Why the Indian Navy deserves a Royal Salute

[mehboobkz]

The Indian Navy’s foray into indigenisation began over five decades ago with the design and construction of warships in the country. Today, forty eight of its state-of-the-art ships and submarines are under construction in Indian shipyards, both public and private, a clear reflection of the Indian Navy’s enduring support to India’s indigenous warship building endeavor.


While much has been achieved in Navy's pursuit of indigenisation over the past decades, the time is now ripe for launching into a new phase of self-reliance by manufacturing technologically advanced equipment within the country, in pursuance of the Government of India’s vision of ‘Make in India’.


The specific roles of the Indian Navy in future would continue to extend across the entire spectrum of security of the nation; from peace keeping, through the low intensity segment to high-intensity conventional hostilities up to and including nuclear conflict. The Indian Navy will necessarily need to perform its varied tasks in the expanding presence of neutral and multinational/extra regional forces in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). In the last two decades, the capabilities available with our potential adversaries have grown considerably and are fore casted to only improve with time. The Indian Navy would therefore acquire adequate deterrent war fighting capabilities.

In the past, the Indian Navy has had to acquire military technology through import from diverse sources. Requisite expertise also had to be created for their operation and maintenance. This option had to be exercised since its own research organisations and industry had not developed any major military systems within reasonable time frame to reach technological relevance in the domain of warfare. This lack of credible R&D in military sciences and technologies, inadequate amalgamation between R&D and manufacturing sector, near absence of an integrated approach amongst users, designers and manufacturers have been some of the important reasons for its inability to achieve satisfactory levels of self- reliance in the defence technologies. Further, issues such as unviability view economy of scales and technology-denial regimes, etc., have also been major factors affecting the development and manufacturing of home grown military technology and equipment.


As a long term strategy the navy need to identify need-based functional domains and relevant technologies required for the next 15 years (ie., 2015 – 2030) so as to channelize the indigenous efforts to accomplish self-reliance in the domain of cutting-edge defence technologies. Starting of with the impressive INS Godavari, Indian Navy’s Directorate of Naval Design has designed over 80 ships since the commencement of indigenous ship building program in the 1970s and 48 state-of-the-art ships and submarines are under construction in Indian shipyards, both public and private, as on date. However, there is still a need to evolve a sound plan for technology development and production mechanism for complex shipborne systems. Therefore, the Indian Navy has embarked upon development of shipborne systems through two routes; one to harness the R&D potential at DRDO and the other through 'Transfer of Technology (ToT)’ with industry partners. Over a period of time, while the technology absorption has matured in certain areas, a large gap still exists in the development of critical technologies, viz., system engineering, materials, hi-tech components and advanced manufacturing processes.


The Indian Navy has acquired adequate expertise in the hull design and construction of various types of warships. In the field of propulsion systems (barring marine Gas Turbines) and related auxiliaries, support services like air conditioning, refrigeration, etc., adequate expertise and production capabilities are available in the country, perhaps due to commonality of requirements of the civilian sector. The service is also reasonably self-sufficient in power generation and distribution systems, Communication Systems, Combat Management Systems, Sonars and Electronic Warfare Systems.


Although the navy possess design capabilities and to some extent the production base, considerable performance enhancements are required in the field of Under Water weapons and sensors, Multi-function Radars, IT based systems, etc., as their critical subsystems and components are of imported origin.
Naval systems are inherently technology intensive and require substantial investment of time, money and resources. The Indian industry, including the private sector, therefore, needs to play its role in meeting needs of the Indian Navy.

Major Systems Indigenised

Submarine Equipment & Systems

Submarine equipment, being much more stringent in material specifications, has had limited success towards indigenisation. However, in the recent years, support from industry has been a crucial factor in development of various systems and equipment for use on-board submarines. The support has come forth from across the industry spectrum, right from large industrial houses to smaller MSME, and has been an encouraging factor in the realms of Navy.

Main Propulsion Equipment
Indian Navy currently employs the three conventional propulsion modes i.e. steam plants, diesel engines and gas turbines. Sufficient developments have been made in respect to steam propulsion plants and small diesel engines. Indigenously manufactured steam turbines of BHEL and main propulsion diesels of Kirloskar Oil Engines Limited are already in use onboard ships. Nuclear propulsion and Integrated Electric Propulsion are also envisaged for future ships & submarines.

Gas Turbines
Presently all gas turbines, fitted in Naval ships are of foreign origin. There is an urgent need to develop indigenous gas turbines. Indigenisation initiatives taken in this regard include induction of General Electric’s LM 2500 gas turbine on the basis of its licensed manufacture in India with progressive increase in indigenisation. Development of a fully indigenous Kaveri Marine Gas Turbine (marine derivative of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) gas turbine) is also being pursued at GTRE, Bangalore.

Diesel Engines
The primary requirement for the diesel engines is to have low noise levels and high availability/ reliability. Although a great degree of self-reliance in lower power range has been achieved, the high power diesel engines to Naval specifications are largely imported or assembled in India. Indigenous manufacture/development of high power diesel engines to naval specifications in the higher power rating will greatly reduce our dependence on imports.

Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) Solutions for Submarines
Indian Navy is also exploring AIP solutions for powering submarines as it offers considerable tactical flexibility. Operational considerations like low noise, shallow water capability, size and manoeuvrability issues have garnered Navy’s interest in non-nuclear AIP solutions. Indigenous competence in this field is at a very nascent stage and is required to be built up to the range of 225 to 250 KW for retrofitment on the existing submarines/ incorporation in the new designs.

Achievements

The major equipment and systems developed indigenously by IN as part of various ships building program are as follows:

Specific Equipment and Systems Developed
(a) Retractable Stabiliser Systems
(b) Gas Turbine (GT)/ Gas Turbine Generator (GTG) Starting Rectifier
(c) Digital GTG Control System
(d) Deck Hydraulic Systems
(e) Steering Gear Systems
(f) Electro-hydraulic Controls for Bow & Ramp Doors of Ships
(g) Extraction Trolley and cross piece for Missiles.
(h) Indigenisation of a large number of marine engineering and electrical/ electronic components like valves, compensators, pumps, shafts sleeves, coolers, air reducers, blowers, impellers, heat exchangers, instrumentation, PCBs, etc has been completed.

CONCLUSION
The role of the indigenous industry in the defence manufacturing sector cannot be over emphasised. The entire industrial might of the country, needs to partner to achieve the goal of selfreliance of the Indian Navy. They should become the stakeholders of the plan and provide not only the needed technical knowhow and share their vast manufacturing experience, but also bring the IN’s concepts and proposed capability to fructification in the form of world class defence hardware that would serve the needs of the Indian Navy.

Commitment to self-reliance through indigenous development, is a subject of the larger goal of combat readiness. Therefore, till indigenous equipment are available, the navy has to continue with the acquisition program to meet specific and current operational requirements so as to constantly remain battle worthy. Simultaneously, for the short-term requirements, it has to depend on the current indigenous efforts, and use the available technologies and effect marginal improvements wherever available.

 

[[Bregs]]

There is no denying the fact that IN has always supported indigenous efforts unlike IAF and IA