Indian Navy News & Discussions

[DMLA]

DCNS stand had a mock up of their proposed nuclear submarine (Barracude). Wonder if there are any plans by the indians to take DCNS consultancy with future IN attack submarines!!

 

[sudhir007]

 

[sudhir007]

QE Carriers, Beyond Invincible

When HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales enter service in 2016 and 2018 respectively, they will represent the most massive surface vessels that the Royal Navy has ever deployed.

The 65,600 ton QE class carriers are intended to replace the three smaller vessels of the 22,000 ton Invincible class, all carriers dating from the 1980s and primarily built for Cold War anti-submarine operations in the North Atlantic. Because the Invincible class was designed to function in a supplementary role within an integrated NATO fleet led by US forces, it quickly showed its limitations when used for stand-alone missions or other power projection tasks.

Chief among the operational shortcomings was the restricted space for a large number of fixed-wing aircraft. While the inadequacies of the Invincible class were therefore already identified by the mid 1990s, it took the British government and the Royal Navy a while to define and implement a successor program.

A cross-Channel partnership

In 1998 the government´s Strategic Defence Review (SDR) first called for a next-generation class of carriers, capable of operating a more powerful air group, while delivering sustained and flexible force projection.

As Professor Andrew Lambert from Kings College in London explained to ISN Security Watch: “The new carriers are seen as the only secure way of deploying and sustaining British forces, from all three services, in regions of vital British interest beyond the European theatre.”

During the ensuing years between 1998 and 2008 the UK Defence Ministry and the Royal Navy completed the design specifications and tactical requirements for the ships, while assembling the vast cast of industrial suppliers and defense contractors needed to build the carriers. In July 2008 the final contract for the delivery of the two vessels was symbolically signed aboard HMS Ark Royal, the present flagship of the fleet. Construction on HMS Queen Elizabeth started a year later.

Of note is the circumstance that already in 2003 the Defence Ministry had selected both initial competitors, Thales and BAE Systems, to work together as lead contractors on the carriers. This team was later expanded to incorporate other key suppliers as well as all major British shipyards, in what has become known as the Aircraft Carrier Alliance (ACA).

The British inclusion of French defense technology giant Thales seemed suddenly tactful, when in 2004 the French government decided to evaluate the QE class design as the lead option for its own next-generation carrier requirement, known as the Porte-Avions 2 project. In 2006 the French and British governments even signed a formal cooperation agreement and the French declared that the QE class design was 90 percent compatible with their own specifications.

A 'powerful' difference

Since then, there has however been renewed French divergence, making it less likely that the Marine nationale would eventually adopt the British design after all. Chief among the Anglo-French differences are the matters of propulsion and aircraft take-off configurations.

While the Royal Navy selected gas turbines to drive the Queen Elizabeth class, nuclear propulsion has always been the traditional preference of the French military and the French defense industry is heavily invested in the nuclear option.

Additionally, while the British carriers are configured to operate short take off vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft, such as the existing GR9 Harrier and the future F-35 B variant, the French navy requires the more traditional catapults and arrestor wires of the CATOBAR system in order to launch and recover its Rafale M jets.

Due to financial restraints, the French government however decided in 2008 to postpone any final decision on the commissioning of a next-generation carrier until 2011 or later.

Whereas the cost of any future French carrier is expected to be in excess of €2.7 billion ($3.66 billion), the composite expenses for the two British carriers have already eclipsed the originally mandated £3.9 billion and are now expected to be closer to £5 billion.

Modest benefit

Although the British government hopes that much of this investment will help stimulate the UK economy and keep alive the otherwise struggling British shipbuilders, some industry leaders say that the economic effects of the program should not be overestimated. Andrew Cook, chairman of the Sheffield-based steel conglomerate William Cook, told ISN Security Watch: “In my opinion, construction of the two carriers will have only a moderate benefit for UK industry. There are two key benefits to the decision to build these vessels and both are strategic rather than economic. First, the United Kingdom will be able to maintain its warship-building facilities, and second, the Royal Navy will retain a blue-water, long-distance strike capability.

When asked about the choice of gas turbines for propulsion, Cook was more critical: “The choice of gas turbines means that the carriers will have to be supported at all times by fleet tanker auxiliaries to provide fuel supplies around the globe. This will automatically create a need to defend those tankers. This decision is suggestive of short-term and politically influenced strategic thinking. Quite apart from the naval operational benefits, the whole life cost of nuclear propulsion is, on any analysis, far lower.”

Aside from the fixture of gas turbines, the other most prominent design features of the QE class carriers are their flight decks with the characteristic 'ski-jump' launch pads for the short take off aircraft, plus the first-ever use of two separate control towers (or 'islands' as they are known on aircraft carriers). One tower at the front of the vessel will host the command bridge and therefore coordinate all nautical operations, while the tower at the rear of the ship will be in charge of all air-control matters.

In terms of physical dimensions, the carriers will be 284 meters long, 73 meters wide across the flight deck, and feature a draught of 11 meters below the water line. Only the US aircraft carriers of the existing Nimitz and future Ford class are larger.

HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales will have the capacity to carry 40 fixed-wing aircraft, 36 fighter jets and four early-warning planes, basically double the capacity of the Invincible class.

Since the formal construction of the first carrier officially started, potential foreign buyers have also taken note of the QE class carriers, with particularly India expressing an interest in the design and capabilities of the class. While India is only just in the process of taking over the former Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov for $2.3 billion, any potential British sale of carrier technology to an Asian country would naturally be a very sensitive and highly political matter.
Questions surface over focus

While in Britain the high upfront cost as well as the projected life-cycle expenses of the carriers have led to some public debate and even discussions in the government, among policy analysts and academics the discourse has centered around the issue of how utilitarian the carriers would be in low-intensity conflicts or for countering asymmetric threats.

"The question arises: Should Britain continue to devote scarce resources to traditional 'force projection' material, such as aircraft carriers, or should it focus on providing the equipment necessary to wage counterinsurgency operations?" Dr Alexis Crow from the London School of Economics commented for ISN Security Watch.

It seems that for now the British government has made up its mind with regards to the carriers, although the next SDR is also expected to dive deeper into such considerations as the future shape of conflict. "If indeed Britain is to focus on counterinsurgency operations, then a type of informal capability-sharing at a bilateral level - such as the UK-France Joint Helicopter Initiative - is a favorable option," Crow stated.
QE Carriers, Beyond Invincible / ISN

 

[sudhir007]

Chindits: Defexpo-2010rice Bids For Naval Offshore Patrol Vessels To Be Out On March 31.

There are seven contenders for the contract for five OPVs for the Indian Navy, the bid for which opens on March 31, 2010. Only Indian companies are participating for this contract, which includes private players - L & T, and Govt Shipyards - GSL, GRSE etc. For the six OPVs for the Coast Guard, there are seven contenders, one of which is the Italian Fincantieri. This is part of the enhanced coastal security network, post 26/11.

 

[sancho]

DCNS stand had a mock up of their proposed nuclear submarine (Barracude). Wonder if there are any plans by the indians to take DCNS consultancy with future IN attack submarines!!

If they haven't done it yet, the whole Scorpene deal makes no sense to me!
We paid more than the U214 would have cost, we need longer to build them than the U214 would needed, because we already had experience in building German subs. Not to forget that only the last 2 Scorpenes will get AIP propulsion, the Germans instead had offered AIP even for our U209 subs. So if we didn't get at least some ToT, or consultancy for developing, or designing a SSBN/SSN, why did we go for these subs at all?
There must be a reason, but we can only speculate about it.

 

[jha]

koi vaanda nahi...next batch will definitely be U-boats..

 

[sudhir007]

 

[sudhir007]

22 Feb 2010 8ak: Richard Buck, Program Manager, International Operations, Boeing spoke to 8ak editor, Manu Sood to give us an update on the delivery of the P-8I aircraft to the Indian Navy. Mr Buck told 8ak that the P-8i program was well on track and 2010 will be a critical year for the program as the lab testing of aircraft is scheduled this year, before adding that the delivery of the first aircraft can commence as early as 2013, and the rest being delivered by 2015. In August 2009, the government of India and the U.S. government signed a technical assistance agreement that allowed the program to move forward with the necessary technical discussions required to execute the program. In October 2009, the program completed a successful Preliminary Design Review.

The P-8i has integrated Raytheon's advanced AN/APY-10 synthetic aperture radar for tracking ships, submarines and small coastal vessels; Northrop Grumman's electronic warfare self-protection suite and electronic surveillance measures systems; BAE Systems' countermeasures dispenser system; GE Aerospace's flight and stores/weapons management system, and GE-SAFRAN's powerful CFM 56-7 engines. The company also confirmed that weapons and stores, such as the Boeing-built Harpoon Block II missile, are part of the agreement, to be acquired through the U.S. government under its Foreign Military Sales program.

The program is significant for India, not only because it is the first foreign customer for the P-8i, thereby signifying the new US- India military ties, but also because the size of the offsets program is a whopping US$600 million, which will surely benefit the Indian defence industry.

Many people wrongly believe that this was a government-to-government deal through the Foreign Military Sales route (FMS) but Mr Buck confirmed that the deal was signed after a global tender which requires an offset commitment. Boeing recently signed contracts with three Indian public-sector companies and one private-sector firm to source avionics and electronic equipment. Purchase contracts have been released to the Electronics Corp. of India Ltd. (ECIL), HAL Avionics Division, Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL) and Avantel Softech Ltd. Additionally, Boeing has made source selections on three additional aircraft systems. Contracts for those systems will be solidified in the near future. Equipment and software from the Indian suppliers will be delivered to Seattle for incorporation into the P-8I.

The P-8I’s has a range of 1,920km Factor. Boeing has offered the Indian navy a Universal Air Refueling Receptacle Slipway Installation, which can accommodate an air refueling boom similar to those used on the KC-135 and KC-10.

Asked what the difference between the American P8-A and India's P8-I was, Mr Buck replied that the Indian version is customised to India's needs and meets 100% of the requirements as required by the Indian Navy.
http://www.8ak.in/8ak_india_defence...n-delivery-of-the-p8i-to-the-indian-navy.html

 

[sudhir007]

 

[swasthika]

really super article...thanks

 

[sudhir007]

Fire mishap on INS Sindhurakshak due to explosion in battery: Navy- Hindustan Times

The fire mishap on INS Sindhurakshak in Visakhapatnam that left a sailor dead and two others injured was caused by an explosion in its battery compartment, Navy officials said in New Delhi on Saturday.

Sindhurakshak, a Russian-origin Kilo class submarine, was in the Visakhapatnam harbour for a routine maintenance when the mishap occurred on Friday evening.

"It was due to a defective battery and Leading Electrical Technician Kump Dand was killed," the official said.

India had bought the 2300-tonne submarine from Russia as part of an early 1980s deal and commissioned it in 1997. It
is the ninth of the 10 Sindhugosh class diesel-electric powered vessel that the Navy has in its 16-vessel submarine
fleet.

Sindhurakshak is scheduled for a major mid-life refit later this year as part of a programme for this class of
vessels which began in 1997 with Sindhuvir.

In January 2008, another vessel from this class, INS Sindhugosh, collided with a merchant vessel off Mumbai while
participating in a naval exercise.

The boat collided with the cargo ship as it was surfacing in a silent mode with its radio and radar switched
off.

The damage caused to the submarine during the mishap resulted in it being off service for about a month.

 

[marcos98]

US offers India the Aegis Combat System, the world’s most advanced shipboard weapons system

:: Bharat-Rakshak.com - Indian Military News Headlines ::
What cutting edge technologies will Lockheed Martin bring to India as part of its offsets requirement?
Roger Rose: We are in touch with the Indian MoD regarding the Indian Navy’s consideration of the world’s most advanced shipboard Weapons System, the Aegis Combat System (ACS). The US Navy has briefed the Indian Navy on the capabilities of the world's premier area air defense combat system; other Asia Pacific navies operating Aegis systems are Japan, South Korea and Australia. Lockheed Martin and Hyundai Heavy Industries also included the Aegis CMS concept when answering the Project 17A RFI.

Other than the MMRCA, what projects is Lockheed Martin is bidding on. Please detail in terms of RFI and RFPs.
Roger Rose: "Team Romeo", which includes the US Navy and Lockheed Martin, awaits the decision on the suitability of the MH-60R Foreign Material Sales offering for short-listing in the Indian Navy's Multi-Role Helicopter competition. India is receiving the first international offer of the US Navy's front-line carrier battle group helicopter. We also are very excited about our bid for a Deep Submergence Vehicle (DSV) for the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT). The DSV is a scientific vehicle rather than military and will help NIOT to monitor the sea bed. The craft is designed to accommodate two researchers, one pilot and a large payload. It can reach depths of 400 meters to about 2 and half miles. It has a large personal sphere with five windows. Three of the windows have a 7 inch diameter viewing port and two have a 5 inch diameter viewing port providing good visibility. It is capable of hovering at any depth, maneuvering in rugged topography or resting on the sea floor while researchers explore and survey the ocean’s geology and biology.

What is the status of the MMRCA trails regarding the F-16? What are the next steps?
Roger Rose: We are currently completing Phase III of field trials in the U.S. Once field trails are completed, the IAF will evaluate the results of all the competitors. Lockheed Martin is very excited to be a part of the competition and we feel the F-16 IN Super Viper is the right choice for the Indian Air force.

Can you name any Indian partners identified for different projects and will be the level of partnership (equity participation, work share, etc.)?
Roger Rose: We are in discussion with several potential partners. I would like to mention here that Lockheed Martin is well versed in teaming with international shipyards in a variety of arrangements to ensure a low risk, successful integration of the Aegis Weapon System. We also have extensive experience in executing strategic industrial partnerships that include system co-development and in-country manufacturing. We have met with multiple Indian shipyards and defense contractors in preparation for the Aegis integration.

What is the progress on the C130J aircraft purchase by the Indian Air Force.
Roger Rose: The C130J program is progressing as per schedule with deliveries of six aircraft starting from 2011. The C130 J will add to India’s heavy lift transport capabilities and we have an offsets program going with it.

Are you also bidding on some helicopter program?
Roger Rose: Yes. We are bidding with our MH60R helicopter for the Indian Navy and the Apache attack helicopter for Indian Army. Both of these choppers are unmatched for the roles they have been designed for. The MH60R has not been offered to any foreign country and India will be the first outside the U.S. if it buys the MH60R.

 

[DMLA]

News: Shivalik commisioning!

Chindits: *Flash*:India's First Indigenous Frigate, Shivalik, To Commission On April 12, Navy Trying To Rope In PM !!

Note the STIR's, CIWS, volume search radar, air search radar and the IR signature reduction measures. (source: Chhindits blog)

PS: Other high resolution pics are available at ajai shukla's blog:
Broadsword: Some more pictures of the INS Shivalik
Broadsword: A visit to the INS Shivalik: India’s newest warship
Broadsword: A sneak preview of the mast of the INS Shivalik

The only blemish is the arm launcher for SA-N-12 SAM! btw, it also carries 32 VLS barak SAM

 

[Isaq Khan]

BAE Systems to Provide Mission Computer Systems for Indian Navy Patrol Aircraft

GREENLAWN, N.Y., Mar 01, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- BAE Systems is developing the mission computer system suite for the P-8I aircraft for the Indian Navy. The aircraft is a variant of the U.S. Navy's P-8A Poseidon.

Developed by a Boeing-led team, the P-8I is a multi-mission maritime patrol aircraft with a broader range of capabilities to operate over land or water while performing anti-submarine warfare; search and rescue; and long-range intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance.

"Maritime surveillance and patrol is becoming more and more important to effective defense," said Donna Linke-Klein, director of mission computers and antenna solutions for BAE Systems. "The P-8I mission computer system provides superior interoperability for the future battle space."

BAE Systems' mission computer system suite for the P-8I is a flexible and ruggedized processing platform that can be configured to meet the general purpose, input and output, video, voice, and graphics processing needs for modern military battle management requirements.

The P-8A Poseidon is a long-range; anti-submarine warfare; anti-surface warfare; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft. The Indian government selected Boeing to provide eight P-8I aircraft to fill its maritime patrol needs, replacing Tupolev Tu-142M aircraft.

BAE Systems will begin deliveries to Boeing in 2011.

About BAE Systems

BAE Systems is a global defense, security and aerospace company with approximately 107,000 employees worldwide. The Company delivers a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, security, information technology solutions and customer support services. In 2009 BAE Systems reported sales of GBP 22.4 billion.

SOURCE: BAE Systems

 

[DMLA]

The 2010 U.S. Quadrennial Defense Review noted that "India has already established its worldwide military influence through counter-piracy, peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief efforts. As its military capabilities grow, India will contribute to Asia as a net provider of security in the Indian Ocean and beyond" (Hindustan Times, February 3). India’s Navy, however, has backed away from suggestions that it might take a dominant role in establishing security in the Indian Ocean, according to Indian Navy chief Admiral Nirmal Verma, who states “India has no intention of playing a headmaster’s role in the Indian Ocean Region” (Press Trust of India, February 5; The Hindu, February 6). The Indian Navy is instead seeking a cooperative regional approach to maritime security, as embodied in its recent participation in regional naval exercises and its upcoming Malabar war-games with U.S. naval forces in April and May.

Earlier this month, the Indian navy hosted the seventh biennial Milan-2010 exercises in the seas around the Bay of Bengal’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands, where eight Asia-Pacific navies (Australia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand, along with observers from Brunei, Philippines, Vietnam and New Zealand) had gathered (Andaman Chronicle, February 3). The agenda at this naval congregation included discussions on maritime terrorism, piracy, and a seminar on humanitarian aid and disaster relief (Press Trust of India, February 5). Afterwards the participating navies conducted joint naval exercises focused on sea lane security.

The Milan series of multinational exercises, held since 1991, was conceptualized to foster closer cooperation and address issues of maritime security among the navies of countries in India’s extended neighborhood of South East Asia and as far away as Australia and New Zealand. Expanding on the Milan series of exercises, the Indian Navy hosted the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) at New Delhi in February 2008 (Indiannavy.nic.in, February 15, 2008). Naval delegations from 29 countries of the Indian Ocean region participated in a symposium that addressed issues of maritime security and cooperative mechanisms, followed by a two-day conclave for the naval chiefs of the participating countries. India is likely to hand over the rotating leadership of IONS to the United Arab Emirates in May (Zeenews.com, December 2, 2009).

Multilateral anti-piracy and counterterrorism exercises are fast gaining currency in the Indian Navy’s operational planning. India has had some previous successes in anti-piracy and counterterrorism operations:

• In 1988, Indian maritime forces rescued Maldivian cabinet minister Ahmed Mujuthaba when it captured a freighter controlled by Tamil mercenaries in the aftermath of a failed coup attempt in the Maldive Islands. [1]

• In November 1999, the Indian Navy captured the Japanese-owned MV Alondra Rainbow from a group of mostly Indonesian pirates who had seized the vessel. [2]

• In 2002, after the terrorist attacks in the United States, the Indian Navy provided naval security cover to U.S.-flagged high-value vessels, including nuclear submarines, through the Strait of Malacca, then plagued with pirates and possible terrorists. [3]

• More recently, an Indian frigate INS Tabar destroyed a Somali pirate “mother-ship” in the Gulf of Aden in 2008 after pirates threatened to open fire on the Indian warship (Ibnlive.in.com, November 19, 2008).

In 2008, however, India was a victim of maritime terrorism when terrorists of the Kashmir-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) attacked Mumbai from the sea (see Terrorism Monitor, November 19, 2009).

The development of interoperability in exercises with foreign navies offers the Indian Navy an important tool in security operations. These exercises assist in developing skills for joint operations to address problems related to piracy, terrorism, drug trafficking, and the smuggling of arms and people. Interoperability has also facilitated institutionalized cooperative naval exercises with the navies of the United States (Malabar Series), Russia (Indra Series), France (Varuna Series), U.K. (Konkan Series), Australia, Oman, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Singapore and coordinated patrols with Indonesia and Thailand.

The Indian Navy chief has stated that Milan-2010 does not indicate the creation of a “security bloc” targeted against any other nation, an apparent reference to China, which is very sensitive to multinational naval exercises held by other Asian-Pacific states (Thaindian.com, February 5). Three of the navies observing or participating in Milan-2010 (Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines) belong to nations engaged in territorial disputes with China over the resource-rich Spratly Islands of the South China Sea (Sunday Island Online [Colombo], February 6).

India has had different responses to multilateral naval and maritime initiatives such as the U.S. proposed Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI - aimed at intercepting weapons of mass destruction being transported by sea) or the “Thousand Ship Navy” concept (TSN - a global maritime partnership designed to protect sea lanes), and the U.N.- sanctioned International Ship and Port Security Code (ISPS – designed to secure sea ports) and Container Security Initiative (CSI – a mechanism for the monitoring and surveillance of regulatory and safety mechanisms of container cargo). In essence, India supports multilateral initiatives that have been sanctioned by the United Nations and remains averse to any U.S. proposed initiatives, such as the PSI and TSN

The Indian Navy’s Agenda for Maritime Security in the Indian Ocean - The Jamestown Foundation