Indian, Singapore navy to engage in five-day naval exercise in South China Sea

SINGAPORE (PTI): The five-day joint naval exercise between the Indian Navy and the Singapore Navy will start Saturday in the South China Sea.

Five Indian navy ships, under the command of Rear Admiral Harish Chandra Singh Bisht, arrived in Singapore on Friday for the drill that aims to strengthen bilateral maritime security relations.

The joint exercises, held on alternate year in the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea, has built up understanding and knowledge between Indian and Singapore navies, Rear Admiral Joseph Leong, Fleet Commander of the Republic of Singapore Navy told PTI at a reception hosted on board INS Jyoti.

He cited benefits of the joint exercise and cooperation developed by the Indian and Singapore navies in tackling major challenges and especially the piracy in the Gulf of Aden.

"We understand each other and have a high level contact in managing maritime security," said Rear Admiral Leong.

Rear Admiral Bisht said the annual exercises, held since 1994, were important to sharpen the skill of naval forces.

INS Delhi, INS Ranvijay, INS Ranveer, INS Jyoti and INS Kirch manned by 1,400 naval personnel are participating in the exercise. Singapore will have four naval ships including a submarine.

INS Ranvijay, the most powerful Indian naval ship, will carry out anti-submarine and anti-missile exercises.

But this time, the exercises would be a "mock warfare" though in the past live firing were tried out.

INS Vikramaditya to start sea trials in the falls

Indian carrier INS Vikramaditya (former Russian aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Gorshkov) which is being modernized at defense shipyardSevmash will conduct her first sortie in the falls of 2011, reported ITAR-TASS referring to Anastasia Nikitinskaya, the head of Sevmash's press service, having specified that "approximately, in October or November". 

The carrier undergoes mooring trials since March 1. According to Sevmash's press service, test of main propulsion plant will be the most complicated and critical. Another high-end task is testing of radioelectronic systems including those made in India, and air-technical facilities. End objective of mooring trials is preparation of shipborne systems for coming sea trials. 

According to Russian-Indian intergovernmental package agreement signed in Jan 2004 in New Delhi, hull of Russian aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Gorshkov was handed over to India for free providing that the ship would be modernized by Sevmash and equipped with Russian-made air wing. Also, Russia will train about 1 500 Indian crewmembers and construct basing infrastructure in the Indian Ocean. As reported by Indian sources, Russian aircraft carrier would cost them $2.33 bln. 

The carrier must be delivered to Indian Navy in the end of 2012. Reportedly, her service life would be 30 years. 

Admiral Gorshkov (formerly named Baku) was commissioned into Northern Fleet in 1987. The ship's length was 283 meters; beam – 51 meters; displacement – 45,000 tons. The carrier's after-upgrade specifications have not been disclosed so far.

Russia will lease SSN Nerpa to India no later than in Oct 2011

Russia will lease nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN) Nerpa to India no later than in Oct 2011, reported RIA Novosti referring to a high-ranking source in Russian Navy Main HQ. 

Some media agencies previously reported that SSNNerpa had been allegedly leased to India for a 10-year term. 

"Nerpa is fully ready for leasing. Currently, Indian crew is trained in the sub along with Russian instructors. The training must be completed by October, as we're behind the schedule", said the interviewee. 

He specified that Indian submariners must complete the full training program including cruise missile firings. 

"What we must do now is to "coach" the Indian crew in full", said the admiral. 

Then the sub will head for India, he concluded. 

It was planned to hand over SSN Nerpa to Indian Navy as early as 2009, but a fire occurred in the sub on Nov 8, 2008 during the shipyard's sea trials in the Sea of Japan. As a result of unauthorized operation of firefighting system, freon gas entered the sub's compartments. Twenty men died, other 21 were intoxicated. Totally, there were 208 men on board the submarine while the accident happened. 

SSN Nerpa was commissioned into Russian Navy after repair in Dec 2009. 

According to RIA Novosti, the $920 mln contract provides the lease term of 10 years. 

SSN Nerpa (K-152, Project 971 Schuka-B) is a third-generation submarine laid down at Amur Shipyard(Komsomolsk-on-Amur) in 1991. However, financing of the sub's construction was shut down in mid-90's. Completion of the submarine became possible only under India's investment. 

The sub's displacement is 8,140/12,770 tons; max speed is 30 knots; test depth is 600 meters; endurance is 100 days; crew is 73; armament includes four 533-mm torpedo tubes and four 650-mm torpedo tubes.

First Scorpene submarine delivery in 2015: Antony

NEW DELHI (PTI): The delivery of the first Scorpene submarine under Project-75 to the Indian Navy has been put off till second half of 2015, Parliament was informed Monday.

In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Defence Minister A K Antony said, "The first submarine is now scheduled to be delivered in the second half of 2015. There has been delay due to initial teething problems, absorption of complex technology, augmentation of MDL Infrastructure and procurement of purchased material."

A programme for construction of six submarine is currently underway at Mazagaon Dock Limited (MDL), Mumbai under Project-75.

"As per the contract, first submarine was scheduled to be delivered in December 2012 and thereafter, one each every year till December 2017," Antony said.

Informing the House on increase in the project cost, he said, "Government has accorded approval for revision in the cost of Project-75 on account of increase in cost of items purchased by the MDL, related subheads and additional infrastructure."

He said that the Defence Procurement Procedure 2011 has envisaged monitoring of all acquisitions to rule out slippages.

"To ensure that no such slippages occur in future, DPP-2011 envisages close monitoring of acquisitions cases at appropriate level," Antony said.

Indian Navy captures 61 pirates in Arabian Sea

The Indian Navy has seized a pirate ship, rescuing 13 crewmembers and arresting 61 suspected Somali pirates in the Arabian Sea, national media reported on Monday.

"The Vega 5, a pirate mother vessel, was intercepted by a fast attack craft, INS Kalpeni. Sixty-one pirates were apprehended and 13 crew members rescued," a Navy official said, adding that the incident happened on Saturday night.

The Navy said the INS Kalpeni directed "limited" fire on the vessel after being shot at.

The Indian Navy has deployed three ships in the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea to deal with the piracy threat.

In January, India's Navy sank two pirate ships and apprehended 43 pirates.

BRAHMOS Block-III to be inducted in 12th plan: A K Antony

NEW DELHI (BNS): The Block-III version of the BRAHMOS supersonic cruise missile is likely to be inducted (in the Indian Defence forces) in the 12th plan, Defence Minister A K Antony told the Lok Sabha on Monday.

He added that, the Block-I and II versions of the BRAHMOS missile are already in service with the Indian Army.

The Minister also informed Parliament that, the supersonic cruise missile has been tested successfully for application in Indian Navy and Army.

"On 2nd December 2010, Block-III version of the missile was test fired to establish the steep dive capability of the missile with large manoeuvres. The mission was accomplished successfully, establishing a unique capability of supersonic dive in mountain operations," A K Antony said, according to a PIB news report.

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Navy to issue Rs 50,000 crore submarine tender this year

NEW DELHI: The Navy will issue a global tender for procuring six next generation submarines worth over Rs 50,000 crore by the end of this year. 

"The government has cleared Project-75 India which is the next lot of six submarines... At the moment we are going with the Request for Information (RFI) process, I hope within this year we would be able to push off the tender," Navy chief Admiral Nirmal Verma told reporters on the sidelines of a submarine seminar. 

Project-75 India is a follow on of the Scorpene submarine project, six of which are being built by the Mazgaon Dockyards Limited (MDL) under a Rs 20,000 crore deal with French company DCNS. 

With a depleted submarine strength, the Navy is planning to induct over 12 submarines in the next 10-12 years. The plans have also suffered a setback in view of the delays in the construction of the Scorpenes in Mumbai. 

Talking about the capabilities of future submarines, the Navy chief said, "It will be a different boat in the sense that we are revising its Qualitative Requirements. Along with better sensors it will also have better hiding capability, improved detection range and combat management system." 

He said the Navy would go for the Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) systems for the submarines, which would enhance their capability of remaining submerged in water for a longer time period. 

On the weapon systems to be put on the next line of under water vessels, Verma said Navy was planning to use a mix of indigenous torpedoes along with the missiles which are being deployed on the Scorpene submarines. 

To a question on safety of Indian fishermen being targeted by the Sri Lankan Navy, he said, "The issue was highlighted during the visit of the Sri Lankan President also. The joint working group on fisheries is supposed to address these issues and that is the way to resolve it." 

He denied knowledge of any apprehensions expressed by China on India's forthcoming exercises with the navies of the US and Japan. "You have to bear in mind that it is not the first time these exercises are happening. I am not aware of any such apprehension," he said. 

On the annual exercise TROPEX, the Admiral said that besides elements from army and air force, the navy would also include its amphibious elements for the first time in the exercise. 

"TROPEX in terms of involved expenses and platforms is the largest exercise we have. This time we have huge amphibious elements including the participation from army and the air force," he said. 

Indian Navy inducted its first amphibious warship INS Jalashwa from US in 2007.

Underwater test launch of BrahMos missile to be carried out in 2011

Russian-Indian joint venture company BrahMos Aerospace has developed submarine-launched modification of BrahMos cruise missile; test launch is scheduled in the current year, said the company's executive director Sivathanu Pillai. 

The company has already developed the submarine-launched version, he said. It is planned to conduct the test launch from drowned platform placed on a special pontoon. The launch is supposed to be performed this year, added the executive director. 

As was previously reported, the Russian-Indian company had developed a modification of BrahMoss upersonic cruise missile designed for submarines. 

Russian-Indian joint venture company BrahMos Aerospace was established in India in 1998 for production of supersonic antiship missiles. The company was founded by NPO Mashinostroyenia (Russia) and Defense Research and Development Organisation (India).

First frigate built for India to start trials in Feb-March

First of three frigates built for Indian Navy by Yantar shipyard (Kaliningrad) will be ready for trials in Feb-March 2011, said today Sivathanu Pillai, the executive director of Russian-Indian joint venture company BrahMos Aerospace. 

One ship has been fully equipped; the second one will be also completed in Feb-March, he said. 

According to Mr. Pillai, the shipyard conducts final works to prepare the frigate for trials. He also said that the new ships could launch BrahMos missiles both in the Baltic Sea and in the Indian Ocean when the first frigate arrives there from Russia. This issue is at the Russian Navy's option, said the executive director. 

The shipbuilding contract for three frigates for Indian Navy was signed on July 14, 2007 in Delhi. Overall cost of the contract makes about $1.6 bln. This is the second export contract for Russian frigates tied with India. The first one cost about $1 bln and was signed in Nov 1997. Three ships were built and handed over to Indian Navy – INS Tabar (Axe), INS Trishul (Trident), and INS Talvar (Sword). 

Dimensions and navigability of the frigates currently built at Yantar will have no cardinal differences with those exported to India earlier. The changes are related to armament and onboard equipment. In particular, the new frigates are armed with Russian-Indian cruise missiles BrahMos. 

As was reported, the first ship of new series – INS Teg (Saber) – was launched in Nov 2009, the second one – INS Tarkash (Quiver) – in June 2010. 

Project 11356 guided missile frigates are designed for antisubmarine, antisurface, and antiaircraft defenses. The ship's length is 125 meters; beam is 15 meters; displacement is 4,000 tons; crew is up to 200; fuel range is 4,500 miles.

India will get frigates on time, all problems are resolvable – an official

Despite some difficulties, frigates built in Kaliningrad for Indian Navy will be delivered to the customer on terms specified in the contract, reported ITAR-TASS citing Alexander Fomin, deputy director of Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation (FSMTC) appearing today at the Aero India 2011 international exhibition in Bangalore. 

"The works go on; two ships have been already launched and the third one is being prepared for launching. Of course, there are some minor problems, but we handle them", Fomin said. 

The $1.6 bln shipbuilding contract was tied with India in summer 2006. It is planned to deliver frigates to the customer in 2011-2012. First three Project 1135.6 frigates cost India over $1 bln and were built by Baltiysky Zavod. Ships were delivered in 2003-2004, one year behind the schedule. 

Yantar shipyard won India's tender for other three frigates. The first one was launched in Nov 2009, the second one – in June 2010. Indian president Prateebha Patil gave names to the ships – INS Teg (Saber), INS Tarkash (Quiver), and INS Trikand (Bow) – which were laid down in 2007-2008. 

Frigates of this series are multipurpose warships. They are designed for antisubmarine, antisurface and antiaircraft defenses, and are the first ships to be armed with Russian-Indian supersonic cruise missile system BrahMos.

Indian Navy planning to induct four Landing Platform Docks

In order to add more teeth to its amphibious warfare capabilities, the Indian Navy is planning to induct four Landing Platform Docks (LPD) to join the fleet alongside INS Jalashwa.

"We are looking to add four more LPDs in our fleet to operate alongside INS Jalashwa, the only LPD currently in service," Navy officials told the news agency.

The procurement procedure has already begun with the release of the Request for Information (RFI) by the Defence Ministry, they said.

The four warships would be procured under the Buy and make (Indian) category of the Defence procurement procedure under which the Indian shipyards, both private and public, would be required to form a partnership with foreign shipyards for the contract.

The navy wants the ships to be produced within the country itself and has sought response only from Indian shipyards, having their own infrastructure and capability of building LPD class of ships, they said.

On the procurement of warships, officials said the LPDs provide the Navy strategic reach to operate far away from Indian shores and support amphibious warfare.

The Navy wants the ships to be 200 metres long and to be able to transport Main Battle tanks (MBTs), heavy trucks, Armoured Personnel Vehicles and other heavy machinery.

It should also be able to carry out operations of heavy-lift helicopters of the Navy, the officials said.

The four LPDs will also have a point missile defence system and a close-in weapon system to protect itself from enemy firing and aircraft.

In 2007, India had inducted the INS Jalashwa - a Sanskrit name for Hippopotamus, which is a replenishment and amphibious warfare ship with capacity to embark, transport and land a 1,000-men battalion along with equipment and tanks to support operations on enemy shores.

Being the second largest ship in the Navy inventory after aircraft carrier INS Viraat, Jalashwa is also capable of undertaking maritime surveillance, special operations, search and rescue, medical support as well as humanitarian aid.

Jalashwa was originally commissioned in the US Navy as USS Trenton and had served for 36 years when India bought it for USD 48.4 million in 2007.

India Seeks More American P-8I maritime aircrafts

India has decided to buy another four American P-8I maritime reconnaissance aircraft, largely in response to growing Chinese naval activity in the Indian Ocean. Three years ago, India bought eight U.S. P-8s, for about $220 million each. The growing expense of maintaining their Russian Tu-142M reconnaissance aircraft, and the need for a more capable recon aircraft led to that initial order. The first P-8I will arrive in 2014.

The decision to switch to U.S. maritime recon aircraft is rather recent. Four years ago India received another Russian built Tu-142 maritime reconnaissance aircraft. Beginning in 1988, when it received three of these aircraft, India has bought more and now has a fleet of eight in service. The Tu-142, which was introduced in the 1970s, is the maritime patrol version of the Tu-95 heavy bomber. The Tu-95 aircraft entered service over half a century ago, and is expected to remain in service, along with the Tu-142 variant, for another three decades. Over 500 Tu-95s were built, and it is the largest and fastest turboprop aircraft in service. Russia still maintains a force of 60 Tu-95s, but has dozens in storage, which can be restored to service as either a bomber or a Tu-142.

The 188 ton aircraft has flight crew consisting of a pilot, copilot, engineer and radioman, and an unrefueled range of 15,000 kilometers. Max speed is 925 kilometers an hour, while cruising speed is 440 kilometers an hour. Originally designed as a nuclear bomber, the Tu-142 version still can carry up to ten tons of weapons (torpedoes, mines, depth charges, anti-ship missiles, sonobuoys) and a lot more sensors (naval search radar, electronic monitoring gear). There are two 23mm autocannon mounted in the rear of the aircraft. The mission crew of a Tu-142 usually consists of eight personnel, who operate the radars and other electronic equipment. Patrol flights for the Tu-142 can last twelve hours or more, especially when in-flight refueling is used. Maximum altitude is over 14,000 meters (45,000 feet), although the aircraft flies much lower when searching for submarines. India requires aircraft like these for patrolling the vast India ocean waters that surround the subcontinent. India wanted to upgrade the electronics on its Tu-142s, but has been put off by the high price, and low performance, of what the Russians offered.

The P-8A Poseidon is based on the widely used Boeing 737 airliner. India will get a version (P-8I) customized for their needs. Although the Boeing 737 based P-8 is a two engine jet, compared to the four engine turboprop P-3, it is a more capable plane. Cruise speed for the 737 is 910 kilometers an hour. This makes it possible for the P-8 to get to a patrol area faster, which is a major advantage when chasing down subs first spotted by sonar arrays or satellites. The P-8 has a crew of 10-11 pilots and equipment operators, who operate the search radar and various other sensors. The 737 has hard points on the wings for torpedoes or missiles.

The B-737 is a more modern design than the Tu-142, and has been used successfully since the 1960s by commercial aviation. The Boeing 737 first flew in 1965, and over 5,000 have been built. The P-8A will be the first 737 designed with a bomb bay and four wing racks for weapons. The U.S. P-8 costs more, about $275 million each, because of different equipment carried.

HS-6 Sailors to Observe Centennial of Naval Aviation in San Diego

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Trevor Welsh, Navy Public Affairs Support Element West

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Sailors assigned to the "Screamin' Indians" of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HS) 6 are participating in the Centennial of Naval Aviation (CoNA) celebration at Naval Air Station North Island Feb. 12.

Like the numerous changes and improvements in naval aviation during the past 100 years, the squadron is currently in a transition phase, bidding farewell to the historic HH-60 and SH-60F model helicopters Jan. 27 and anxiously awaiting the arrival of the MH-60S later this year.

No HS-6 aircraft will participate in the day's events.

According to Cmdr. Brent Alfonzo, HS-6's commanding officer, the airframe and command transition period leaves the squadron without an aircraft for the San Diego area CoNA event, but it certainly doesn't mean that HS-6 personnel won't be observing the year long CoNA celebration. 

"The transition date is scheduled for July 8 of this year," said Alfonzo. "The biggest and hardest part has been manning the squadron properly; planning ahead and figuring what personnel with what qualification need to be here and ready on time, so come July we can have people ready to operate and maintain the helicopters."

Alfonzo also said that the transition to the "S" airframe also means a change in the mission as well as the command name from HS-6 to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 6.

"The anti-submarine aspect of our mission will be going away," said Alfonzo. "Our main focus now will be search and rescue, personnel recovery, special operations support and anti-surface warfare. This allows us to focus on mission sets that are more closely related."

Alfonzo said that the squadron has been sending all of their pilots, aircrew, and maintainers through a transition schooling syllabus. Personnel from the squadron will also work with HSC-3 to learn the intricacies of the MH-60S aircraft.

The Screamin' Indians of HS-6 have been a part of naval aviation for more than 50 years. While squadron members might be disappointed to not be flying in the San Diego area celebration, Alfonzo said HS-6 is proud to be helping establish the face of naval aviation for the next 100 years. 

Commemorating 100 years of progress and achievement in naval aviation, CoNA is a year-long tribute to the scope of all naval aviation activities, including aircraft, people, ships, innovations and significant milestones.

"One hundred years ago naval aviation was on the heels of the Wright Brothers' first flight at Kitty Hawk," said Rear Admiral Pat McGrath, who leads the CoNA effort. "Here in San Diego, experiments with 'hydroaeroplanes' set the stage for the flying machine to become an integral part of our Navy."

The highlight of San Diego area CoNA events is the Feb. 12 Open House and Parade of Flight at NASNI featuring more than 75 historic aircraft, ship and aircraft carrier tours, static display aircraft, and a classic car show.

Indian Navy issued a tender for amphibious aircrafts

Indian Navy issued a tender for nine amphibious aircrafts to be used in patrols between Andaman and Nicobar islands and Lakshadweep, reportsDefense Aerospace. New aircrafts will also participate in search-and-rescue operations and inter-island transportation. 

According to technical specifications, the aircrafts must have short take-off capability and operational range up to 800 miles (1,480 km). Probably, Canadian company Bombardier and Russian Beriev Design Bureau would receive invitation to the tender. 

In March 2010 the tender for six hydroplanes was declared by Indian Air Force. These aircrafts will be also used for air reconnaissance, search-and-rescue operations, and connection between islands and ships. Requirements for these aircrafts are the same as those of Indian Navy. This tender is also attended byBombardier and Beriev Design Bureau. 

As was previously reported by the Central Navy Portal, Indian Navy investigated the possibility to acquire 9 amphibious aircrafts for operations near Andaman, Nicobar, and Laccadive islands. Current India's rearmament program implies over $200 bln investment for the nearest 11-12 years. At present, India holds numerous international tenders for attack helicopters, fighters, submarines, and UAVs.

Indian Navy successfully combats pirates

India’s coast guard and navy has captured 28 suspected Somali pirates and rescued 24 Thai fisherman from a fishing trawler that was used as a pirate mothership off the coast of India. It is the country’s second piracy success in under two weeks.

On Saturday February 5, the Greek-flagged merchant ship Chios was attacked by pirates about 100 miles off the Indian coast, but the attack was unsuccessful. A coast guard vessel, the ICGS Smar, and INS Tir, an Indian Navy training ship, were deployed to search for the pirates. The next day Smar came across the Thai fishing Trawler, Prantalay 11, which had been hijacked in April last year. After shadowing the trawler and failing to establish communications with it, the ICGS fired several warning shots, forcing the vessel to stop.

“The crew of the pirate vessel surrendered by hoisting a white flag and mustered on the forward portion of the ship,” the coastguard said. “All personnel onboard the pirates' vessel were thereafter directed to jump into the water for recovery.” 

Samar and Tir picked up a total of 28 suspected pirates and 24 fishermen. The pirates had been using the Thai ship as mother ship and used for launching raids on the open ocean.

The week before, the Indian Navy and Coast Guard liberated another Prantalay fishing vessel. On January 28 the Bahamas-flagged container ship MV Verdi was approached by pirates in skiffs. After the crew asked the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) for help, the Indian Coast Guard sent out a Dornier maritime patrol aircraft over the area. As soon as the pirates saw the aircraft, their skiffs changed direction and moved towards their Prantalay 14 mother ship.

The ship had been hijacked a few months before and its Thai and Burmese crew held hostage. After several hours chase, the Navy’s fast attack craft Cankarso closed in and tried in vain to establish contact. Then Cankarso fired a warning shot and after an exchange of gunfire, the pirates surrendered. Twenty fishermen were rescued while the 15 Somali and Ethiopian pirates apprehended were arrested once ashore in India.

Somali pirates are quite active in Indian Ocean, as they have launched several attacks in recent years. Today pirates successfully hijacked an Italian-flagged oil tanker in the Indian Ocean, abducting 17 sailors. Suspected Somali pirates also captured five Italian sailors in the incident, which occurred 800 kilometres off the west coast of India and some 1 300 kilometres off the Somali coast.

The pirates used rocket launchers and submachine guns to hijack the 266 metre long MV Savina Caylyn, which is now heading for Somalia. According to the Italian Coast Guard, gunfire was exchanged between the pirates and crew before the ship was boarded.

India has a warship permanently stationed in the Gulf of Aden, together with more than 40 ships from different countries that are deployed there to combat piracy. Whilst pirate activity has decreased in that region, it has risen to the east, near India, and south, near Tanzania.

Indian defence minister has A K Antony voiced concern over recent incidents of piracy involving Somali pirates around Indian waters, according to Outlook India. “Our waters are not safe like before. There are some other forces helping them. We cannot remain mere spectators”.

Piracy is costing international governments between US$7 billion and US$12 billion per year and is raising costs along vital shipping routes between Europe and Asia, the Christian Science Monitor reports. Rerouting ships to avoid Somali pirates is costing between US$2.4 and US$3 billion a year, according to Oceans Beyond Piracy. International naval anti-piracy operations cost another US$2 billion, the group estimates.

“It’s a sign of the situation worsening,” according to P K Ghosh, a maritime expert at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi. “While the numbers of incidents are going down, the sophistication and their strategic reach are increasing dramatically.”

Ghosh was making reference to the increasing use of mother ships to launch attacks further and further from Somalia, as the recent attacks in Indian waters have demonstrated. Mother ships allow pirates to carry tools to break down ‘citadels’ or safe-rooms in ships, and also carry fuel for long chases. At the moment there are between eight and ten known mother ships in use, but probably double that when taking into account unknown vessels, according to Dirk Steffen, a director at the Hamburg, Germany, office of Risk Intelligence.

The Indian Navy is improving its presence around the Kakshadweep islands just off its coast by building new facilities and upgrading existing stations. It says piracy fell 75% around the islands since December, a month after patrols were stepped up there.

However, experts and organisations like the United Nations agree that solving piracy means tackling problems on land. “What the military effort, in a sense, is doing, is suppressing the issue,” says Ghosh. “The problem can only be sorted out if it is tackled from land, otherwise my prediction is that this piracy issue will spiral totally out of control and countries will find it extremely difficult to handle it.”

India has suggested various ways of combating piracy and proposed several ideas at a UN Security Council meeting in New York. Among its suggestions are that vessels off the Somali coast should be tracked in defined corridors; governments should follow the ransom money and prosecute beneficiaries; and laws should be enacted to criminalise piracy as defined in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Indian officer who had relations with Russian woman to be fired

Indian defense minister Arakkaparambil Kurian Antony promised to dismiss a naval officer who had adulterous relationship with a Russian woman in Severodvinsk, writes Hindu. 

"He'll be definitely fired. We won't serve any more", said the minister on Sunday answering the question about further career of the officer. 

Commodore Singkh had been heading the expert group observing refit of Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkovunder India's order in Severodvinsk. Early in 2010 Indian media sources published photos of the married commodore in bed with unknown Russian woman. 

Indian Navy set a special board to identify relationships of Mr. Singkh with "other Russian citizens" to determine whether those relations could have affected the cost of supplementary contract on the carrier's modernization. 

Retrofit contract of aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Gorshkov (later renamed into INS Vikramaditya) for Indian Navy was tied with Russia in 2004. It became the biggest-ever defense export contract between the two countries. Initially, the modernization was evaluated as $616 mln, and it was planned to deliver the ship in 2008. However, the delivery date was postponed to 2012 due to increase of scope of works; India was asked to make additional payment. New price (which has not been promulgated so far) was fixed in Dec 2009 after two years of negotiations. As for Indian media sources, the new contract cost $2.3 bln.

Indian Navy to salvage sunken frigate

The Indian Navy says it will salvage the Nilgiri class frigate INS Vindhyagiri off the bottom of Mumbai harbour after the vessel sunk there last Monday following a collision with a cargo vessel.

On Sunday afternoon last week a convoy of navy ships was coming into Mumbai harbour after a ‘day at sea’ for families of sailors and officers. INS Vindhyagiri was in the fifth position coming towards the naval dockyard, which is on the far side of the port. Because of the naval dockyard’s location, ships often have to cross each other’s paths.

As the convoy was entering the port, the Cyprus flagged loaded container ship MV Nordlake was leaving the dock for the open sea. The lead ship in the naval convoy established communications with Nordlake and it was decided that both would go to the right of each other.

The ships behind the lead ship had to follow its course. However, INS Godavari had fallen behind and established its own communications with Nordlake, asking that both ships pass to the left of each other.

“This created a major confusion as rest of the convoy was passing right-to-right,” said an officer investigating the case.

To give space to INS Godavari to pass to its left, Nordlake turned right. Meanwhile, another inbound merchant ship, the Seychelles flagged MV Sea Eagle, which was moving towards the harbour and was ahead of Vindhyagiri, had come parallel to Vindhyagiri.

Then, both Nordlake and Sea Eagle were facing each other and thus established quick communication. They finally decided to pass to the right of each other.

As soon as Nordlake crossed Sea Eagle (which it missed by 20 metres) it found INS Vindhyagiri right ahead of it.

By now, it was too late to manoeuvre the ship and Nordlake crashed on the right side of Vindhyagiri at a right angle, leading to a fire in the ship’s boiler room.

“Another reason for the crash was that Nordlake was at high speed since it was going to open sea and Vindhyagiri was at slow speed as it was moving to port,” said an officer from Yellow Gate Police Station.

The crash cracked the Vindhyagiri’s hull, ruptured a fuel tank and ignited a massive fire. As the fire could not be controlled by the naval dockyard, help was sought from the Mumbai fire brigade. However, the firefighting efforts resulted in flooding aboard the frigate, which partially capsized on Monday and landed on the seabed. However, the water was too shallow for her to sink completely. 

All 400 people on board the frigate were safely evacuated.

Vice-Admiral Sanjeev Bhasin, commander-in-chief, Western Naval Command, told the Times of India that the Navy would launch an inquiry and assess the damages. He said the navy would do its best to retrieve the ship and claim damages. First, fuel and water will be pumped out to make the ship lighter, then further operations will be carried out. The ship was carrying 300 tons of fuel, and oil booms were erected in case of an oil spill.

INS Vindhagiri was commissioned in 1981 and is a mostly indigenously built frigate. It was scheduled to be decommissioned in a year or two. On Saturday the Navy said the vessel will not be decommissioned immediately after being salvaged. A senior navy officer said the sunken vessel would be repaired and refitted so it can be brought back into service, according to the Asian Age. He added that once the refitting was done, the vessel would be able to serve in the Indian Navy for another five years.

The navy has laid a case of negligent navigation against the Nordlake. Ribarczyk P, managing director of German company Reederei 'Nord' Klaus E Oldendorff, which owns the Nordlake, told the Times of India, “We are not aware about a case being registered. However, we are going to conduct our own investigations. Our representative will be arriving in India as soon as he gets a visa. In the meantime, we have appointed a local representative to guide us in our investigations."

Although much of the blame has been placed on poor communications, the port’s Traffic Management System has also been criticised, the Times of India reports. A former port official said, “The Vessel Traffic Management System, which monitors the movement of all ships from port, should have jumped in and sorted out the confusion. A lot of streamlining of traffic is needed on the Mumbai coast.”

This Vindhagiri collision is the most recent incident in a series of naval accidents over the last several years. In January 2008 the submarine INS Sindhughosh bumped the MV Leeds Castle while surfacing north of Mumbai, causing damage to the conning tower. In April 2006 the Veer class corvette INS Prahar hit the container ship MV Rajiv Gandhi off the western coast near Goa, and sank. And in December 2005 the Talwar class frigate INS Trishul collided with the Ambuja Lakshmi at the Mumbai port.

The shipping ministry is planning to revamp its communication system soon. In the last two years, there have been three major ship collisions. In August last year the merchant vessels MSV Chitra and MV Khalijia 3 collided outside Mumbai port. Also last year the coast guard ship Vivek sunk in the port after it was hit by Panamanian vessel Global Purity in March. On August 31, two ships collided at Indira Docks.

Navy to flex muscles in western front wargames

NEW DELHI: India has amassed its western and eastern naval fleets on the western seaboard for intensive combat manoeuvres in the entire Arabian Sea, in what will be one of the largest maritime exercises in recent times. 

The warships, including aircraft carrier INS Viraat, Delhi-class destroyers, Kilo-class submarines and Talwar-class frigates, among others, are backed by Sea-Harrier jump-jets, IL-38 and Dornier-228 maritime reconnaissance aircraft and Kamov-28 and Seaking anti-submarine warfare helicopters. 

Many "assets" from IAF, Army and Coast Guard, including Jagaur maritime strike jets and Sukhoi-30MKI fighters, amphibious combat units and smaller warships are also being deployed for 'Tropex' or the theatre-level readiness and operational exercise. The largescale exercise's "actual tactical phase" will kick off on February 14. "Over 50 types of warships and scores of aircraft are taking part in it to sharpen combat skills as well as validate doctrines and concepts," said a source. 

That's not all. After the Tropex wargames in Arabian Sea, in keeping with its endeavour to build "interoperability" with foreign forces and further India's geo-strategic objectives, Navy will dispatch four frontline warships to the Far East in March-April for a series of exercises. 

The overseas deployment will see Indian warships undertake the 'Simbex' combat exercise with Singaporean Navy, 'Malabar' with US Navy south of Japan and 'Indra' with Russian Navy off Vladivostok. 

"Constructive engagement is our principle weapon during peacetime. The idea is to enhance security and stability in the entire Indian Ocean Region by engaging with regional and extra-regional maritime powers," a senior officer said. 

As for Tropex, the warships will practice operational concepts like "maritime manoeuvre from the sea", designed to ensure Navy is capable of favourably influencing the outcome of the land-air battle in the short, swift and high-tempo conflicts of the future. 

Then, the armed forces have also stepped up amphibious warfare drills to take the battle to enemy shores.

Indian Navy issued a tender for landing boats

Indian Navy issued an international tender for ten landing boats to be used for carrying of troops and vehicles from ships to the land, reports PTI. So far, it is uncertain what companies will compete in the tender. According to Indian military, new boats will be also used as troop transport ferries between Andaman Islands, Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep. 

Troop-carrying capacity of the boats should be at least 55 tons. Such boat must fit in Magar class or Shardulclass landing ships as well as INS Jalashwa amphibious transport dock. A boat must be capable to accommodate either 150 marines and one T-72 (T-90) main battle tank, or two infantry fighting vehicles, or two 2.5-ton trucks, or four light armored vehicles. 

New boats must not be more than 23-meter long, have a full-load speed up to 15 knots, and a out-of-dock service time at least one month (200 miles at full load). Boats should be powered with two diesel engines with water-jet propeller. Design of the boats must provide day-and-night operations. 

According to specifications, each boat should be armed with two machineguns; mount points of machineguns must be protected with armor plates. New boats will serve in Indian Navy for 20 years.

Indian Defence Production Policy: Got the policy, where’s the plan?

Submarine hull sections being readied at Mazagon Dock Ltd, Mumbai.

Comment by Deba R Mohanty, Senior Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation

Sometime during the last DefExpo, held in New Delhi in February 2010, RK Singh, the Secretary of the Department of Defence Production, had announced that the Indian government would soon come out with a defence production policy, a commitment successively pronounced by the defence minister and defence ministry mandarins in various public forums. Most members of Indian defence and security affairs (including from industry chambers CII, Ficci, Assocham, etc.) have been suggesting that the government come out with a ‘roadmap for Indian defence industry’, and the defence minister’s unveiling of the first Defence Production Policy (DPrP) on 13 January 2011 – the first ever written policy document on critical national security issues – has come as a welcome development. 

Now that DPrP is in effect, it is time to make a preliminary assessment on its objectives and possible consequences. First, DPrP’s main objective is “to achieve substantive self-reliance in the design, development and production of systems required for defence forces”. Second, it “aims to create conditions conducive for the private industry to play an active role in defence production”. Third, it gives importance to “harnessing the untapped potential of the small and medium enterprises in the indigenisation process”. Fourth, the policy will actively encourage “involvement of academia, R&D institutions, technical and scientific organisations”. Fifth, the policy will encourage “formation of consortia, joint ventures and public-private partnerships to synergise and enhance national competence in defence production”. Last but not the least, the policy suggests the government “set up a separate fund to provide necessary resources to production stakeholders like the public and private industry, SMEs and academic/scientific institutions for research and development efforts”. In sum, DPrP strives to achieve a reasonable degree of self-reliance in defence by enlarging the scope of industrial and R&D institutional participation beyond DRDO and defence public sector units to include private industry, SMEs, scientific research institutions and relevant academia. 

Now that the DPrP is in place, let the objectives of this important policy be pitted against ground reality to find out whether the latter has influenced the formulation of the former, and if so, to what extent, and if not, how autistic is the problem in the current context. Such an exercise will hopefully enable the government to consider further revision, if any.

First, conceptually, self-reliance in defence, a contested term with different subjective meanings yet generally understood as ‘attainment of a certain degree of strategic autonomy by a country in design, development and production of military goods and services’, has moved from an autarkic model (state-controlled) to embrace openness through diversification and collaboration for the past few decades. DPrP has tried to follow the same pattern but fails to chart a definitive plan of action, which requires, ab initio, a technology roadmap and identification of products, services and R&D that can be pursued by the defence industry. Unfortunately, while such a roadmap was indeed prepared by the Integrated Defence Staff and put it in the official Website some time ago, the same has been withdrawn now! A carefully prepared holistic roadmap for the industry is a necessary pre-condition for a meaningful DPrP. 

Second, the DPrP, instead of charting out clear roles for categories of stakeholders, has actually concocted the structural aspects of defence production. For example, while the role of SMEs has been emphasised without explaining how, it has surprisingly left out Raksha Udyog Ratnas (RURs), considered to be the future locomotive of the Indian defence industrial base! The role of academia and R&D institutions have been mentioned but how will they be involved in the structure have not been spelled out. Similarly, neither the philosophy nor the methods of creating collaborative models like public-private partnerships, joint ventures or consortia have been explained. More deliberations are required to look into structural aspects of the policy. 

Third, DPrP rightly recognises that the development of complex systems is generally a stage process and thus allows some flexibility of ‘buy’ option. This is a delicate issue. Often times, as DRDO has demonstrated in many of its flagship programmes in the past, critical development projects are based on unrealistic time frames, frequent quality requirement (QR) changes, bureaucratic and political apathy, resource crunch and problems in technology acquisition. DPrP must spell out a practical strategy to ensure long-term complex projects reach their eventual conclusions. 

Fourth, DPrP envisages a separate fund for R&D efforts by industry and academic and scientific institutions. It actually means that DRDO will have its own fund while another fund will be created for the industry. Such funding efforts, unless carefully synchronised and synergised, are likely to lead to duplication of efforts rather than any healthy competition. DPrP should find a viable option on funding. Fifth, DPrP, like the Defence Procurement Procedure, has failed to give a workable solution to the problem of transfer of technology (ToT). Most ToT agreements in defence have thus far ended with licence production arrangements, thus giving little benefit to the production agencies. Last but not the least, the defence minister’s annual review of progress in self-reliance in defence efforts will end as a ritual unless a common minimum quantification of self-reliance efforts is arrived at. Else, we will be perpetually confused as to how self-reliant we are in defence production.