Indian Navy News & Discussions

[Lankan Ranger]

Indian Navy to Get First Project 17 Frigate "INS Shivalik" in April 2010

NEW DELHI: The Indian Navy will induct its first indigenously-built Shivalik class stealth frigate in April, an official said. Christened INS Shivalik, the multi-role stealth frigate has been built at Mumbai's Mazagaon Docks Limited under Project 17. Two more such vessels are under construction. "The first of the frigates will be inducted in April. The ship has been provided with structural, thermal and acoustic stealth features to augment its potent capability," an official said, requesting anonymity. Shivalik is equipped with state-of-the-art defence against nuclear, biological and chemical attacks.

"The Atmospheric Control System filters and controls the temperature and humidity of the air coming into the ship at all times, including the air being used by the engines. It removes any radioactive, chemical or biological impurities, thereby protecting the crew and the systems even during a nuclear, biological or chemical attack," the official said. Conceived and designed by the Indian Navy design bureau, the ship will also have indigenous sensors and weapons.

"The sensors and weapons of the ship are controlled through a Combat Management System designed and developed by an Indian Navy establishment and manufactured by Bharat Electronics," the official added. The Shivalik class vessels will be the mainstay frigates of the Indian Navy in the first half of the 21st century. Their sophisticated weaponry includes the Klub surface-to-surface missiles and the Shtil and Barak air defence missiles.

The ships also have the indigenous Kavach chaff-dispensing system to counter incoming missiles, as also indigenous sonars and anti-submarine warfare systems. The ship's domestic requirements of fresh water will be met through two reverse osmosis plants, while a fully automated galley will "enable the crew to be fed Indian, Continental and Asian gourmet meals, including freshly baked bread and home-made ice-cream," the official added.

The accommodation arrangements for the 35 officers and over 250 crew have been provided by Indian conglomerate Godrej and meets the laid down criteria for crew comfort and space management.

ASIAN DEFENCE: Indian Navy to Get First Project 17 Frigate "INS Shivalik" in April 2010

 

[RPK]

Naval Tableau To Depict INS Shivalik in R D Parade

 

[RPK]

Saturday, January 23, 2010

EXCLUSIVE: Barak-2/LRSAM First Flight This Year

The first flight test of the Rs 2606.02-crore Indo-Israeli Barak-2/LR-SAM air/point defence missile is scheduled to take place about seven months from now in August 2010. A "control and navigation flight test" of the LR-SAM is one of DRDO's targets for the year 2010. Sources indicate that the missile is currently undergoing simulated tests in Israel, which will be followed by in-loop simulations of the guidance system in Hyderabad from sometime in May. Israeli Navy chief Vice Admiral Elizer Marom and his Indian counterpart Admiral Nirmal Verma exchanged notes on the missile programme on January 19 during their official discussions in South Block. I'd broken the story in 2005/06 about the Barak-2 deal being signed, so it's going be be pretty cool watching the thing fly. More updates soon.

LiveFist - The Best of Indian Defence: EXCLUSIVE: Barak-2/LRSAM First Flight This Year

 

[indiatech]

Russia Completes Hybrid Submarine


Russia’s Sevmash shipyard at the Arctic city of Severodvinsk has completed a hybrid submarine powered by a diesel-electric plant and a small nuclear reactor. Designated B-90 and named Sarov, the submarine was completed on 17 December.

The submarine is known as Project 20120 in Russian design terminology. She apparently employs the small nuclear reactor — known to some engineers as a “teakettle” — to keep a charge on the battery, providing essentially unlimited underwater endurance on relatively quiet electric propulsion. In effect, this is an Air-Indpendent Propulsion (AIP) system.

The “teakettle” concept is not new. The Soviet Navy deployed a Project 651 (NATO Juliett) cruise missile submarine (SSG) in 1986–1991 with a similar diesel-electric/nuclear plant. That craft had a pressurized-water reactor with a single-loop configuration coupled with a turbogenerator. The Soviet report stated that the sea trials “demonstrated the workability of the system, but revealed quite a few deficiencies. Those were later corrected.”

However, no follow-on efforts were undertaken at that time. (The Soviets built 16 diesel-electric Juliett SSGs from 1963 to 1968.)

The B-90 was designed by the Rubin design bureau in St. Petersburg. Construction was begun at the Krasnoe Sormovo shipyard in Nizhnii Novgorod (formerly Gor’kiy), and the submarine was then transported through the inland waterways to the Sevmash yard for completion.

There is no available information on the size of the B-90 program. In the past the Soviet Union was an early leader in AIP-type submarines. As early as 1938 the Soviets began development on a “single-drive” submarine that could operate diesel engines while submerged and surfaced. After World War II the Soviets built the Project 617 (Whale), an AIP submarine based on German technology. She was followed by 23 coastal submarines of Project A615 (Quebec), which were torpedo and gun-armed combat craft. Other AIP experiments followed.

Today several navies are operating AIP submarines, with the U.S. Navy having “borrowed” the Swedish AIP submarine Gotland in 2005–2007 to serve as an anti-submarine target for U.S. carrier task forces. The Gotland, according to Swedish officers, could not be located by U.S. naval forces in exercises until the submarine “wanted to be found.”

The Soviet B-90 may be a follow-on submarine to the Kilo-class diesel-electric submarines that have been transferred in large numbers to other navies, including China and India. The B-90, especially when operating in coastal or littoral waters, could pose a significant threat to Western maritime interests.

 

[sancho]

yes it was, IT was the one the governor of California used to defeat the terrorists.( LoL still cant believe he is a politician now )

and the British Harrier jump jets are one of the most commonly featured combat jets in Popular culture. Due to its unique STOVL capability

Actually it wasn't, because IN uses British Sea Harriers, but in the movie it was the McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II:

AV-8B Harrier II - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

BAE Sea Harrier - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[skyisthelimit]

INS Tarkash, INS Trikand to float out by 2010-end

After floating out INS Teg – the first Talwar class guided missile frigate in November last, Russia now aims to float out the other two vessels it is building for Indian Navy by the end of this year.
The Yantar shipyard, which is constructing the new frigates, will float out INS Tarkash and INS Trikand by 2010-end, a shipyard spokesperson was quoted by RIA Novosti as saying on Monday.
Russia is building the vessels for India as per a $1.6 billion contract signed in July 2006.
INS Teg became waterborne on November 27, 2009. Its sea trials are expected to start this year after which it will be handed over to Indian Navy by 2011-12.
The new class of missile frigates is designed to accomplish a wide range of maritime missions, primarily hunting down and destroying large surface ships and submarines.
They would be equipped with BRAHMOS supersonic cruise missiles. Each new vessel would feature a 100-mm gun, a Shtil air defense system, two Kashtan air defense gun/missile systems, two twin 533-mm torpedo tubes, and an anti-submarine warfare helicopter.
Indian Navy is presently operating the Russian-made INS Talwar, INS Trishul, and INS Tabar missile frigates.

Mighty India Power: INS Tarkash, INS Trikand to float out by 2010-end

 

[RPK]

Indian Navy's Foxtrot submarines to be history soon

New Delhi, Jan 24 : They have been of valuable service to the Indian Navy for more than 35 years. The Soviet-built Foxtrot submarines, with which the navy's submarine arm came into existence, will be history soon with the two remaining submarines of this class being retired by 2011 - bringing an era to an end.

The Russian Navy had retired its last Foxtrots between 1995 and 2001. However, the Indian Navy is still operating two of them - INS Vela, commissioned in 1973, and INS Vagli, commissioned in 1974.

"One of the Foxtrot submarines, INS Vela will be de-commissioned this year. The last one INS Vagli would retire in 2011," a senior Indian Navy official, wishing anonymity, told IANS.

The Foxtrot class was the NATO's reporting name of a class of diesel-electric patrol submarines that were built in the Soviet Union. The first of the submarines was laid down in 1957 and commissioned in 1958. By the time the last submarine was completed in 1983, the Foxtrot class had become obsolete.

"The Indian Navy's submarine arm had begun with the acquisition of four Foxtrot submarines from the Soviet Union. The first four were called Kalvari class submarines. The problems experienced with them were fed back to the design bureaus in Russia.

"Improvements were gradually introduced and we contracted for another four submarines in 1971. These Vela class submarines arrived between 1973 and 1975," said the official.

According to senior navy officials, out of these eight submarines acquired only two are operational now. The condition of the first four submarines deteriorated fast due to delay in the six-yearly refits.

The Indian Navy lacked the expertise at that time to do the refit. The Russians, because of their own submarine refit workload, were reluctant to accept Indian submarines in their dockyards.

Submariners of the Indian Navy who have operated this vessel feel a sense of nostalgia over the Foxtrots being retired.

"The boats are of German design of World War-II. But the fact that are still able to run it after 35 years of service means that the boats are very good," an Indian Navy officer, who has commanded INS Vela, told IANS.

Being an older submarine, the vessel had its own problems of space.

"Space is actually a constraint in the older submarines. As the submarines are old, and the equipments are bigger - it increases space constraint. The bunk space is so small that some people had to squeeze to get inside. But we had wonderful camaraderie onboard," the former submarine commander reminisced.

Another navy officer, who commanded the submarine in the 1980s, said: "Well, like in all submarines, fresh water was in very short supply. We used to get half a litre water daily for drinking. There was no question of having a bath or the luxury of using it for other things. But the adrenaline rush of the chosen few who could run the machine kept us going."

The submarine can be deployed underwater for 45 days at a stretch and surfaces once in a day to replenish oxygen.

One of the de-commissioned submarines of the Foxtrot class has been kept in Visakhapatnam and converted into a Submarine Museum.

"The Submarine Museum is one of its kind in Asia. It is a difficult task to lift a 1,500 tonne submarine and put it on the road," said another navy official

 

[RPK]

Eastern Navy command to augment fleet strength

fullstory

Chennai, Jan 24 (PTI) The Eastern Navy Command today unveiled plans to enhance coastal security in the aftermath of 26/11 attacks, including augmenting its fleet of fast attack craft.

"This year we have commissioned six new fast attack craft which can attain a speed of 70 km/h. We plan to commission 50-60 intermediate and small fast attack craft which will be deployed at various ports along the eastern and western coastal areas of the country," Rear Admiral P Murugesan, Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Fleet, told reporters on board INS Jalashwa.

When asked on 'aging' ships in the Indian Navy, he said all navy ships are well maintained on a regular basis.

"Every year we constantly maintain and upgrade ships and its accessories. Everything is new including weapons, radars and communication equipment," he said, adding "Indian Navy is ready for action of any kind

 

[RPK]

Central Chronicle - Madhya Pradesh's News Portal


Indian Navy commissions six new crafts

United News of India
Chennai, Jan 24:
The Indian Navy has augmented its fleet of fast attack crafts with the commission of six new ones as part of enhancing coastal security to prevent infiltration of possible terrorists and prevent 26/11 type terror attacks.
The acquisition of six new fast attack craft, which could touch a speed of 70 kmph and the proposed commissioning of 50 to 60 intermediate and small fast crafts to be deployed at various ports along the western and eastern coasts were aimed at enhancing the coastal security and to augment the Navy's fleet, Rear Admiral P Murugesan, Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Fleet, told reporters on board Navy Ship ''INS Jalashwa''.
To a question of 'aging' ships in the Indian Navy, he said all ships were being maintained well.
''Every year we constantly maintain and upgrade ships and its accessories. Everything is new including, weapons, radars and communication equipment,'' he said.
He said the Indian Navy also has the responsibility in safeguarding merchant ships as nearly 90 per cent of India's export and import was being done through the sea.
Earlier, a contignent of media and the families of naval personnel were shown the wide range of operations carried out by Navy in the sea as part of ''Day at Sea'' programme during which naval ships 'Rajput', 'Ranjit', 'Rana', 'Jalashwa,' 'Kulish', 'Nirbhik' and 'Nishank' called on at the Chennai Port.

 

[Ultimate Warrior]

Indian Navy's Foxtrot submarines to retire soon

NEW DELHI (BNS): The Indian Navy plans to retire its two remaining Soviet-built Foxtrot submarines, INS Vela and INS Vagli by 2011, according to a media report.

The Indian Navy is still operating INS Vela commissioned in 1973 and INS Vagli commissioned in 1974, although the Russian Navy had retired its last Foxtrots between 1995 and 2001, a news agency report said.

“One of the Foxtrot submarines, INS Vela will be de-commissioned this year. The last one, INS Vagli would retire in 2011," IANS quoted a senior Indian Navy official as saying who spoke on condition of anonymity.

According to the report, the Indian Navy's submarine arm had begun with the acquisition of four Foxtrot submarines from the Soviet Union. The first four were called Kalvari class submarines. The condition of the submarines deteriorated fast due to delay in the six-yearly refits.

The Foxtrot class was the NATO's reporting name of a class of diesel-electric patrol submarines that were built in the Soviet Union. The first of the submarines was laid down in 1957 and commissioned in 1958.

By the time the last submarine was completed in 1983, the Foxtrot class had become obsolete. The Soviet Navy's largest conventional submarine, could travel 16,000 nautical miles before having to refuel.

The submarines were also capable of performing underwater operations continuously for four days, after which they had to rise to 7 metres (snorkel depth) to change the air and charge the batteries. Three diesel engines generate power for electric motors that drive the 3 propellers and eventually the power will be stored in the battery. At periscopic depth, air for the diesel engine is sucked from the surface using a snorkel.

One of the de-commissioned submarines of the Foxtrot class has been kept in Visakhapatnam and converted into a Submarine Museum.

 

[Tejas-MkII]

The Hindu : News / National : India gets naval weapon system to destroy enemy targets

India gets naval weapon system to destroy enemy targets

India has developed a new generation multi-sensor, multi-weapon defence system against enemy targets on board naval ships.

The state-of-the-art “Gun Fire Control System” (GFCS) developed by Bharat Electronics Limited will be installed on board the P-28 class of ships.

“The GFCS is a quick reaction, multi-sensor, multi-weapon, short/medium/long range defence system against air, surface or shore targets on board naval ships”, a senior official of the Bangalore-based Navratna defence PSU told PTI.

The GFCS is designed to provide air, surface or shore defence with 76 MM and 30 MM guns. Its purpose is to locate a hostile target using a radar or video tracker, acting on early warning search radars and to track its approach with high accuracy, in order to obtain reliable target data.

The data is further processed and used to control the weapons by pointing it in an exact ballistic firing position for eventual destruction of the target. The GFCS continues to track the approaching target, simultaneously pointing the weapon on it, until it is completely destroyed.

The GFCS comprises five functional sub-systems: tracker, weapon control, sight control, combat management system and support systems, each of which can be used as an independent system.

The GFCS for the P-28 class of ships would be “handed over” to Defence Minister A.K. Antony at a ceremony in Bangalore in the presence of BEL Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Kumar Datt on February 2.

A state-of-the-art facility, dedicated to manufacture of Digital Flight Control Computer (DFCC) for the Light Combat Aircraft (Tejas) at BEL’s Bangalore Complex will also come up.

DFCC is a multiple redundant (improving its reliability, one channel will take over if another fails) digital fly-by-wire flight control system of Tejas, which controls manoeuvring of the aircraft.

DFCC is a flight critical sub-system to be manufactured as per AS 9100 standards with stringent in-process and quality control processes, including environmental tests on each unit.

To meet this requirement, BEL has set up this integrated manufacturing facility for assembly, inspection and testing of DFCC, all under one roof.

The facility includes thermal cycling chamber, vibration machine, dehumidifying chambers for storing PCBs, high resolution inspection tools to identify process errors, automated test equipment for rigorous performance testing and engineering test station for testing the DFCC unit.

 

[marcos98]

*Flash*: MiG-29K Makes Its Debut In Indian Skies.

Cdr Ajay flew the first sortie of the MiG-29K on Jan 20th, almost a month before the 303 Black Panthers are to be commissioned (on Feb 19th), in INS Hansa, Goa.
Chindits--Indian armed forces: *Flash*: MiG-29K Makes Its Debut In Indian Skies.

 

[RPK]

Indian Navy to induct Mig-29K fighter jets- Politics/Nation-News-The Economic Times

NEW DELHI: The Indian Navy will induct on Feb 19 the first four Russian-made Mig-29K combat jets for deployment on the aircraft carrier Admiral
Gorshkov.

"The aircraft will be formally inducted Feb 19," a senior Indian Navy official told.

The fighters are operating offshore Goa in the absence of aircraft carrier Gorshkov, which is to be commissioned as INS Vikramaditya. The combat jets had arrived in the country in knocked down condition last year Dec 4.

"The jets have been assembled and the Russian pilots are flying them. It is a standard procedure. Very soon Indian Navy pilots will take over from them," the official added.

The jets were purchased by the Indian Navy as part of a $1.5 billion deal signed with Russia in January 2004 for Admiral Gorshkov. Of this, $740 million was meant for the aircraft and the balance for refitting the carrier. The Russians have now upped the price to between $2.2 billion and $2.9 billion and negotiations are currently under way.

The navy will eventually be getting 12 MiG-29K single-seater aircraft and four MiG-29KUB twin-seat trainer aircraft, some in flyaway condition. The trainer version is similar to the single-seater but with a slightly reduced operational range.

The navy has named its MiG-29K squadron the "Black Panthers".

The jets will undertake shore-based sorties from Goa as the 45,000-tonne Kiev class aircraft carrier is scheduled to be delivered by 2012.

The contract for the jets also stipulates the procurement of hardware for pilot training and aircraft maintenance, including flight simulators and interactive ground and sea-based training systems.

Indian Navy pilots were sent to the US for deck landing training and qualified flying instructors (QFIs) to Russia for conversion flying (converting to different aircraft).

The pilots will do the conversion flying in Goa under the supervision of QFIs. Four to five batches comprising four pilots each had gone to the US for deck landing training.

The navy's MiG-29Ks have arrester gear and stronger landing gear for carrier landings, folding wings and rust-proofing to prevent corrosion from salt water.

The aircraft features a fully digitised glass cockpit, improved engine protection against ingestion of foreign particles like birds, a multi-mode radar and increased range. The contract ensures that the navy gets the entire spectrum of services, including a full mission simulator.

The MiG-29K will provide aerial cover to the carrier's battle group, acquire air superiority and destroy sea-borne and ground-based targets with guided high-precision weapons during the day and at night and in any weather condition.

The aircraft, the first bought by the navy after the Sea Harriers, will also be capable of playing the role of midair refueller.

In a bid to revamp its aviation capability, the Indian Navy will also be inking a contract to buy 29 more MiG-29Ks worth nearly $1.2 billion from Russia. A Russian team arrived here in January to finetune the contract terms.

 

[RPK]

Navy to get Russian nuke submarine before July


New Delhi, Feb 1 (IANS) The Indian Navy will get the Russian-built nuclear-powered Akula-II class attack submarine on a 10-year lease before July this year, a naval official said Monday.
The submarine, which would primarily be used to train crews to operate these kind of vessel, is considered one of the quietest and deadliest among Russian nuclear submarine fleet.

“The submarine is coming and it will arrive by mid-year before July,” a senior Indian Navy official said, requesting anonymity.

Partly financed by India under a deal signed with Russia in January 2004, the 12,000-tonne submarine was been built at the Komsomolsk-on-Amur shipyard in Russia. It will be commissioned into the Indian Navy as INS Chakra.

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

Three Indian navy teams have already been trained at the specially set up training centre in Sosnovy Bor near St. Petersburg.

Indian Navy commissioned its first indigenously-built nuclear powered submarine last year, but it needs to gain first-hand experience in nuclear submarine operations, deployment and maintenance prior to the deployment of domestic submarines.

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.

The first of the three domestic nuclear submarines is expected to begin sea trials by mid-2009.

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



More at : Navy to get Russian nuke submarine before July

 

[bomberman]

Govt scrambles to plug gaps in coastal security

NEW DELHI: Better late than never. Over a year after the 26/11 terror strikes, the government is finally scrambling to plug gaps in the coastalsecurity architecture as well as make the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) a force to reckon with.

Phase-I of the critical coastal surveillance network, for instance, should be up and running by 2011 under a Rs 350-crore project. This will include 46 stations, with coastal radars, cameras, AIS (automatic identification systems) and other sensors mounted atop old lighthouses to dynamically locate and track vessels.

"After Phase-II (with 56 additional stations), there will not be a single place along the coast not under radar coverage,'' said ICG chief Vice-Admiral Anil Chopra on Thursday.

All these stations will be integrated with the National C3I (command, control, communication and intelligence) Network to provide real-time maritime domain awareness, as also link operations rooms of Navy, ICG and other agencies.

Moreover, ICG force-levels and manpower are now set to double in the next few years, and triple in the next decade. "By 2012 itself, we will have a 100-ship, 100-aircraft ICG,'' said Vice-Admiral Chopra.

This is certainly required since ICG is still making do with just 43 ships, 23 boats, 24 coastal surveillance Dorniers, 16 Chetak helicopters and four Dhruv advanced light helicopters to protect India's vast 5,422-km coastline, 1,197 islands and 2.01 million sq km of Exclusive Economic Zone.

`Big brother' Navy, of course, chips in but it has more of a `blue-water' role. "We commissioned five new ships in 2009. We have 85 ships already on in domestic shipyards. Another 75 will ordered soon,'' said the ICG chief.

ICG is also going in for a major upgrade of its air wing, with 42 new aircraft already sanctioned by the government. Apart from 12 Dorniers and 30 helicopters, the force is also going to induct six medium-range maritime surveillance aircraft, for which Beriev-200 and Bombardier-Q400 have been shortlisted for trials in a Rs 1,100-crore project.

The number of ICG stations will also go up from the existing 27 to around 40 by 2012. Similarly, 73 state marine police stations and 97 check-posts are being set up in Phase-I of the coastal security scheme, with another 131 stations to follow in Phase-II.

Navy, too, began training the first batch of 100 sailors and 15 officers of the `Sagar Prahari Bal' at its gunnery school at INS Dronacharya in Kochi this month. This specialised force will have 1,000 personnel and 80 fast interception craft at a cost of Rs 320 crore to protect assets and bases.

The Mumbai terror carnage, of course, jolted everyone out of their slumber. Navy, ICG, coastal states and other maritime agencies have held a series of joint exercises and drills along the west and east coasts to boost security measures and establish SOPs (standard operating procedures) to handle maritime terror strikes.

"The synergy has acted as a huge force-multiplier. Based on intelligence inputs, ICG launched 14 big operations in 2009...and possibly thwarted attempts to infiltrate due to our quick reaction,'' said Vice-Admiral Chopra.

The government, however, is yet to get cracking on the Maritime Security Advisory Board (MSAB), with a maritime security adviser as its chief, to ensure cohesive policy-making and coordination among the multiple maritime authorities, which often work at cross-purposes.


Source:Govt scrambles to plug gaps in coastal security - India - The Times of India

Regards:
PHR