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Strategic Doctrine
Since the end of the Cold War, Indias rapid economic growth and prosperity has given the nation a new found prominence in world affairs. Indias growing international stature gives it strategic relevance in the area ranging from the Persian Gulf to the Strait of Malacca, said Indian PM Dr Manmohan Singh. He added: India has exploited the fluidities of the emerging world order to forge new links through a combination of diplomatic repositioning, economic resurgence and military firmness.
As such, over the last three decades Indias defence planners have given increasing consideration to maritime security and the development and expansion of the Indian Navy. As exemplified by a series of officially sanctioned doctrinal papers that include the 2004 Indian Maritime Doctrine and the2006 Indian Navys Vision Document, of which the latter report outlined: The Indian Navy is today a potent and capable force ... as a prime instrument of state policy ... the Indian Navy is determined to create and sustain a three dimensional, technology enabled and networked force capable of safeguarding our maritime interests on the high seas and projecting combat power across the littoral.
India is heavily dependent on seaborne trade for its continued security and prosperity, a case in point recently made in April 2010 by the Indian Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Nirmal Kumar Verma,who spoke at a launching ceremony in Mumbai: It is not a coincidence that 70% of our trade by value and 95% by volume travels over the sea route. A sizeable percentage of trade, with our largest trading partner [China], who share land boundaries with us, is over the ocean.
Given that India imports more than 75 per cent of its oil and 16 percent of its gas, it is beyond question that a key factor in developing Indias Navy is its growing dependency on energy imports, which is forecast to substantially escalate over the next two decades. According to the New Delhi-based Energy and Resources Institute by 2031 India will need to import 78 per cent of its coal, 67 per cent of its gas and 93 per cent of its oil to meet rising demand. As a consequence the Indian government is actively encouraging its state-run energy corporations to engage in numerous foreign exploration projects, perhaps best exemplified by Indias state-owned energy firm ONGC Videsh Ltd, which has 34 exploration projects in 15 countries worldwide.
It is therefore understandable that in 2007 the Navy published Freedom to Use the Seas: Indias Maritime Military Strategy, which among a series of assertions identified nine Indian Ocean maritime choke points that are strategically significant to Indias national security and economic prosperity. Reinforcing this point the Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Nirmal Kumar Verma claimed in April 2010, that: It is not a coincidence that 70 per cent of our trade by value and 95 per cent by volume travels over the sea route. He further elaborated: A sizeable percentage of trade, with our largest trading partner [China], who share land boundaries with us, is over the ocean.
Force Structure & Naval Operations
The Indian Navy today is the worlds fifth-largest and is developing from a rapidly aging force to an increasingly advanced organisation, which has in recent years markedly expanded its role and assumed wider responsibilities. Since the November 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks, the Navy has been granted authority and oversight to devise policy on Indias maritime and coastal security.
The escalating strategic rivalry between India and China, competition for energy and the prevalence of natural disasters have been added determinants in shaping the Indian Navys evolving role in national and regional affairs. Importance of the Indian Navy in safeguarding our vital security interests has become paramount. There can be no doubt that the Indian Navy must be the most important maritime power in this region, said Dr Manmohan Singh.
There are numerous examples of the Navys engagement in various capacities throughout the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. These encompass areas such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, anti-piracy operations and other missions emphasising naval diplomacy and capacity-building.
In the sphere of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, both nationally and internationally, the Navy deployed over 27 warships and 5,000 personnel to assist the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Indonesia in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Similarly, between 2006 and 2011 the Navy was deployed in a number of similar humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations to assist Bangladesh in the wake of Cyclone Sidr, Myanmar after Cyclone Nargis and also undertook large-scale evacuations of South Asian nationals from Lebanon and Libya.
The Indian Navy has also played an increasingly prominent role in combating the scourge of piracy throughout the north-western and south-western quadrants of the Indian Ocean. From late 2008 to December 2011 the Navy claims to have deployed 26 warships on anti-piracy operations, escorted 1,779 vessels and successfully prevented 39 attacks.
Departing from its more conservative 20th century doctrine the utility of naval diplomacy for 21st century Indian Navy has been used with increasing frequency to strengthen Indias prestige and influence throughout the Indo-Pacific region. Key examples include regular patrols off Mauritius waters and the gifting of a patrol boat and maritime surveillance aircraft; regular patrols off Mozambican coast from 2003 onwards which later culminated in the signing of a defence cooperation agreement.
Other key instances can be seen by the gifting of a naval patrol boat, one maritime surveillance aircraft and two helicopters to the Seychelles in 2005; the establishment of a listening and surveillance facility in northern Madagascar in July 2007 to monitor shipping off the east African coast; the signing of a defence co-operation agreement with Oman on maritime security co-operation in 2008; and the signing of a defence co-operation agreement with Qatar which formalized joint-training exercises.
Nonetheless, a prime example of effective and successful naval diplomacy was demonstrated in late 2009 when the Maldives effectively ceded responsibility for its external security to the Indian Navy to patrol its waters, deploy personnel to man 26 coastal radars and reopen an airfield to conduct aerial surveillance operations.
Modernisation & Transformation
As part of its grand strategy to project influence onto the world stage, over the next 15 years, India has agreed to commit up to US$60 billion on new acquisition programmes for its Navy. In spite of planning to decommission a number of its older warships the Navy intends to expand its fleet from its current strength of 132 warships to an estimated 150 warships by 2017, including many more planned acquisitions thereafter. 49 ships and submarines, which are under construction, would be inducted in the next five years. Out of these 45 are being built at Indian shipyards and four outside of India, stated the recently appointed chief of the Navys Eastern Naval Command, Vice Admiral Anil Chopra, as quoted in The Economic Times in December 2011.
The Navys expansion has given impetus to the nations 23 major shipyards, both government and private-owned, which have been allocated the bulk of the Navys lucrative shipbuilding contracts as part of the defence ministrys drive towards self-sufficiency. We in the Indian Navy would like all our warships to be built in India, but critical gaps in capability have to be filled within the given time frame, which at times has forced us to source our ships from abroad, stated Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Nirmal Kumar Verma.
In line with Indias long-term vision to develop formidable expeditionary strike capabilities, the Navys key modernization programmes principally focus on the acquisition of new attack-submarines, aircraft-carriers and naval-strike aircraft, long-range fleet tankers, amphibious warfare platforms, including frigates and destroyers.
The 30-year submarine construction programme is an ambitious and high priority initiative that has been given precedence in the Navys modernization agenda. Part of this plan includes the acquisition of five locally-manufactured nuclear-powered ballistic submarines by 2025. To begin with, the Navy has begun a US$3 billion programme to build three 6,000-ton Arihant-class ballistic-missile submarines, or SSBNs. The first submarine was launched in July 2009 and is currently undergoing sea trials. A second SSBN is scheduled to be launchedlater this year with indications that a third submarine will be launched by 2013-2014.
After the first phase is complete the Navy has alluded to the prospect of another order of modified SSBNs of the Arihant-class in the years ahead. To assist in developing its SSBN programme, in December last year, the Navy obtained on a 10 year lease one 8,140-ton Akula-class nuclear-powered general purpose attack submarine, or SSN, from Russia with plans to also lease another.
Similarly, as part of its conventional-submarine initiative the Navy is seeking to acquire 24 diesel-electric anti-submarine vessels, or SSKs, to replace its aging fleet of diesel-electric submarines based on the Sindhughosh-and Shishumar-class. Indias Defence Acquisition Councilrecently approved US$11 billion for the purchase of the French-built air-independent variant of the 1,870-ton Scorpene-class submarine. The first construction order of six submarines is already underway and scheduled for completion by 2015. Subsequent acquisitions are also planned to strengthen Indias SSK fleet but remain to be finalised.
Although left with an aging and soon to be decommissioned aircraft-carrier, the Navy is set to develop significant expeditionary capabilities with the acquisition of another three new aircraft-carriers. The ultimate idea, of course, is to have the three carriers, two operational at any given point of time, with the third undergoing a refit, said the former Indian Navy chief, Admiral Suresh Mehta. After lengthy delays the Russian-built and retrofitted 44,570-ton aircraft-carrier, renamed INS Vikramaditya,will be the Navys first new aircraft-carrier acquisition.
A second aircraft-carrier, this time undergoing construction at an Indian shipyard, is the 37,500 ton Vikrant-class Indigenous Aircraft Carrier, which is scheduled to be launched in 2015. At a projected cost of US$800 million, the Navy also plans to build a third aircraft-carrier, this time a larger variant of the Vikrant-class dubbed Indigenous Aircraft Carrier II, which the Navy hopes to complete by 2017.
The Navys aviation assets are also being modernised and replaced with up to 400 new aircraft over the next decade.According to Vice Admiral Anil Chopra, who told the Economic Times in December 2011: The Navy plans to induct the multi-role helicopter, naval utility helicopter, MiG 29K fighter, P-8I long-range maritime patrol ASW aircraft, medium-range maritime recce aircraft, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, and mid-life upgrade plans for Sea Kings and KV28 helicopters.
The most significant acquisition will be the introduction of the naval variant of the MiG-29 fighter jet. Once delivered, the 45 MiG-29K and MiG-KUBs ordered will significantly enhance the Navys strike capabilities. Initially, 16 were ordered in 2004, with the first four officially entering service in February 2010. In the month that followed the Navy signed a US$1.5 billion contract with Russia to acquire an additional 29 MiG-29Ks, which are scheduled for delivery from 2012 onwards.
To supplement the Navys existing tanker fleet two modern Russian-made 27,500 ton Deepak class fleet tankers were recently purchased and delivered. The acquisition of the INS Deepak in 2009 and INS Shakthi in 2011 now enables the Navy to deploy two expeditionary naval task forces simultaneously on long-range operations for sustained periods.
Currently limited to only one Landing Platform Dock (LPD) and five Magar- and Shardul-class Landing Ship Tanks, the Navy also plans to augment its amphibious warfare capabilities with at least three major acquisition programmes that will cost over US$1 billion involving four LPDs, eight Landing Craft Mechanised vessels and eight Landing Craft Utilities.
To escort the carrier-battle groups and naval task forces the Navys fleet of Nilgiri, Brahmaputra, Godavari and three recently commissioned Russian-built Talwar-class frigates will be further strengthened by the introduction of another three modified Talwar-class guided-missile frigates. The modified variants are presently undergoing sea trials and are scheduled to be commissioned this year. Additionally, in a contract worth US$1.8 billion, the Navy has ordered three Russian-built multirole Shivalik-class stealth frigates, with the first two being commissioned in April 2011 and the last unit to be commissioned this year. In a follow on project the Navy has indicated plans to purchase another seven stealth-frigates.
Destroyers also feature prominently in the modernisation plan with US$3.5 billion allocated to indigenously build Kolkata-class guided-missile destroyers to replace the soon to be decommissioned Rajput-class destroyers. The first unit of three warships are scheduled for delivery later this year, and following completion of the first phase, the Navy is seeking to build an additional four Kolkata-class destroyers.
Manpower, Infrastructure & Basing
To man the scheduled acquisitions the Navy intends to expand its numerical strength, which currently stands at 8,000 officers and 50,000 sailors, by an additional 15 per cent over the next five years. Similarly, the Navy is also in the process of upgrading its existing base facilities and creating new infrastructure to accommodate the Navys expansion programme.
Along Indias western coastline at least two significant naval facilities are under construction, namely Asias soon to be largest premier officer-training naval academy, INS Zamorin in Kerala, which is undergoing a phase two expansion. Also undergoing expansion is naval base INS Kadamba at Karwar in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. Once completed, the base will be able to accommodate 42 warships and submarines making it the Indian Navys largest facility which will also be the new headquarters for the Navys Western Naval Command.
Correspondingly, the Navys eastern command is in the process of building two new bases. One base in particular, located at Rambilli Mandal 50km south of Vishakapatnam, may in fact accommodate submarines. Finally, there are additional plans to further augment existing base facilities in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The significance of the Indian Navys modernisation programme can be seen by the sheer scale of its rising naval expenditure, which according to some estimates is slated to exceed that of the Chinese Navy over the next two decades. Although the Indian Navys unprecedented modernisation comes with significant technical and economic risks, should India succeed with its overall naval ambitions it will result in the creation of a true world-class blue-water navy capable of formidable power projection capabilities. The Navy will therefore emerge as a powerful tool for guarding Indias national and regional interests well into the 21st century.
Potent and Capable: India
Since the end of the Cold War, Indias rapid economic growth and prosperity has given the nation a new found prominence in world affairs. Indias growing international stature gives it strategic relevance in the area ranging from the Persian Gulf to the Strait of Malacca, said Indian PM Dr Manmohan Singh. He added: India has exploited the fluidities of the emerging world order to forge new links through a combination of diplomatic repositioning, economic resurgence and military firmness.
As such, over the last three decades Indias defence planners have given increasing consideration to maritime security and the development and expansion of the Indian Navy. As exemplified by a series of officially sanctioned doctrinal papers that include the 2004 Indian Maritime Doctrine and the2006 Indian Navys Vision Document, of which the latter report outlined: The Indian Navy is today a potent and capable force ... as a prime instrument of state policy ... the Indian Navy is determined to create and sustain a three dimensional, technology enabled and networked force capable of safeguarding our maritime interests on the high seas and projecting combat power across the littoral.
India is heavily dependent on seaborne trade for its continued security and prosperity, a case in point recently made in April 2010 by the Indian Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Nirmal Kumar Verma,who spoke at a launching ceremony in Mumbai: It is not a coincidence that 70% of our trade by value and 95% by volume travels over the sea route. A sizeable percentage of trade, with our largest trading partner [China], who share land boundaries with us, is over the ocean.
Given that India imports more than 75 per cent of its oil and 16 percent of its gas, it is beyond question that a key factor in developing Indias Navy is its growing dependency on energy imports, which is forecast to substantially escalate over the next two decades. According to the New Delhi-based Energy and Resources Institute by 2031 India will need to import 78 per cent of its coal, 67 per cent of its gas and 93 per cent of its oil to meet rising demand. As a consequence the Indian government is actively encouraging its state-run energy corporations to engage in numerous foreign exploration projects, perhaps best exemplified by Indias state-owned energy firm ONGC Videsh Ltd, which has 34 exploration projects in 15 countries worldwide.
It is therefore understandable that in 2007 the Navy published Freedom to Use the Seas: Indias Maritime Military Strategy, which among a series of assertions identified nine Indian Ocean maritime choke points that are strategically significant to Indias national security and economic prosperity. Reinforcing this point the Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Nirmal Kumar Verma claimed in April 2010, that: It is not a coincidence that 70 per cent of our trade by value and 95 per cent by volume travels over the sea route. He further elaborated: A sizeable percentage of trade, with our largest trading partner [China], who share land boundaries with us, is over the ocean.
Force Structure & Naval Operations
The Indian Navy today is the worlds fifth-largest and is developing from a rapidly aging force to an increasingly advanced organisation, which has in recent years markedly expanded its role and assumed wider responsibilities. Since the November 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks, the Navy has been granted authority and oversight to devise policy on Indias maritime and coastal security.
The escalating strategic rivalry between India and China, competition for energy and the prevalence of natural disasters have been added determinants in shaping the Indian Navys evolving role in national and regional affairs. Importance of the Indian Navy in safeguarding our vital security interests has become paramount. There can be no doubt that the Indian Navy must be the most important maritime power in this region, said Dr Manmohan Singh.
There are numerous examples of the Navys engagement in various capacities throughout the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. These encompass areas such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, anti-piracy operations and other missions emphasising naval diplomacy and capacity-building.
In the sphere of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, both nationally and internationally, the Navy deployed over 27 warships and 5,000 personnel to assist the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Indonesia in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Similarly, between 2006 and 2011 the Navy was deployed in a number of similar humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations to assist Bangladesh in the wake of Cyclone Sidr, Myanmar after Cyclone Nargis and also undertook large-scale evacuations of South Asian nationals from Lebanon and Libya.
The Indian Navy has also played an increasingly prominent role in combating the scourge of piracy throughout the north-western and south-western quadrants of the Indian Ocean. From late 2008 to December 2011 the Navy claims to have deployed 26 warships on anti-piracy operations, escorted 1,779 vessels and successfully prevented 39 attacks.
Departing from its more conservative 20th century doctrine the utility of naval diplomacy for 21st century Indian Navy has been used with increasing frequency to strengthen Indias prestige and influence throughout the Indo-Pacific region. Key examples include regular patrols off Mauritius waters and the gifting of a patrol boat and maritime surveillance aircraft; regular patrols off Mozambican coast from 2003 onwards which later culminated in the signing of a defence cooperation agreement.
Other key instances can be seen by the gifting of a naval patrol boat, one maritime surveillance aircraft and two helicopters to the Seychelles in 2005; the establishment of a listening and surveillance facility in northern Madagascar in July 2007 to monitor shipping off the east African coast; the signing of a defence co-operation agreement with Oman on maritime security co-operation in 2008; and the signing of a defence co-operation agreement with Qatar which formalized joint-training exercises.
Nonetheless, a prime example of effective and successful naval diplomacy was demonstrated in late 2009 when the Maldives effectively ceded responsibility for its external security to the Indian Navy to patrol its waters, deploy personnel to man 26 coastal radars and reopen an airfield to conduct aerial surveillance operations.
Modernisation & Transformation
As part of its grand strategy to project influence onto the world stage, over the next 15 years, India has agreed to commit up to US$60 billion on new acquisition programmes for its Navy. In spite of planning to decommission a number of its older warships the Navy intends to expand its fleet from its current strength of 132 warships to an estimated 150 warships by 2017, including many more planned acquisitions thereafter. 49 ships and submarines, which are under construction, would be inducted in the next five years. Out of these 45 are being built at Indian shipyards and four outside of India, stated the recently appointed chief of the Navys Eastern Naval Command, Vice Admiral Anil Chopra, as quoted in The Economic Times in December 2011.
The Navys expansion has given impetus to the nations 23 major shipyards, both government and private-owned, which have been allocated the bulk of the Navys lucrative shipbuilding contracts as part of the defence ministrys drive towards self-sufficiency. We in the Indian Navy would like all our warships to be built in India, but critical gaps in capability have to be filled within the given time frame, which at times has forced us to source our ships from abroad, stated Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Nirmal Kumar Verma.
In line with Indias long-term vision to develop formidable expeditionary strike capabilities, the Navys key modernization programmes principally focus on the acquisition of new attack-submarines, aircraft-carriers and naval-strike aircraft, long-range fleet tankers, amphibious warfare platforms, including frigates and destroyers.
The 30-year submarine construction programme is an ambitious and high priority initiative that has been given precedence in the Navys modernization agenda. Part of this plan includes the acquisition of five locally-manufactured nuclear-powered ballistic submarines by 2025. To begin with, the Navy has begun a US$3 billion programme to build three 6,000-ton Arihant-class ballistic-missile submarines, or SSBNs. The first submarine was launched in July 2009 and is currently undergoing sea trials. A second SSBN is scheduled to be launchedlater this year with indications that a third submarine will be launched by 2013-2014.
After the first phase is complete the Navy has alluded to the prospect of another order of modified SSBNs of the Arihant-class in the years ahead. To assist in developing its SSBN programme, in December last year, the Navy obtained on a 10 year lease one 8,140-ton Akula-class nuclear-powered general purpose attack submarine, or SSN, from Russia with plans to also lease another.
Similarly, as part of its conventional-submarine initiative the Navy is seeking to acquire 24 diesel-electric anti-submarine vessels, or SSKs, to replace its aging fleet of diesel-electric submarines based on the Sindhughosh-and Shishumar-class. Indias Defence Acquisition Councilrecently approved US$11 billion for the purchase of the French-built air-independent variant of the 1,870-ton Scorpene-class submarine. The first construction order of six submarines is already underway and scheduled for completion by 2015. Subsequent acquisitions are also planned to strengthen Indias SSK fleet but remain to be finalised.
Although left with an aging and soon to be decommissioned aircraft-carrier, the Navy is set to develop significant expeditionary capabilities with the acquisition of another three new aircraft-carriers. The ultimate idea, of course, is to have the three carriers, two operational at any given point of time, with the third undergoing a refit, said the former Indian Navy chief, Admiral Suresh Mehta. After lengthy delays the Russian-built and retrofitted 44,570-ton aircraft-carrier, renamed INS Vikramaditya,will be the Navys first new aircraft-carrier acquisition.
A second aircraft-carrier, this time undergoing construction at an Indian shipyard, is the 37,500 ton Vikrant-class Indigenous Aircraft Carrier, which is scheduled to be launched in 2015. At a projected cost of US$800 million, the Navy also plans to build a third aircraft-carrier, this time a larger variant of the Vikrant-class dubbed Indigenous Aircraft Carrier II, which the Navy hopes to complete by 2017.
The Navys aviation assets are also being modernised and replaced with up to 400 new aircraft over the next decade.According to Vice Admiral Anil Chopra, who told the Economic Times in December 2011: The Navy plans to induct the multi-role helicopter, naval utility helicopter, MiG 29K fighter, P-8I long-range maritime patrol ASW aircraft, medium-range maritime recce aircraft, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, and mid-life upgrade plans for Sea Kings and KV28 helicopters.
The most significant acquisition will be the introduction of the naval variant of the MiG-29 fighter jet. Once delivered, the 45 MiG-29K and MiG-KUBs ordered will significantly enhance the Navys strike capabilities. Initially, 16 were ordered in 2004, with the first four officially entering service in February 2010. In the month that followed the Navy signed a US$1.5 billion contract with Russia to acquire an additional 29 MiG-29Ks, which are scheduled for delivery from 2012 onwards.
To supplement the Navys existing tanker fleet two modern Russian-made 27,500 ton Deepak class fleet tankers were recently purchased and delivered. The acquisition of the INS Deepak in 2009 and INS Shakthi in 2011 now enables the Navy to deploy two expeditionary naval task forces simultaneously on long-range operations for sustained periods.
Currently limited to only one Landing Platform Dock (LPD) and five Magar- and Shardul-class Landing Ship Tanks, the Navy also plans to augment its amphibious warfare capabilities with at least three major acquisition programmes that will cost over US$1 billion involving four LPDs, eight Landing Craft Mechanised vessels and eight Landing Craft Utilities.
To escort the carrier-battle groups and naval task forces the Navys fleet of Nilgiri, Brahmaputra, Godavari and three recently commissioned Russian-built Talwar-class frigates will be further strengthened by the introduction of another three modified Talwar-class guided-missile frigates. The modified variants are presently undergoing sea trials and are scheduled to be commissioned this year. Additionally, in a contract worth US$1.8 billion, the Navy has ordered three Russian-built multirole Shivalik-class stealth frigates, with the first two being commissioned in April 2011 and the last unit to be commissioned this year. In a follow on project the Navy has indicated plans to purchase another seven stealth-frigates.
Destroyers also feature prominently in the modernisation plan with US$3.5 billion allocated to indigenously build Kolkata-class guided-missile destroyers to replace the soon to be decommissioned Rajput-class destroyers. The first unit of three warships are scheduled for delivery later this year, and following completion of the first phase, the Navy is seeking to build an additional four Kolkata-class destroyers.
Manpower, Infrastructure & Basing
To man the scheduled acquisitions the Navy intends to expand its numerical strength, which currently stands at 8,000 officers and 50,000 sailors, by an additional 15 per cent over the next five years. Similarly, the Navy is also in the process of upgrading its existing base facilities and creating new infrastructure to accommodate the Navys expansion programme.
Along Indias western coastline at least two significant naval facilities are under construction, namely Asias soon to be largest premier officer-training naval academy, INS Zamorin in Kerala, which is undergoing a phase two expansion. Also undergoing expansion is naval base INS Kadamba at Karwar in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. Once completed, the base will be able to accommodate 42 warships and submarines making it the Indian Navys largest facility which will also be the new headquarters for the Navys Western Naval Command.
Correspondingly, the Navys eastern command is in the process of building two new bases. One base in particular, located at Rambilli Mandal 50km south of Vishakapatnam, may in fact accommodate submarines. Finally, there are additional plans to further augment existing base facilities in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The significance of the Indian Navys modernisation programme can be seen by the sheer scale of its rising naval expenditure, which according to some estimates is slated to exceed that of the Chinese Navy over the next two decades. Although the Indian Navys unprecedented modernisation comes with significant technical and economic risks, should India succeed with its overall naval ambitions it will result in the creation of a true world-class blue-water navy capable of formidable power projection capabilities. The Navy will therefore emerge as a powerful tool for guarding Indias national and regional interests well into the 21st century.
Potent and Capable: India
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