India set to scout for 100 naval choppers

India set to scout for 100 naval choppers

NEW DELHI: The armed forces' quest for new helicopters has seen controversies, scams and scrapping of tenders, much like the lingering Bofors ghost not allowing the induction of any new artillery howitzer in the Army for the last 30 years.

In a bid to break the jinx, the Centre is set to kick off the hunt for over 100 new-generation naval utility helicopters (NUH), which will replace the obsolete Chetak helicopters in the Navy, in a 'Make in India' project with foreign collaboration for over $2 billion.

Eleven Indian private sector companies, ranging from Tata Advanced Systems, Bharat Forge, Mahindra Aerospace to Reliance Defence & Aerospace and L&T, have already responded with proposed joint ventures revolving around three foreign helicopters - AS565 MBe of Airbus, Bell Helicopters-429 and Super Lynx 300 of AgustaWestland.

With the armed forces planning to induct well over 1,000 helicopters of different types in the next 10-15 years, the Indian private sector eyes a big business opportunity in the country's aerospace sector, which has largely been domestic PSU Hindustan Aeronautics' preserve so far.

"The formal tender for the over 100 NUH is now being vetted before issuance. The project will give a fillip to the 'Make in India' initiative in the aerospace industry, with transfer of technology in niche areas not available here till now," said a source.

Though the Army and IAF also require 384 light-utility helicopters, the NUH is different since it needs wheeled landing gear, sea optimization, foldable blades and small dimensions to ensure it can fit into warship hangars. The capability for anti-submarine warfare with torpedoes and missiles is also required.

But like the Army-IAF case, the Navy's earlier tender for importing 56 NUH was cancelled to ensure the project becomes a 'Buy & Make (Indian)' venture.

In August last year, soon after the Modi government came to power, the defence ministry had scrapped the long-pending acquisition of 197 light-utility helicopters for Army-IAF from abroad due to irregularities.

Along with HAL's ongoing project to build 187 light helicopters, which was sanctioned in February 2009, the ministry of defence decided all the 197 choppers would also be made in India with foreign collaboration.

Officials, in fact, say the 'Buy & Make (Indian)' categorization of the light-utility helicopters has the potential to give Rs 40,000 crore worth of business to the domestic industry.

However, the decision also means the military's already long wait to replace their obsolete Cheetah/Chetak helicopters, used even in high-altitude areas like Siachen, will take several more years to materialize now.

India set to scout for 100 naval choppers - The Times of India

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US-India Collaboration on Aircraft Carriers: A Good Idea?

US-India Collaboration on Aircraft Carriers: A Good Idea?

Yesterday, my colleague Franz-Stefan Gady covered the main takeaways from a new Carnegie Endowment for International Peace report, authored by Ashley Tellis, that calls for, among other things, broader cooperation between the United States and India on developing the latter’s naval capabilities. Specifically, Tellis focuses on carrier aviation and recommends that the United States ensure that India fields a more robust carrier capability than China. India has a Vikrant-class carrier in the works: the 65,000 ton nuclear-powered INS Vishal will launch in the next decade. Tellis’ report has drawn attention for good reason, and I’d like to herein address two points that stood out to me.

First, Tellis astutely notes that while the United States and India are strategically converging—certainly in the first 11 months of Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party’s time in power—what both sides really need is a bilateral strategic event on the scale of the 2005 123 agreement on civil nuclear cooperation. That agreement stands as a watershed moment in bilateral relations between the world’s oldest democracy and its largest. It came a few years after that United States had alienated and sanctioned India for its nuclear tests in the late-1990s. The civil nuclear agreement was a feather in the Bush administration’s cap on foreign policy and showed the India and the United States could work together for mutual benefit.

Today, though both countries cooperate and agree on a variety of security and defense issues (see examples here and here), there is no real looming possibility for a cooperative endeavor on the scale of the civil nuclear cooperation deal. Tellis claims—and I’d agree—that U.S. technical assistance for India’s indigenous aircraft carrier, while not comparable in scale to the nuclear agreement, are a great way to encourage a convergence between the core national security interests of both countries. Tellis situates the strategic logic of this endeavor in terms of the broader conversations that are taking place in both Washington and New Delhi about China’s naval modernization and forays into the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

Second, while the report’s two core recommendations for the United States on offensive carrier technology are straightforward, they are not both equally convincing. The recommendations, on improving the ability of India’s next-generation carriers to “fight,” are to allow India access to General Atomics’ electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS, the advantages of which I discussed in some detail earlier this month), and offer India access to “various advanced aviation systems” (read: E-2C/D Hawkeye and F-35C Lightning joint strike fighters). The first proposal—EMALS—is both realistic and feasible while the second is less so. EMALS would ensure that India’s Vikrant-class carriers would have superiorly capable air wings to anything China currently fields on its sole carrier, the sidegraded Russian Admiral Kuznetsov-class carrier, the Liaoning.

In short, an EMALS-equipped INS Vishal (and ostensibly INS Vikrant) would entail a switch to the more complex but versatile catapult-assisted (CATOBAR) launch systems. Currently, India, Russia, and China operate carriers using the less advanced short take-off (STOBAR) launch system. With an EMALS-equipped CATOBAR launch system (pardon the alphabet soup), India’s naval strike fighters would encounter less strain on their airframes and be able to conduct sorties faster. This means that even while China’s current J-15 fighters may be better equipped than India’s currently employed MiG-29K Fulcrum fighters, India would have a leg up when it came to deploying its carrier air wings.

Of course, the MiG-29K Fulcrum won’t be India’s go-to strike fighter (one hopes) when the Vishal heads out to sea. The question of what fighter would adorn the Vishal‘s flattop remains open. Tellis proposes Lockheed Martin’s F-35C Lightning.:tsk: While it’s an interesting thought, it’s hard to imagine India opting for the F-35C (it would seem Flashpoint‘s Robert Farley agrees with me on this point, based on his post from earlier today discussing the future of India’s carrier aviation). Part of the reason is that India is too far along with Russia on their plans to jointly develop a multi-role fifth generation fighter aircraft based off the Sukhoi T-50 PAK FA. (New Delhi is also testing naval prototypes of its Tejas light combat aircraft, but the focus remains on STOBAR launch systems.)

While joint production and development plans have hit a few roadblocks, New Delhi is almost certainly not interested in looking away at this point. To be sure, that could change in the future and the F-35C may become a compelling option. For example, disagreements over the extent of India’s involvement in the FGFA could drive New Delhi away. Additionally, Tellis notes that the T-50 has no naval variant; the FGFA variant might not either, initially. India’s recent decision to acquire 36 Dassault Rafale fighters from France could be the big wrench in the works here for any Indian plans to explore an F-35C acquisition.:mad: While the Rafale is less capable than the F-35C as a stealth fighter, it would fight the bill for India’s next-generation carrier air wings.

As an ancillary note, the F-35 could have had a very different fate with India had things gone differently in the early stages of bidding for India’s now-dead medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) tender. In 2008, Lockheed Martin pitched a F-16 variant (F-16IN) for consideration under the MMRCA, with the added bonus that India would be eligible for the F-35 Lightning in the future (Tellis himself explored the reasons the U.S. pitch failed in 2011). The F-16 wasn’t appealing for a variety of reasons: Pakistan operated the fighter and its capabilities were insufficiently differentiated from the Mirage 2000s the Indian Air Force already possessed. Additionally, Indian carrier development was less of a priority at the time the MMRCA was conceived. Today, Indian priorities have changed with the times and New Delhi sees a greater role for naval aviation in its bid to exert strategic primacy over the IOR.

Leaving the nuts and bolts of cooperation on India’s carriers aside, one hopes that Tellis’ recommendations will be heard loudly and clearly in both New Delhi and Washington. As the India and the United States continue to build their relationship on a solid foundation of shared interests, both strategic and economic, they will find it easier to pursue their common goal of preserving the status quo in the Indian Ocean through sustained cooperation on defense and security matters. Washington should do its part in buttressing New Delhi’s ability to exercise naval supremacy in the IOR. Making sure India has the right tools for the job (i.e., cutting edge aircraft carriers) is a straightforward and visible way to do so.


US-India Collaboration on Aircraft Carriers: A Good Idea? | The Diplomat
====
:tsk:
Them US will take us for a ride when we badly need support..
US cannot be trusted.

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India and France Begin 10-Day Naval Exercise Christened 'Varuna'

India and France Begin 10-Day Naval Exercise Christened 'Varuna'

Quote:

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NEW DELHI: India and France today began 10-day naval exercise 'Varuna' that will see 12 Rafale fighter jets in action off the Goa coast along with a host of naval assets of both countries.

The 14th edition of 'Varuna' started with the arrival of four French naval ships at Goa including aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, two destroyers Chevalier Paul and Jean de Vienne, replenishment tanker Meuse and a maritime patrol aircraft Atlantique 2.

The French aircraft carrier is carrying fighter aircraft Rafale M, Strike Aircraft Super Etendard, E2C Hawkeye Airborne Warning And Control System (AWACS) - a mobile, long-range radar surveillance and control centre for air defense - and helicopters Dauphin and Alouette 3.

India has decided to buy 36 Rafale fighter aircraft in fly-away condition for the Indian Air Force.

From Indian side, aircraft carrier INS Viraat, destroyer INS Mumbai, stealth frigate INS Tarkash, guided missile frigate INS Gomati, replenishment tanker INS Deepak, submarine INS Shankul and a few Fast Attack Craft are participating in the exercise.

Both INS Mumbai and INS Tarkash had recently come back after completing the evacuation operation in Yemen.

Apart from these, Indian Navy's carrier-borne fighter aircraft Sea Harriers, maritime reconnaissance aircraft P-8I and Dorniers along with integral helicopters Seaking 42B and Chetak would also be participating.

The scope of exercise includes the entire gamut of maritime operations from aircraft carrier operations, anti submarines warfare exercises, maritime interdiction operations to multi-ship replenishment exercise, an official statement said.

Relations between India and France have traditionally been close and friendly. With the establishment of strategic partnership in 1998, there has been significant progress in all areas of bilateral cooperation and exchanges including naval exercises.

The Indian Navy and the French Navy have been conducting naval exercises since 1983 and following the establishment of a strategic partnership, these exercises were christened as 'Varuna' in 2001. The 10-day exercise which began today will continue till May 3.

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India's largest naval destroyer INS VISAKHAPATNAM

Indian Navy’s largest and heaviest

indigenously built warship INS

Visakhapatanam-class destroyer is ready to

launch.

Visakhapatanam (Project-15B) has followed

the INS Kolkata class (Project-15A), built by

the Mazagaon Dockyard Limited (MDL) more

advanced than Kolkata class.

This is first ship in a total of four warships of

Project 15B that is likely to be named as INS

Visakhapatanam during the launching

ceremony scheduled for next Monday at MDL.

After the completion of successful trials of

harbour acceptance and sea trials which

lasted for several months, the warship will be

commissioned into the Indian Navy.

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DRDO Annual Report 2014-15 indian navy related news

Annual Report of DRDO for year 2014-2015

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Pak to acquire new Subs: Saudi paid 'Bounty'?

Refer this article in Dawn



Govt endorses summary to get 8 submarines from China, defence committee told - Pakistan - DAWN.COM

excerpts:

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The officials also said that the national security committee will give the final nod to go ahead with the plan to get eight submarines from China.



"Other proposals are under consideration as well. The Pakistan navy is also in touch with Germany, Britain and France to purchase used submarines," officials informed the committee.

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I don't think the Chinese are bankrolling this one as Pak has approached Europe too. Although France has refused and others will too (Project 75I is way more lucrative) Pak is probably shopping with the new prepaid debit card courtesy Saudi Arabia ... Lets see what happens.

@Rashna Post something related to defence for a change. :lol:

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Pakistan to Buy Eight Chinese Submarines

Pakistan has approved a plan to buy eight Chinese submarines, according to a senior Pakistani defense official, in what is expected to be one of China’s biggest-ever arms sales.



The deal is also expected to be among Pakistan’s biggest weapons purchases and is likely to intensify an emerging undersea contest in the Indian Ocean, where India and China are also expanding submarine operations.



Rear Admiral Mukhtar Khan, additional secretary in Pakistan’s Ministry of Defence, revealed the plan at a meeting of parliament’s Standing Committee on Defence on Tuesday, according to an official record of the meeting.



The official record quoted him saying that “the National Security Committee (NSC) has approved, in principle the project to acquire eight Chinese submarines. Financial negotiations for the same are in advance stages.”



The National Security Committee is the top decision-making body for defense issues, with both civilian leadership—including Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif—and the military chiefs sitting on this committee.



Pakistan Navy officials declined to comment. An official in the press office of China’s defense ministry referred questions on the submarine deal to local defense industry representatives but declined to say which ones were involved.



A senior Pakistani government official said that discussions were ongoing, but the financial and technical details of the deal won’t be publicly discussed until negotiations are wrapped up and it has actually been signed.



China and Pakistan have had close relations for decades based largely on their mutual suspicion of India, and China has long been one of Pakistan’s main arms suppliers.



Hua Chunying, a Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman, didn’t respond directly when asked about the submarine deal on Thursday but said: “China and Pakistan are traditional friends and neighbors.”



She said that China abided by its principles and international standards when selling arms.



She also said that Chinese President Xi Jinping was looking forward to paying a state visit to Pakistan “as soon as possible” and both sides were in close contact on that issue. She didn’t give a date for the visit.



Military experts and defense industry publications say the deal is most likely for Pakistan to buy China’s diesel-powered Yuan class attack submarines, which are also known as Type 039A or Type 041.



However, some earlier reports have suggested that Pakistan could purchase another Chinese diesel-powered attack submarine called the Qing class, or Type 032.



China’s global arms exports more than doubled between the five-year period ended in 2009 and the five-year period ended in 2014, according to an annual report on weapons transfers published last month by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.



China was Pakistan’s biggest arms supplier between 2010 and 2014, accounting for 51% of Pakistani weapons imports. The U.S. was in second place with 30%, according to the report.

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Us aircraft carriers vs indian aircraft carriers

US AIRCRAFT CARRIERS VS INDIAN AIRCRAFT CARRIERS





The US Navy’s Aircraft Carriers come under a category known as Super-carriers. They weigh in excess of 90,000 long tons. The current breed of aircraft carriers, known as the Nimitz class aircraft carriers are capable of launching upto 90 fixed wing aircraft from their decks. For this, they cannot use the ski jump based take off. This is because of the limited operational capabilities of a ski-jump type launch mechanism. Hence, these nuclear powered Aircraft Carriers use Steam Catapult based launch systems.



This usage of catapult has led to the terming of their configuration as CATOBAR i.e Catapult Assisted Takeoff Barrier Assisted Recovery. The launch is using a catapult while the recovery is by means of an arrestor wire which uses enormous forces to bring the 14-odd ton hornet fighter to a stop within 100 feet. In combat conditions, the Aircrafty Carrier Nimitz can launch its full complement of 90 fighters in under 30 minutes. That is close to 3 per minute. This is enable by the 3 steam catapults on the deck.



When you compare this capability to the Indian Navy’s newest Aircraft Carrier INS Vikramaditya, the differences in the capacities become well pronounced. The Vikramaditya is STOBAR configuration aircraft carrier. STOBAR stands for Short Take-Off Barrier Arrested Recovery. It uses a arrestor wire similar to the Nimitz class to recover its fighters. The Vikramaditya which weighs only 45,000 tons can carry 30 fighters onboard. However, it can launch a MiG 29 every 3 minutes. The launch is made by a Short take off run by the MiG 29 on the Ski-jump. It effectively converts the momentum of 18-odd ton MiG-29K into altitude. This is achieved by applying the afterburners of the fighter, which in turns consumes quite some fuel.



This is a significant lack of capability when compared to the Nimitz. Although, the Vikramaditya is a potent platform (One can even consider it the king of the Indian ocean) it’s complement of launch capabilities pales in comparison to the CATOBAR nimitz. Another effective drawback is the lack of flexibility in the operation of different fixed wing aircraft. The nimitz can operate heavier aircraft such as Grumman E-2C&D Hawkeye AEWCs.



It has also operated Electronic Warfare aircraft and Tactical Bomber such as EA- 6B Prowler and A-6 Intruder. Such impressive flexibility is lacking on the STOBAR Vikramadithya which operates only the Multi-role MiGs. It operates the Ka-31 and Ka-28 as AEWC and ASW platforms respectively. While these are good platforms, by virtues of being Helicopters, their operational range simply does not stand up to that of the E-2C and E-2D Hawkeyes.



Hence, US Navy’s operation of CATOBAR and not STOBAR Aircraft Carriers gives it an operational and strategic advantage over navies operating STOBAR carriers such as China (and India).



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DCNS offers modified Mistral to India

DCNS offers modified Mistral to India



SOURCE: stratpost







Pierre Legros of DCNS, spoke to StratPost on the sidelines of the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace exhibition (LIMA2015) about his company’s response to the Indian Navy’s RFP for LPD vessels.



Tell us about your response to the Indian Navy RFP (Request For Proposal) for four LPD (Landing Platform Dock) vessels.



We have offered the Mistral-class. But because of the very specific requirements of the Indian Navy we have been obliged to propose significant changes to the Mistral-class design – original design.



And initially, very frankly, we thought that the best value for money for India would be to acquire the Mistral as it is – maybe with some modifications, as we did for the Russians, for instance. But it appears that they wanted to have very big modifications in order to comply with the depth and standard which are applicable to this particular ship.







And for instance, they did not accept the engines which normally equip the Mistral family which are essentially the (azimuth thrusters) – they are installed on pods – they wanted to have normal normal shaft lines – maybe it doesn’t speak to you, but it means that since, now the well dock, which is the main part of the Mistral cannot be realized in th same way because of the shaft lines – two shaft lines, at least – we have to redesign the whole aft-section of the ship.

So most of it is going to be more or less similar to the Mistral and same from the outside. You will still see it – more or less similar.



But indeed, the modifications are really, really significant and we have some doubts, very frankly, about the real value for money. But once again, those are the requirements of the Indian Navy – let’s abide by that, let’s try to meet all those requirements and maybe later in the process of negotiations we might end up in convincing the Indian Navy that they might do significant savings by going for the more off-the-shelf solution.



Why is the Indian Navy circumspect about the existing engine pods?



It works (existing azimuth thruster propulsion) but certain navies think that the pods are very – well, first of all have not been designed with all the military requirements taken into account. Secondly, that they are more difficult to maintain over time, which is not at all our view – quite the contrary. It’s a perception issue.



I can tell you that all the countries in which we have marketed the Mistral – all countries have accepted the pod approach without any problems – even the Russians.

So we were very much surprised when the Indian Navy said, “No, no, no, no – this is not what we want. You have to follow exactly the requirements that we have expressed in our RFP, otherwise you might be eliminated right away,” and we said, “Okay, okay – don’t frighten us with elimination. If this is what you want we can certainly do it.” It’s not a technical issue, it’s only a question of value for money.



This is one of the things – there are other things, which have led us to study all those changes but, once again, this is not at all a big deal. This is a very flexible ship, not only in terms of the capacity and military operations or whatever, but even in terms of design.



We have conducted, for instance, a number of changes for the Russians who wanted ship capable of moving in Arctic seas. For instance, in the Russian version, the deck can be heated, which is not a requirement in India. They also wanted to change the height of the lower decks in order to accommodate ‘higher’ helicopters, so all of this can be very easily done. This is not an issue.

How difficult is it to modify the original design?



Modular design and modular construction. This is the reason why it was for us relatively easy to design those modifications. As a matter of fact we did the job in less than four months (for the modifications of the response to the Indian Navy RFP). So we see that as a real advantage of our design. Now obviously the other advantage that we have is that this ship amply proven at sea.



And for the Indian Navy we have proposed a basic design, as we normally do in a proposal – concept design – but we will have to – if we happen to be selected at the end of the day, we will have to do the detailed design and that will take some more time.



Mistral9 (600 x 278)



But the other thing, also, which we believe is an advantage is – and this is something that has not been matched by any other competitor – is the time needed to build such a ship. This is a big ship – between 22 and 26,000 tons – only an aircraft carrier would be bigger than this – and that ship has been built for he Russians in 32 months. For the French Navy – same thing and therefore we have now a track record which demonstrates that we can build it quickly.



Now, obviously, in India – it will have to be built in India, so we have to transfer the technology. But this is what we did, for instance, for the Russians and they have been capable to follow the same.



How confident are you about your partnership with Pipavav in bidding for this RFP?



We have developed those changes to make a good proposal in association with our partner Pipavav – maybe tomorrow, Reliance Defence – we don’t know.



To us, very frankly, this was a fantastic news because we were very anxious about the future of Pipavav. And up to the point where, because of the situation of Pipavav and the situation of the ABG at the same time we were about to have the Indian Navy canceling the RFP by saying ‘Okay guys – let’s redo the whole thing because now we have only one solid proposal on the table’ – which is the one of L&T – Larsen and Toubro.

There are three contenders, basically, each of one with one occidental partner – ABG with Alion Technologies from the US, L&T with Navantia of Spain and we are with Pipavav.



In any case, we built most of the ship in France for the Russians but in India have known right from the beginning that the whole thing would be built in India. So this is not something which is a problem for us. Pipavav has a very large capacity – very large dry dock – probably the biggest in India and therefore they are an ideal partner for building that type of ship, so we’re very confident. And now we will also to find a a suitable partner to build, integrate and install the combat system that will equip the ship.



Not (identified) yet. There are many, many contenders for this type of thing – it’s not a very complex ship in terms of military capacity. So BEL might do it, Tata might do it. And here again, we will be very flexible and we will listen to the Indian Navy – have always their way of thinking about their partners, their privileged partners and this not a domain in which there should be any difficulty to accommodate any partner of their choice.



DCNS offers modified Mistral to India | idrw.org

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The Indian SSN Project: An Open Literature Analysis

The Indian SSN Project: An Open Literature Analysis



Quite a comprehensive article on indian nuclear submarine project.

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French warships to arrive for Naval exercise

A flotilla of warships from the French Navy will arrive on the western coast for exercise Varuna-2015 with the Indian Navy. The exercise that will begin in late April would see a host of maneuvers between the two navies, primarily aimed towards establishing a common mode of communication apart from practicing other naval tactics. Also, an American warship, USS Paul Hamilton, is slated to dock at Goa for rest and recreation (R&R) purposes after a long deployment. The French fleet will include a Carrier Battle Group (CBG) led by an aircraft carrier, most likely the FNS Charles De Gaulle (R91), two destroyers, a supply ship and a nuclear powered submarine. The annual exercise is a part of Indo- French bilateral defence and diplomatic ties, which will see ships and aircraft from both the navies practicing ‘cross deck’ operations, mid-sea refueling and anti-submarine warfare (ASW). The Charles De Gaulle will carry the naval version of the Dassault Rafale fighter aircraft, which is seeing contentious negotiations between the two countries to be sold to the Indian Air Force (IAF). “The primary aim of the exercise is to establish and test common communication channels which will be used during a real joint operation and to understand each other’s procedures,” said an officer. Maneuvers in such exercises include sending ‘sea riders’ — officers to the other navy’s ship — primarily as a protocol and secondly to liaise and coordinate the exercise. The ships would be arriving this week and the exercise is slated to begin late in April. “Meetings will first be held for planning the exercise where details of all the maneuvers will be decided upon,” the officer added.



French warships to arrive for Naval exercise | The Asian Age

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REVEALED: Navy Ship That Could Save Dying Indian Shipyard

LIVEFIST: REVEALED: Navy Ship That Could Save Dying Indian Shipyard

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2 Indian Navy ships in Mayanmar

The Indian Embassy in Myanmar announced that two Indian navy ships named “Saryu” and “Batti Malv” are set to arrive in Yangon on March 16.The ships will be in Yangon from March 16 to 18.



During the visit, senior officers and the captains of the two Indian ships will meet with Myanmar navy officers and the local authorities. The officers and crew of the two ships will also carrying out other social activities during their visit to Myanmar, according to the announcement by the Indian Embassy.



The ships are arriving as part of regular exercises. Saryu is a new-generation patrol vessel. It was built for the Indian Navy at the Gao Shipyard, India. Its range is about 3,500 nautical miles. The vessel is able to carry a helicopter.



INS Batti Malv is a patrol vessel used in search and rescue operations and for hunting small ships.

.................................................. .................................................. ............



r we taking advantage of bad Mayanmar China relationship with this visit ?



Two Indian navy ships visit Yangon

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Additional INS Talwar class frigates being IMPORTED, again???

When PM Modi has already given his go ahead for building seven P-17A advanced stealth frigates for about USD$ 8 billion, what is the need for this propaganda type news that mentions that Indian Navy is inclined for another 3-4 Talwar type Russian Frigates?:frusty::frusty:



Indian Navy inclined towards three more improved Talwar class frigates - SP's Naval Forces



One has to keep in mind, these frigates are not cheap anymore, a reason that propelled Indian Navy earlier to go for six of these warships. There has been a phenomenal increase in the price by the Russian Shipyard. The price increase was one of the reasons why the last two frigates were delayed in their delivery. The new price of these Talwar class vessels of 4000 ton is almost equal to mighty Shivalik class frigates of 6200 ton.:confused::confused::confused:



India to spend $3 billion for 3 more Talwar-class frigates | Russia & India Report



At the same time, GRSE is producing INS Kamorta class corvettes which are closer in size to INS Talwar type vessels. Slight modification and addition of platforms can convert these Kamortas into an equally powerful frigates. Finally, there are shipyards in India like ABG shipyard, Hindustan Shipyard Limited, L&T, Pipavav etc which are desperate for defence shipbuilding orders. But instead of building an indigenous shipbuilding base, why is Indian Navy even thinking of importing billions of dollars worth of frigates? :frusty::frusty:



It is about time for MoD to put its foot down and declare a ban on naval vessel imports anymore. Sub-components are fine but India has enough capacity to build its ships here in Indian shipyards. Indian Navy, please stick to that philosophy henceforth.

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SC order puts lens on disciplinary proceedings in Navy

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SC order puts lens on disciplinary proceedings in Navy



The Supreme Court order on Tuesday, dismissing Navy's demand to uphold the sacking of an officer, is yet another validation for many of their argument that disciplinary proceedings in the force are increasingly flawed.



A bench headed by Chief Justice H L Dattu upheld the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) order asking the Navy to reinstate Commander Kalyan Kumar. The Navy had sacked Kumar and two other officers in May 2013, accusing them of compromising national security. The Board of Inquiry's claim that the three officers compromised national security was not accepted by the AFT and the SC.



It now turns out that the BoI report on the three officers did not contain any solid evidence of compromising national security, and only had a lot of details from their personal emails and other communications. The disciplinary proceedings were not critically examined by anyone higher up in the chain, resulting in the reputation of all three officers being irrevocably damaged.



"Petty egos are the deciding factor in many of the boards of inquiry, and there are many local factors at play. Many members of boards of inquiry are not willing to ask questions or stand up, instead, almost all sign on the dotted line," a mid-rung naval officer said. He pointed out that there were many instances in recent times when the BoI proceedings were visibly flawed.



"The worst today is that when an inquiry report is submitted, no one higher up seems to be carrying out an objective assessment. Nobody wants to raise uncomfortable questions," the officer said.



Another common complaint among mid-rung officers is about the vested interests of members of the boards of inquiry in many instances.



For example, the Navy is agog about the BoI into the accident on INS Sindhuratna submarine in which two people were killed in February last year. Sources said there were repeated complaints about the procedure, including the vested interests of most members of the board which sat on the fate of many young officers who are in the dock for the Sindhuratna mishap.



While Commander Kalyan Kumar fought his case till the Supreme Court, the two other dismissed officers have moved on to new careers. However, many officers are now asking if the defence ministry will fix responsibility on those in the Navy responsible for such rampant misuse of power and for ruining reputations and careers.

SC order puts lens on disciplinary proceedings in Navy - The Times of India

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To a great extent, it is right that Disciplinary Proceedings of the Defence Forces is high flawed and mostly totally influenced by the desire of the personal ordering the C of I (Board of Inquiry in Naval parlance).



The problem is that the Judge, Jury and the Executioner is vested in only one organisation i.e. JAG (Judge Advocate General) Branch and the JAG's future is decided by the very person who order the Inquiry, the Summary of Evidence, Court Martial and who Promulgate the Sentence.



Much debate has gone on internally, but none wants to give away the powers of being 'Mogambo, Khus Hai' since it could be taken as losing face and thus authority and unquestioned ease in exercising command.

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Can’t fire navyman for affair, link to foreigner: SC

Quote:

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Can’t fire navyman for affair, link to foreigner: SC



The Supreme Court on Tuesday injected liberalism into the strict moral and ethical boundaries defined for officers in the armed forces and said a consenting relationship between an officer and the wife of another officer could not be a ground for dismissal from service.



In many cases, officers in Army, Navy and IAF have been discharged from service on the ground of "stealing the affection of a brother officer's wife", a charge that is quickly fastened depending on the equation enjoyed by the delinquent officer with his superiors.



A naval commander in Mumbai was discharged from service after a Board of Inquiry concluded that he had "indulged in promiscuous and extra-marital relationship and maintained unauthorized contact with foreign nationals". The final charges did not hold him guilty of "moral turpitude" and "breach of information security".



The commander successfully challenged his discharge before the Armed Forces Tribunal, which directed naval authorities to reinstate him with minor penalties. The Centre challenged this order before the Supreme Court.



Appearing for the Centre, attorney general Mukul Rohatgi said the Navy was a disciplined force and it was not becoming of a senior officer to indulge in such misdemeanour with a fellow officer's wife. He also said unauthorized contact with a foreign woman, who was the wife of an Indian, created grave apprehension in the minds of authorities about possible compromise in national security.



A bench of Chief Justice H L Dattu and Justices S J Mukhopadhaya and Arun Mishra read through the evidence produced by the authorities before the AFT and said there were two charges against the man - one, indulging in exchange of sexually explicit text messages and photographs with the wife of another officer, and, two, socializing with a foreigner who was the wife of an Indian.



The CJI said, "The exchange of sexually explicit texts and photographs was between two consenting adults. The woman's husband has not complained about the fellow officer stealing his wife's affection. The woman has not complained. No one has complained. How do you term it a serious offence? The authorities have stealthily collected details of all the texts and photographs. If he was compromising national security, surely they would have found out.



"Second charge is his meeting with foreign national. But your allegations stop there. She is a foreign national married to an Indian. He might have met the lady for breakfast, lunch or dinner, but did he pass any sensitive information to her. If you have no information on this, how do you have an apprehension that it could compromise national security. In our society, the moment a foreigner marries an Indian, she becomes part of our society even though she has white skin. Can it be said that no uniformed man should meet a lady with white skin?"



The naval commander's counsel Vibha Datta Makhija said if that was the case, then all officers on naval ships that dock in a foreign port should also face the same charge.



The apex court agreed with the AFT's finding that "none of the two acts on the part of the naval commander merit his removal from service" and dismissed the appeal filed by the government.



Can’t fire navyman for affair, link to foreigner: SC - The Times of India

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This is another of the ruling where the mind apparently does not appear to have been exercised because the wise men are unaware of the ethos that govern service behaviour to make it a bit more responsible to the service and to the organisation.



Service personnel, be they officers or PBOR, unlike the civil society are deployed for long stretches operationally and are away from their families. The families are in peace stations which also have units doing their peace tenure. People including separated families meet in Clubs, OR Clubs, the market place, entertainment places and so on.



The fact that there are such strict Army, Navy and Air Force laws leading to court martial and dismissal including cashiered wherein one cannot have illicit sex, consensual or otherwise, ensures that the men folk in operational areas can have mental satisfaction that their families will be well looked after without having to worry about any violation of, or turbulence in marital life, caused by molestation, rape or illicit sex.



Now, if the SC feels that illicit sex with consent is not any grounds for dismissal or cashiering, then can the menfolk in operational areas be sure that all will be well at home? And will that constant worry not affect operational duty. Of course, one could say that one should have faith in his wife etc. True. But in today's world where morality is influenced by global promiscuity, to believe it will not affect all, is living in an ideal world and a fool's paradise.



Further, having contact with foreigners and that too with females can lead to honey traps and compromising national security. Thus, it is not encouraged in the Defence Forces.



If a foreigner marries an Indian, does it mean that foreigner has been washed in the Ganges and cannot be a spy?



The morality of the Defence Forces are on the wane and the SC ruling will sink it to an abysmal depth wherein they will not be able to recover and it will be to the detriment of National Security and Operational Efficiency.



That is why, while the Judges are wise old owls, sometimes they get everything a bit wonky and opening avenues to disaster.



In UK, if one recalls the famous 'Profumo and Chirstine Keeler case'. It was about the Defence Minister Profumo having sex with a call girl Keeler. Keeler was also having sex with the Soviet Defence Attache.



Even though Profumo had no direct contact with the Soviet Defence Attache, the Defence Minister had to resign and the Govt of the day was in the dock!



Note the difference.

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Make in India: India - Japan Inch Closer to Surveillance Aircraft Deal

India and Japan Inch Closer to Surveillance Aircraft Deal



New Delhi and Tokyo are inching closer to finalizing a deal for the sale of Japan’s US-2 amphibious aircraft to India.



As India and Japan continue to strategically converge amid mutual fears regarding China’s rise, they have deepened their defense cooperation. Notably, India will likely be Japan’s first export partner for military hardware under Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s principles on defense equipment exports. The Japanese government recently lifted its decades-old self-imposed ban on exporting weaponry to other countries.



The two governments look all set to conclude a landmark deal for the sale of Japanese amphibious search and rescue (SAR) aircraft, a deal that has been in the works for years. India will likely purchase 12 ShinMaywa US-2 short take-off and landing (STOL) SARs this year (down from an earlier estimate of 15). Negotiations for the sale of the US-2 began in 2011 under the Democratic Party of Japan, first under Prime Minister Naoto Kan and then under Yoshihiko Noda.



The US-2 itself is a reliable and capable surveillance aircraft with a range of around 4,700 km, capable of transporting its crew and cargo from Indian territory to anywhere in the Indian Ocean region within 3 hours; its most notable feature is its ability to take-off and land at sea. Once acquired, India will likely station the US-2s off the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal, using the aircraft to conduct surveillance of the eastern Indian Ocean region. Indian military sources have also told the press that the US-2 will allow the Indian military to support friendly vessels in Southeast Asian waters, potentially detecting pirates and other threats.



Additionally, the US-2′s versatility and ability to land at sea make it well-suited to assist military and civilian ships that break down at sea or need emergency assistance. The search-and-rescue, anti-piracy, and humanitarian assistance applications of the US-2 make it a compelling option for the Indian Navy. Additionally, amid Indian fears that the Chinese Navy will add the eastern Indian Ocean into its regular area of operation, the US-2′s surveillance capabilities haven’t been a tough sell domestically.



Now, I will admit that I predicted early last year, following Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to New Delhi as the chief guest for India’s Republic Day celebrations, that the US-2 deal was a fait accompli and would likely end up completed soon. Sadly, I underestimated the complexity of India’s demands for co-production and domestic assembly. Although the deal is politically uncontroversial in both New Delhi and Tokyo, the technicalities of exporting the Japanese SAR aircraft have bogged down a swift conclusion of the ShinMaywacontract.



Recent reports note that ShinMaywa officials are optimistic about concluding the deal in 2015. Aviation Week reports that an Indian order for nine US-2s is likely to go through this year. IHS Jane’s 360 notes that the deal is waiting to clear a series of bureaucratic hurdles, including approval by India’s Defense Acquisition Council (DAC). Jane’s also quotes senior Indian Navy officials who noted that the $1.65 billion earmarked for the US-2 acquisition was a prominent inclusion in a December 2014 meeting of India’s Services Capital Acquisition Plan Categorization Committee (SCAPCC). Under current plans, the Indian Navy would directly import two US-2s and eventually license and assemble an additional 10 in collaboration with an Indian manufacturer. There is a possibility that New Delhi may expand the order to purchase as many as 15-18 units.



The US-2 may not be the most prestigious or technologically impressive piece of hardware, but its acquisition by the Indian Navy will be an important milestone in India-Japan relations. India will have become the first country to purchase Japanese military hardware following the lifting of Japan’s self-imposed ban on weapons exports. Japan will have successfully concluded a deal for the export of defense technology, building momentum for other deals around the Asia-Pacific. Given the broader expansion of defense ties and cooperation on maritime security between India and Japan, the conclusion of such a deal would send an important message to China. While in Tokyo last fall, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi noted that India and Japan “intend to give a new thrust and direction to our defense cooperation, including collaboration in defense technology and equipment, given our shared interest in peace and stability and maritime security.” The conclusion of the US-2 deal is a surefire way to achieve that in the short-term.



India and Japan Inch Closer to Surveillance Aircraft Deal | The Diplomat

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French Navy TCD/LPD Siroco : a potential purchase for Indian Navy ???

French Government is decommissioning its 17 year old Landing Platform Dock - Siroco, due to defence budget cuts. This 12,000 ton ship is an amphibious assault platform which can carry a mechanized regiment anywhere in battle. It can carry multiple tanks, armored vehicles, 450 troops (900 for short trips) and 4-6 helicopters. The price is around USD $90 million (Yes! Less than 100 million) which is a good buy. A new ship of this class would be priced in north of USD$ 900 million. Even India's INS Kolkata's are costing north of a billion USD these days.



Already Brazil and Portugal are interested in buying the ship and their delegations have made visits to observe ship's condition.

Portugal may buy France's Siroco LPD - IHS Jane's 360 Brazilian study recommends procuring Siroco LPD - IHS Jane's 360



The Indian Navy is weakest in amphibious warfare and HADR. It is making do with one INS Jalashwa/USS Trenton with few LSTs and a proposal to build four LHDs are still in RFP stage. There is no visible RFI/RFP contract for building LPDs anywhere on the horizon. Meager budget available to Indian Navy precludes going on a buying venture for many platforms which it would ideally look for to shore up its amphibious warfare capability. Therefore, buying LPD Siroco looks like a good opportunity today for IN. This ship can be deployed near Andaman and Nicobar Command where it can increase Indian naval capabilities many fold and hold its own against the Chinese Navy which already has THREE LPDs in service, with 2 more coming along with many future LHDs.



The purchase of USS Trenton/INS Jalashwa was a controversial but smart move by a rare visionary officer, Admiral Arun Prakash of Indian Navy. That great man, even at the cost of personal attacks and CAG cribbing, went ahead with the deal and got a warship, at absolutely cheap prices, which is today the flagship of the Eastern fleet. When the defence budget is small, one will have to look for creative solutions like Admiral Arun Prakash. Moreover, in the case of France, India has a bit of leverage, courtesy to the Rafale deal.



Will any other Admiral in Indian Navy rise to the occasion and seize the chance to acquire a cheap but quite capable ship?

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Crazy S Anandan from " Hindu" reporting on INS Vikramaditya

INS Vikramaditya’s operation crippled - The Hindu



The news article's headline and the text say two different things. The headline says that INS Viki has been crippled. So, I was looking for kind of problems it is facing. I found none. Where is INS Viki crippled? No where. Has it gone through any accident? NO. Is it not functional or partially functional? No.



The journalist with dubious reputation, S Anandan, gives a spin to the fact that INS Viki is going through pilot training which includes single engine landing and related carrier landing training procedures. It also doesn't have any air defence or CIWS installed. IIRC the initial two years are needed for pilot training, exploring the carrier's operations capability and becoming expert and familiar in its operations.



So why is this guy saying that "INS Vikramaditya is crippled?" Is he crazy? Or he has some other motivation?

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HSL to build two midget submarines

HSL to build two midget submarines | idrw.org







Underwater capability of Indian Navy will get a shot in the arm with the in-principle decision of Ministry of Defence to place construction of two Strategic Operating Vessels (SOVs) on Hindustan Shipyard Limited.



The Request for Proposal (RoP) will be notified in a couple of months. Building two SOVs, also known as midget submarines each costing an estimated amount of Rs.3,000 crore will be a prestigious project. “We are expecting to ground work on the project by completing all the procedures by the year-end and deliver it in three years,” HSL Chairman and Managing Director Rear Admiral N.K. Mishra told The Hindu on Sunday, declining to elaborate further.

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