British Navy Chief will hold talks with top defence officials on enhancement of training exchanges and visit various naval installations during his four-day trip to the country.


Admiral Sir George Zambellas, First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff, Royal Navy was received at South Block lawns today by Indian Navy chief Admiral RK Dhowan and was accorded a ceremonial guard of honour.

During the day, Zambellas is scheduled to hold bilateral discussions with the Defence Minister and the three Service Chiefs as well as various senior MoD and other government officials here, an official statement said here.

Issues that are likely to be discussed during the visit include enhancement of training exchanges, improving maritime domain awareness by sharing of and participation of the Royal Navy in the prestigious International Fleet Review being organised by the Indian Navy off Visakhapatnam in February next year.

The Admiral will also be visiting some of Indian Navy's training establishments at Kochi, and interact with the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command, the Flag Officer Sea Training and Flag Officer, Naval Aviation at Goa.

While in Kochi, the Admiral will be shown the first Aircraft Carrier, being built indigenously at the Cochin Shipyard Limited.

The Indian Navy and the Royal Navy cooperate with each other in technical training, anti-piracy patrols and Navy to Navy staff talks.

The two navies have been conducting joint exercises at sea in the bilateral EX KONKAN since 2004. Warships from both navies call at each other's ports too.

PTI

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Defence
17-March, 2015 15:05 IST
Operational Preparedness of Coast Guard

Indian Coast Guard has a force level of 113 surface platforms including 50 ships, 45 Interceptor Boats & 18 Air Cusion Vehicles (hovercraft). In an expanding organization like the Coast Guard, procurement of vessels is an ongoing process. The acquisition of ships and boats are carried out keeping in view the threat perceptions, strategic concerns and operational requirements. There has been a significant acquisition of ships / vessels for Coast Guard in recent years. Indian Coast Guard has increased its fleet strength to 113 vessels and 64 aircraft compared to 61 vessels and 46 aircraft in 2008. Coast Guard has been adequately equipped to face the challenges of national security and the role assigned to it by Government.



Ministry of Defence
17-March, 2015 15:01 IST


Newly Commissioned Aircrafts and Submarines by the Air Force and Navy

New advanced aircraft inducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in the recent past include Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft, C-17 and C-130 transport aircraft, Mi-17V5 and ALH helicopters along with Pilatus PC-7 Basic Trainer and Hawk Mk-132 Advanced Jet Trainer. Further, recently on 17th December, 2014, the first Light Combat Aircraft has been accepted by the IAF.

In the case of Army, 5 number of Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv have been taken over during the last one year.

Submarine / vessels commissioned during the last one year by the Navy include INS Sumedha, INS Sumitra, INS Kolkata, INS Kamorta and three Immediate Support Vessels (ISV).

This information was given by Defence Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar in a written reply to Shrimati Sarojini Hembram in Rajya Sabha today.

 

[PARIKRAMA]

Livefist @livefist · 42m42 minutes ago
Indian & French aircraft carriers (Vikramaditya & Charles de Gaulle) to lead joint naval exercise Varuna from April 23 in the Arabian Sea.

 

[migflug]

Russia, China may coordinate on nuclear-powered destroyer

• Staff Reporter
  
• 2015-03-19
  
• 15:42 (GMT+8)

Concept art for Russia's Leader-class destroyer. (Internet photo)

Russia is very likely to start construction on the world's third nuclear-powered destroyer with the assistance of China, according to the Sputnik News based in Moscow.

Admiral Igor Kasatonov, retired deputy commander of the Russian Navy, said the construction of the 10,000-ton Leader-class guided-missile destroyer would begin in 2017. Vasily Kashin, a military expert from the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies based in Moscow, said the project provides a new opportunity for China and Russia to deepen defense cooperation.

The Leader-class destroyer would be the world's third nuclear-powered destroyer after the USS Truxtun (DLGN-35) and USS Bainbridge (DLGN-25) of the United States. Since both American vessels were later redesignated cruisers, the Leader-class would in fact be the only nuclear-powered destroyer in the world. Kashin said that the Leader-class is larger than the two American ships.

Unlike the US Navy, Russia does not have overseas naval bases around the world, the piece said, and it makes sense for Russia and China to build nuclear-powered destroyers or cruisers that can remain at sea for longer. Kashin also said China is working hard on the design of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. The participation of China in the construction of the Leader-class destroyer may give China the experience it needs, he said.
...




Can we have smthing like this

Quote:
Russia's new 4th generation Lada submarine to nullify USA's naval power
18.03.2015

The new Russian submarine, Lada, will end the era of USA's reign at sea. (!) Washington will lose the main instrument of "power projection" to remote regions and may finally lose its global geopolitical role as well.

Anti-Russian militaristic hysteria has been snowballing in the West lately. Having noticed the revival of the traditionalist, imperial Russia that the deceitful Western Sodom has been humiliating and insulting for decades, the "free" European and American media filled their reports and pages with alarmist headlines about Moscow's "military preparations."

Should the Russians launch a rocket from the Plesetsk cosmodrome or from a submarine in the Barents Sea, or send its strategic aircraft flying along European borders, countless Western publications explode in accusations of "militarism and imperialism," "nuclear weapons rattling" "intimidation of the international community," and so on and so forth. Meanwhile, important news reports that are directly related to a change in the military-strategic balance of power in Eurasia, often pass unnoticed.

For example, on October 13, 2014, RIA Novosti news agency reported, citing a source at the military-industrial complex of the Russian Federation that Russia decided to launch serial production of air-independent propulsion power plants that would be used for future Project 677 "Lada" submarines."

The message did not receive any attention of the general public. Even military observers paid no proper attention to it. Yet, the news marked a real revolution in the field of military submarine making.

Advantages and disadvantages of underwater hunters

Today, all submarines are divided into two groups by the type of power plants: submarines with a nuclear power plant (nuclear reactor) and diesel-electric submarines that move on the surface with the help of a diesel engine, and use battery-powered electric motors when navigating under the water.

Nuclear submarines appeared in the Soviet Navy in the late 1950s. The first nuclear submarine of Project 627 called the Leninsky Komsomol was put into operation in 1957. Since then and to this day, nuclear submarines constitute the main striking force of the Russian navy. They carry a wide range of most formidable weapons in the world - from strategic intercontinental missiles and tactical nuclear torpedoes to high-precision long-range cruise missiles - the core of the Russian strategic forces of non-nuclear deterrence.

Nuclear submarines possess a number of outstanding advantages. A nuclear sub can stay under the water for a practically unlimited period of time; it has high underwater speed, impressive submersion depth and an ability to carry a huge number of various weapons and equipment. Modern large displacement nuclear subs can be equipped not only with weapons, but also with highly efficient sonars, systems of communications, electronic reconnaissance and navigation.

At the same time, the main advantage of a nuclear power plant - its power - is the source of the main drawback of nuclear submarines. This drawback is noisiness. The presence of a nuclear reactor (and sometimes two) on board the submarine along with a whole range of other systems and mechanisms (turbines, generators, pumps, refrigeration units, fans, etc.) inevitably produces a variety of frequency oscillations and vibrations. Therefore, a nuclear submarine requires sophisticated technology to reduce the noise level.

Yet, a diesel-electric submarine is almost silent under water. Battery-powered electric motors do not require turbines and other noisy equipment. However, a diesel sub can stay under water for a relatively short period of time - just a few days. In addition, a diesel submarine is slow. The shortage of power, in turn, imposes serious constraints on displacement, weapons, and other key characteristics of diesel-electric submarines. In fact, these subs can hardly be referred to as "underwater" vessels. "Diving" would be a better word as they stay on the surface most of the time on deployment routes. In combat patrol areas, diesel-electric submarines have to ascend regularly and start diesel engines to recharge batteries.

For example, Russia's state-of-the-art diesel-electric submarine of Project 636.3 has only 400 miles of undersea navigation. In addition, the submarine moves under water at the speed of 3 knots, i.e. 5.4 km/h. Thus, such a submarine is unable to pursue an underwater target. The sub relies on intelligence information first and foremost. Hence, the main technique to use diesel-electric submarines in combat action is known as "veil" when submarines are deployed in a line perpendicular to the probable movement of the target, at specific distances from each other. The entire group of submarines receives commands from an external command post, which creates extra telltale factors and reduces the stability of underwater combat groups.

It has long been a dream for many navy engineers to create a submarine with a fundamentally new power plant that would combine the advantages of nuclear and diesel-electric submarines: power and stealth, longer autonomous diving and low noisiness.

Project 677 Lada: Major technological breakthrough

Russian submarines of Project 677 Lada with air-independent power plant will mark a serious breakthrough in this direction. The new submarine will take the Russian undersea fleet to new frontiers.

The Lada sub is not large - their displacement is almost twice as less as that of the famous Varshavyanka. Yet, its arms complex is unusually large. In addition to traditional mine and torpedo weapons (six 533-mm torpedo tubes, 18 torpedoes or mines), Project 667 is the world's first non-nuclear submarine, equipped with specialized launchers for cruise missiles (ten vertical launchers in the middle part of the body). These cruise missiles can be both tactical and long-range missiles designed to destroy strategic targets deep into enemy territory.

The most important feature of the new Russian submarine is the new air-independent propulsion plant. Without going into details, we would only say that with these power plants a Lada submarine will be submerged for up to 25 days - that is almost ten times longer than of its famous predecessor - Project 636.3 Varshavyanka. To crown it all, the Lada submarine will be even less noisy than the famous "black hole" Varshavyanka, which the Americans dubbed so because it is almost impossible to detect it.

NATO countries, particularly Germany and Sweden, have long been trying to equip their submarines with such power plants. German shipbuilders have tried to build small submarines equipped with a hybrid power plant since late 1990s. It includes surface speed diesel engine for recharging batteries, silver-zinc batteries for energy-conserving underwater navigation and air-independent propulsion plant for energy-saving underwater navigation on the base of fuel cells that include tanks with cryogenic oxygen and metal hydride containers (special metal alloy with hydrogen).

The Germans succeeded in increasing the duration of underwater navigation of their submarines to 20 days. Presently, German submarines with air-independent propulsion plants of various modifications are in navy service in Germany, Italy, Portugal, Turkey, Israel, Korea and several other countries.

Swedish group Kockums Submarin Systems began the construction of Gotland class submarines with air-independent propulsion power plants based on the so-called "Stirling engine". Swedish subs can also stay under water for up to 20 days without recharging batteries. Stirling engine submarines currently serve not only in Scandinavia, but also in Australia, Japan, Singapore and Thailand.

However, both German and Swedish submarines pale in comparison with Russian Lada submarines. Project 667 Lada is qualitatively a new generation of submarines.

Rubin Design Bureau - the main developer of submarines in Russia - designed the Lada to deliver salvo torpedo-missile strikes on marine and stationary ground targets both from torpedo tubes and specialized vertical missile silos. Due to the unique sonar system, the Russian sub has a significantly increased distance for target detection. It can submerge at the depth of 300 meters, develop underwater speed of up to 21 knots and submerged endurance of 45 days. To reduce noisiness, vibration isolators are used along with all-mode propulsion motor with permanent magnets. The hull of the submarine is covered with "Molniya" ("Lightning") material that absorbs sonar signals.

The Russian air-independent propulsion power plant will be a lot more energy conserving than its German analogue with up to 25 days of continuing underwater navigation. At the same time, Lada will be substantially less expensive than the German Project 212\214 sub.

Before 2020, the Russian Navy expects to receive 14 of new 4th generation submarines.

"Four to six of such submarines can completely block closed or semi-closed water area as of the Black, Baltic and Caspian Seas. Their advantages are obvious to any naval specialist," Vice-Admiral Viktor Patrushev said in an interview with RIA Novosti in late 2010.

The deployment of two or three groups of Lada submarines can fundamentally change the balance of power not only in the Baltic, Caspian and Black seas, but also in the North, in the Mediterranean water areas and in the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean. In the North, in the Barents Sea, Lada will cover the routes of deployment of Russian strategic missile submarines from any activity that US and NATO forces may show. This will significantly improve the combat stability of the naval component of Russian strategic nuclear forces.

Presently, Russian missile cruisers are mainly on duty under the Arctic ice, where they are virtually inaccessible to enemy action. The Americans can detect, track and attack our submarine only at the stage of its transition to the combat patrol area. The Lada sub is ideally suited to counter US submarines as they hear them at much greater distances.

With regard to the Mediterranean, the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean, the presence of Lada-type submarines in those waters nullifies the American naval power that is primarily based on aircraft carrier strike groups.





Contender for 75i??

 

[Manindra]

https://twitter.com/x/status/578873197484855296

 

[PARIKRAMA]

VLS Launcher

INS Vikramaditya is missing some of this close-in weapon system (CIWS)

Courtesy Saurav Chordia

 

[migflug]

NDTV Reporting Dornier crash

Panaji, Goa: A Dornier aircraft of the Indian Navy, which was on a routine training mission with three personnel on board, crashed last night about 25 nautical miles South West of Goa.

While one personnel has been rescued, two officers - a Captain and an Observer - are still missing.

The last contact with the aircraft was reported at 10.08 pm last night.

Full scale search and rescue operation has been launched with more than six warships and some aircraft pressed into service.