He's quite correct except 2 carrier force being 3 and after 2020 4.'Work on nuclear deterrence capabilities for Navy has begun'
NEW DELHI, JAN 28 (PTI)
Noting that India's strategic forces already possessed land and aircraft-based nuclear deterrence capabilities, a former Navy chief has said work on such an option for the naval forces has already begun.
"India's Nuclear Doctrine clearly envisages a deterrent in the form of a triad with land-based, aircraft- borne and submarine-launched legs. Of these, we possess only the first two at the moment," Admiral (Retd) Arun Prakash said in an article in the forthcoming issue of 'Indian Defence Review'.
Maintaining that the "only platform" which could achieve deterrence was the nuclear-propelled, ballistic -missile-armed submarines (SSBNs), he said to complete the triad of the strategic forces, "we must have a small number of SSBNs".
"Development work is reported to be underway, and when this platform becomes operationally available, we will need suitable areas in the distant reaches of the Indian Ocean from where it can be safely deployed to pose deterrence to our adversaries," the erstwhile Navy chief said in an article entitled 'A Vision for Maritime India: 2020'.
Observing that nuclear weapons were not meant for fighting wars but acted as a deterrent, he said it convinced the enemy of the "futility of contemplating a nuclear first strike", as retaliatory action would be horrific and have a devastating impact on the adversary to make such a strike pointless. (More)
Projecting the naval capabilities in 2020, Prakash said it would be a "three dimensional force" or Varuna's Trident built around the core of two aircraft carrier task forces and closely networked through a dedicated communications satellite.
Indigenously-built destroyers and frigates would be available in "adequate numbers" to escort the carriers as well as for independent surface action and anti-submarine hunter- killer groups, carrying modern sensors, long-range offensive and defensive weapons and multi-role helicopters.
"While replenishment ships will ensure long legs for the combatants, we will also have enough friendly refuelling ports in the Indian Ocean Rim (and South China Sea) to allow extended operational reach", the top former Navy officer said.
By then, he said India would have six indigenously- built submarines of the Scorpene class and another 3-4 boats of an advanced indigenous design, all equipped with missiles and air independent propulsion. "The decline in submarine force levels should have been arrested and reversed".
Prakash said the naval planners were considering scenarios in which land attack, naval air, amphibious and Special Forces capabilities would require due emphasis.
"Many of these concepts are new and require radical reorientation of mindsets as well as operating procedures", he said, adding that the Indian Navy had already triggered the process of transformation to deal with the changes.
He said the Navy's focussed thrust would ensure by 2020 that high technology and products of indigenous or collaborative origins were at sea.
India by then would have advanced diesel, gas and electric turbines to drive its warships as also those like submarine or aircraft carrier run by nuclear propulsion, he said.
I cannot believe the naval expansion India is going through "Within" the budget.
And another report,
India, Russia working towards hypersonic cruise missiles
TIRUCHIRAPALLI, FEB 1 (PTI)
India and Russia are working jointly to explore possibilities of developing a more advanced weapon system than BrahMos -- probably a Hypersonic Cruise Missile, BrahMos Aerospace CEO and Managing Director A Sivathanu Pillai said today.
Talking to reporters here, Pillai said, "Now we are the leaders in supersonic missile system with the successful development of Brahmos Cruise Missiles."
To sustain the leadership, some work should be started, for which both the Russian and Indian governments have given their initial clearance, he added.
Pillai, who is also the Chief Controller of Research and Development wing of DRDO, said the works were in progress in this regard.
"Many countries will come forward to develop new products, which could be better than Brahmos. We can survive only by competitiveness and we don't want to be a second nation", he said.
In order to prepare ourselves to face the challenges, India is thinking now itself to configure a new weapon system, which would be more advanced than Brahmos and at the same time the best product.
The firing could be done either from a capable submarine or from a Pontoon (a structure like submarine with a platform of over 50 to 60 metre depth from the surface of the water).
As of now Indian Navy submarines do not possess the requisite capability. Discussions were on with the Indian Navy and other agencies to install the required provisions in their submarines, he said.
Although, a time-frame could not be defined for this, he was hopeful that a suitable platform would be ready at the earliest, enabling the conduct of the test.
The production of the army version of the missile was in full swing and similarly the naval version missiles were getting inducted into all fleets. Air-version exercises were already over.
Both the countries have discussed on the export of BrahMos missiles, he said without divulging the names of the friendly countries.
He was confident that the export process would commence soon as the issue has been sorted out and Russia has already collated the list of countries.
^^ that seems like SLBM with the udnerwater pontoon mentioned as new weapon or Sagarika.
it is clearly diff from underwater brahmos or anything hypersonic mentioned for future.
