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THE INDIAN NAVY :: Nemesis Of Notorious Neighbours
Monday, May 11, 2015
By : Debashish Dutta
Courtesy : DEFENCE NEWS
So the ho-hum over Gwadar reached a crescendo in April 2015 astride Chinese crutches! The Giant Panda land is the only trump card that our cowardly, jealous, global pariah western neighbour has. And some nuclear bim-bams based on stolen technology! Those two pretty much account for the entire Pakistani pride.
- So the ho-hum over Gwadar reached a crescendo in April 2015 astride Chinese crutches! The Giant Panda land is the only trump card that our cowardly, jealous, global pariah western neighbour has. And some nuclear bim-bams based on stolen technology! Those two pretty much account for the entire Pakistani pride.
A piece of the Earth that rarely, if ever, came close to hitting the bull’s eye in terms of justifying its existence as a responsible nation state; India’s western neighbour’s ego has just been bloated by the dollars that the Panda land has shoved down its throat. Or so they believe! With nothing but a deeply fundamental military as the only functional institution in a country of 18 crores; Pakistan’s other state policy has been to stay sold out to a major global economy. With a far sinister agenda; the Chinese are fast turning Pakistan into a Chinese colony. The mandarins at Islamabad and GHQ, Rawalpindi, though continue to believe they are globally as important and command as much respect as India does. Therein lies the Pakistani folly. The realisation or the willingness to that effect is nowhere in sight though.
And so the unending saga of comparisons continue……………………
Those mullahs under the garb of military generals love to keep the old wounds nicely salted. That has ensured their bread and butter for 67 years. Every step taken by India towards progress causes deep anguish in the “land of the pure”.
The Indian Navy has been bothering them a bit too much…off late!
And we love it! Because all the jingoism that is inspired by Gwadar and its supposed infallible Chinese shield can be smashed to bits by a live concert of the leviathans of the mightiest Navy this side of the world. The Pakis know this and so they spit venom. That the Indian Navy is a powerhouse and its ambitions justified is a fact found extremely hard to digest in Islamabad.
India has been late in appreciating the importance of a true Blue Water Navy. The best in the business was being observed though. It’s global power and clout not unnoticed. Its ability to unleash a devastating strike on enemy infrastructure anywhere in the world was seen and believed. With 10 active Carrier Strike Groups; the world noted that there was nothing ambiguous about the intent of the United States Navy. Other ambitious nations were green with envy. After all they could not envision and therefore, failed to institutionalize a system that projects power in no uncertain terms. From being one of those rare navies that operates a CBG; time had come for India to develop its naval force into a true Blue Water one.
The Maritime Capability Perspective Plan for 2012–27 – released in 2011 - finally articulated the Indian vision for owning and operating one. A growing economy needs greater protection - protection of its territory everywhere including strategic sea routes to ensure uninterrupted and safe supply chain management. The Indian Navy surface combatant fleet envisages that by 2020; it will have in its inventory :
• 3 carriers
• 10 destroyers [ 3 Delhi + 3 Kolkata 15A + 4 Project 15B]
• 24 frigates [9 Krivak + 3 Brahmaputra + 3 Shivalik + 7 Project 17A + 2 Project 17B]
• 20 Corvettes [ includes 12 Project 28 and 28A ]
There could be as many as 34 submarines in total by 2020, while the Kilos and 209s will be retired before 2025
• 3 ATV SSBN
• 3 ATV SSGN/SSN
• 2 Akula II improved
• 6 U214 / S-80 / Marlin / Amur 1850 (Procurement under discussion)
• 6 Scorpene
• 10 Kilo Improved
• 4 U-209
The key words are Carrier Battle Groups and Submarines. That is what India is focussing on. It’s India’s prerogative. The pressure though is building up elsewhere and we wonder why?
You see it is indeed a simple equation and one that reflects India’s enormous and justified ambition. Indian has worked extremely hard to get to this stage. And this is what the Pakis don’t get! We have a 7,500-kilometre coastline. Our peninsula has tremendous geostrategic prospects that if tapped properly can make India the undisputed master of sea routes extending over 5000 kms. India’s eagle eyes are finally focused on the juicy trail extending from the Strait of Hormuz to the Strait of Malacca which a powerful Indian navy can successfully dominate. The United States Energy Information Administration website in its report World Oil Transit Chokepoints dated November 14, 2014 states “World chokepoints for maritime transit of oil are a critical part of global energy security. About 63% of the world's oil production moves on maritime routes. The Strait of Hormuz and the Strait of Malacca are the world's most important strategic chokepoints by volume of oil transit”. China is acutely aware of the awesome geostrategic position that India has in this crucial energy route and is thoroughly distressed by the prospects of the presence of a powerful Indian Navy in this arena. Hence, it is investing millions of dollars to develop Gwadar and associated infrastructure in Pakistan. And it is burning tons of midnight oil to put together funny necklaces and garlands by bribing neighbouring countries!
Now that India has consigned to flames a lot of philosophical rubbish that was clouding its strategic vision; the Indian Navy is going full steam ahead building and developing new bases such as the major naval base at Karwar and significant naval infrastructure at Tuticorin, Kamarta, Diglipur, Campbell Bay and Paradip. The Indian Navy is working to augment its presence in the Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands. Three forward operating bases are being operationalised in Andaman and Nicober Islands, namely Campbell Bay, Diglipur and Kamorta. Key naval aviation infrastructure is being developed in Andaman and Karwar and two operational turn around bases in Paradip and Tuticorin. A brand new naval base has just been founded in Gujarat.
It is in this geostrategic set up that a Carrier Battle Group assumes paramount importance. The presence of a strong CBG just outside the territorial waters of adversaries has significant, mind numbing impact on the mental state of the governments concerned. In more ways than one the Indian Navy already has that impact. Make no mistake; India is rapidly developing its Navy. There is only one way to look and that is forward. Under the dynamic leadership of PM Modi; India’s armed forces have got a much needed shot in the arm and the Navy has been truly in the thick of things. To secure its future; India has to prepare to dominate the Hormuz-Malacca theatre. As one heads towards the southern tip of India; the Indian Ocean lays out what is rapidly becoming the hottest geostrategic playground in the world. No country in this theatre is either of India’s size or has the naval power anywhere close to India’s.
India’s future will be well secured if its political and military leadership is able to put into place four powerful Carrier Battle Groups – one in the Arabian Sea to manage the Strait of Hormuz and Pakistan, next in the southern Indian Ocean and the third one to manage the Strait of Malacca. There has to be one that acts as a force multiplier wherever required or is on standby. It could be also be deployed in the international waters of the South China Sea to confuse and unnerve the Chinese. In PM Modi we have a PM who has the ability to do just that. Today India has two CBGs in operation but one – INS Viraat is slated for decommissioning in 2016 and the very new – INS Vikramaditya is still to be armed to expectations. The under construction – 40,000 tonnes INS Vikrant will most likely join the Navy in 2018-19 while the – 65,000 tonnes INS Vishal is still on the drawing board.
The good bit is that such important aspects are under focus like never before. The good bit is that the United States believes there is merit in supporting the development of the Indian Navy. The US has noted well the contribution of the Indian Diaspora to its economy, politics and education. It has noted without mistake the high brand equity of the responsible global Indian who is hailed worldwide for making meaningful contribution to the world at large. Indians are not nabbed as terrorists and don’t make it to classified watch lists of governments.
The other good bit is that Pakistan is unnerved like never before! It is a country that thrives on the nuclear rhetoric while being fully conscious of the risk they will expose themselves to if at all they decide to use their bombs made with stolen technology. But that is what Pakistan is – a global headache ran for decades by hate breeders who have abused Islam for keeping their positions strong. A powerful Indian Navy is a major concern for them. And as news reaches them about the commissioning of a new aircraft carrier, destroyer, corvette, submarine, CIWS, frigate, mine sweeper and much more; the anxiety shoots up further. This pressure needs to be ensured and enhanced. Let China sweat too.
Pakistani Generals are concerned about the speed with which the Indian Navy can overwhelm their coastal cities in the event of a war. China knows that Gwadar can be smashed to bits in no time and hence, the progress on that front has been dragging. Both Pakistan and China are deeply concerned about India’s involvement with the Chabahar Port in Iran. Given its sheer proximity to the Strait of Hormuz, India’s deep ties with Iran and Iran’s utter dislike for Paksitan; the presence of an Indian CBG in that area will neutralise the objective that China wants to achieve from Gwadar. The scenario is very clear.
Pakistan’s dumb foreign policy which has recently successfully infuriated the Arabs makes matters simpler for India. With its directionless government, empty coffers, and dependence on aid to manage its working capital requirement, terrorism and lack of leadership; Pakistan is nicely multiplying China’s problems. Deep inside Beijing; Pakistan is seen as a huge liability but one that China is managing quietly for various objectives that it believes it will eventually secure at the expense of Pakistan. China has its own problems around the South China Sea and it has a weak Pakistan to manage as well. The presence of the strong navies of India, Japan and the United States – which are close allies as well – is a deal a tad too expensive for China to handle.
There is nothing ambiguous about the Indian ambition now. There is nothing ambiguous about our intent to prepare well for the future. It is firing from all cylinders to establish credible deterrence from land, air and sea based platforms. The progress has been good with a lot more being done. For India is the master of the Indian Ocean whether China or its Pakistani stooges like or not! Focus is on commensurate development of key supporting infrastructure like the Gurgaon based Information Management & Analysis Centre that the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard launched in 2014. The establishment of the Shore Based Test Facility at Goa is another example of how India’s military strategists are focusing on all round development of the Indian Navy. India’s new and modern carriers are being equipped with the Mig-29K, the Tejas naval variant is under development and the Sikorsky S-70B multi role naval helicopters are on their way to add force to the firepower of the Indian Navy. The Barak 8 CIWS system deployment has started and represents one amongst many state of the art weapon systems that India is equipping its warships with.
For Indians, there is a lot to cheer for and for our enemies there is a lot to worry especially for our inconsequential neighbour Pakistan. There is nothing ambiguous about India’s intent to safeguard its own interests. India is the undisputed master of its destiny. And that is the bottom line !
