Depleting minesweepers fleet worries Indian Navy

[Ashoka The Great]

Indian Navy’s three-decade-old fleet of minesweepers is depleting at a fast rate and yet, a Rs 24,000-crore contract proposal to augment it with eight new Korean-made vessels is entangled in the Defence Ministry’s redtape for nearly three years now.

The Mine Counter-Measure Vessels (MCMV)—capable of minesweeping and minehunting are critical to naval operations. They help in carrying out sweeps at the entry and exit points of dockyards to sanitise these passageways of enemy mines ahead of Indian warships sailing out to the sea.
India had, after a decade-long procurement process, zeroed in on the South Korean shipyard, Pusan-based Kangnam Corporation, as the lowest bidder in a tender for construction of MCMVs for the Indian Navy in 2010. It was said then that the Defence Ministry would complete its cost negotiations with Kangnam, which best Italian Intermarine to the contract, and issue the orders for building the vessels within two months.

“Three years since, the contract negotiations have not happened and the contract proposal for the MCMV is now buried among files in the defence ministry,” lamented a senior Indian Navy officer, when The Sunday Standard asked him about the progress in the minesweepers procurement.

The Navy had expected the Defence Ministry to conclude the contract as soon as Kangnam was identified as the foreign shipyard to provide the minesweepers in view of the urgency felt in adding these specialist vessels in to the fleet.

With a variety of naval mines that are triggered by pressure, acoustic or electro-magnetic signals from a surface warship or a submarine available in the arms bazaar, these are some of the cheapest ways to sink an enemy warship. Laying of these mines are quite easily done and hence the threat perception from these self-contained explosives to warships are quite high, Navy officers pointed out.

“Hence the urgency in procuring these specialist vessels and inducting them as early as humanly possible,” they added.

According to the tenders, the chosen shipyard was to build the first two MCMVs and the rest six were to be constructed at Goa Shipyard Limited under a licence, with technology transfer being part of the contract. This was to create capabilities at GSL to build minesweepers in the future, as a requirement for more of these vessels was envisioned.

Navy officers noted that Kangnam’s selection itself was done after crossing hurdles, as its competitors had moved the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) in 2010 against the Indian choice of the Korean firm as the lowest bidder. Detailed explanations to the CVC had settled the issue in favour of Kangnam by April 2011. Since then, no progress have been made in the procurement process, they added.

Just over a decade ago, the Navy was operating 12 of Pondicherry/Karwar class of minesweepers, but had to decommission five of them after completion of their serviceable life. INS Pondicherry, the first of this class of minesweepers, was built by Russia and commissioned in 1978. It was decommissioned in 2007. Since then, four other minesweepers of this class too have been decommissioned at regular intervals. The last of the Karwar class of minesweepers was commissioned in 1988 and this class of warships has completed the serviceable life of 20 years and has entered the obsolescence phase.

The Navy, at present, operates seven Pondicherry/Karwar class of minesweepers in its fleet, of which one is based in Mumbai and the rest six in Visakhapatnam. These seven vessels have gone through a midlife upgrade to extend their service life by another decade and for adding latest technologies to boost their capabilities.

“Yet, these minesweepers’ hull is still old. How long can the Navy flog these old horses?” wondered another officer. The officers pointed out that even if the MCMV contract was awarded this year, the first two vessels would not be delivered before 2018 and GSL would take another two to four years before completing its part of the contract for rest of the fleet.

Depleting minesweepers fleet worries Indian Navy | idrw.org

 

[littleboy]

Our submarine strength is going down and now minesweepers. what defense ministry is doing?

 

[President]

way to go Anthony!

 

[Shabz Nist]

way to go Anthony!

Very little to do with Anthony and much to do with our system. After losing out, the competitors will move the case to some other regulatory body to dispute the selection. The moment a dispute arises, law requires that it be re-examined and given due consideration.

 

[President]

Very little to do with Anthony and much to do with our system. After losing out, the competitors will move the case to some other regulatory body to dispute the selection. The moment a dispute arises, law requires that it be re-examined and given due consideration.

Bud- Anthony is the boss, he ia the one who has to change the system if it need arises, he is the governing party, he is the one can by-pass make laws do whatever it takes to secure the country..his lungi is on fire if the job is not done..period!

 

[Shabz Nist]

Bud- Anthony is the boss, he ia the one who has to change the system if it need arises, he is the governing party, he is the one can by-pass make laws do whatever it takes to secure the country..his lungi is on fire if the job is not done..period!

Its the same people who start to cry foul when ministers attempt to meddle with regulatory and investigation bodies. He is doing his job pretty well. People such as yourself made a huge ruckus when it was found that the government meddles with CBI probe reports. Please understand that our system of governance is a democracy and not a dictatorship or a one party rule. There are limits, checks and balances in place for everyone in authority. Those who choose to respect those limits should be applauded....like Mr. Anthony.

 

[Nisha]

Navy officers noted that Kangnam’s selection itself was done after crossing hurdles, as its competitors had moved the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) in 2010 against the Indian choice of the Korean firm as the lowest bidder. Detailed explanations to the CVC had settled the issue in favour of Kangnam by April 2011. Since then, no progress have been made in the procurement process, they added.





The problem is competitors play games to slow us down. There is so much corruption involved. they must be bribing every little officier in the process to push contracts in their favor. Good job AK Anthony! Never given in to corruption.....it is the only way to correct this system

 

[President]

Its the same people who start to cry foul when ministers attempt to meddle with regulatory and investigation bodies. He is doing his job pretty well. People such as yourself made a huge ruckus when it was found that the government meddles with CBI probe reports. Please understand that our system of governance is a democracy and not a dictatorship or a one party rule. There are limits, checks and balances in place for everyone in authority. Those who choose to respect those limits should be applauded....like Mr. Anthony.

if checks and balances are in place then looks like they are too many of them..the red tape has slowed things down..which helps the corrupts since they can help jump some of the checks and balances

 

[Shabz Nist]

if checks and balances are in place then looks like they are too many of them..the red tape has slowed things down..which helps the corrupts since they can help jump some of the checks and balances

Yes. This is exactly what i tried to tell you earlier. The system needs an overhaul, and the corrupt need to be shown the boot. Nothing to do with Anthony.

 

[President]

Yes. This is exactly what i tried to tell you earlier. The system needs an overhaul, and the corrupt need to be shown the boot. Nothing to do with Anthony.

My friend Anthony is the boss..he is the one who has to make things happen...

 

[Nisha]

My friend Anthony is the boss..he is the one who has to make things happen...

When the system is set up for corruption and to make good ppl fail, it is hard to demand instant change. This is a porcess that will take yrs to correct. AK Anthony is the right person for the job. Anyone insisting otherwise or blaming him, does not really understand the history and the reason for the sad state of affairs we are today. Blame yourself for voting Gandhis and other political idiots who do no good for Indians.

 

[President]

When the system is set up for corruption and to make good ppl fail, it is hard to demand instant change. This is a porcess that will take yrs to correct. AK Anthony is the right person for the job. Anyone insisting otherwise or blaming him, does not really understand the history and the reason for the sad state of affairs we are today. Blame yourself for voting Gandhis and other political idiots who do no good for Indians.

Did you even ever vote once..lecturing is very easy--grow up first..the system and all is just an excuse..political compulsions are the main constraint for any politician nothing else...

 

[Nisha]

Did you even ever vote once..lecturing is very easy--grow up first..the system and all is just an excuse..political compulsions are the main constraint for any politician nothing else...

Growing up? Trust me I am quite independent. Sure, Lecturing is eays but looking at the sad state of India, it should be done quite often so the sg gets thru every thick skull.

 

[President]

Growing up? Trust me I am quite independent. Sure, Lecturing is eays but looking at the sad state of India, it should be done quite often so the sg gets thru every thick skull.

It is not thick skull ..it is thick skinned..anyways when you get a chance to enjoy your life in the US and com eback to poor India and vote then your lecturing will make some sense..till then enjoy your thought process in your thoughts..

 

[Thirdfront]

Their modus operandi is quite simple. Wait till shortage reaches dangerous level, cite national security and purchase substandard equipment paying exorbitant amount. Their commission is percentage based, you know....