January 02, 2016 - NEWS
Navy set to get amphibious aircraft from Japanese co
The supply is result of pact between Japan and India signed last month
MUMBAI, JANUARY 3:
The Indian Navy is looking to acquire 12 US-2i (Utility Seaplane Mark 2) amphibious aircraft from ShinMaywa Industries, Japan.
Both the countries recently inked an agreement to facilitate the export of the amphibious search-and-rescue (SAR) aircraft to India. The deal is estimated at $1.65 billion.
Sources indicated that during the visit of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to India on December 12, the two countries signed an accord related to the ‘transfer of defence equipment and technology co-operation’.
Joint research
The “agreement provides a framework to enhance defence and security co-operation by making available to each other, defence equipment and technology necessary to implement joint research, development and production,” sources pointed out.
The Indian signatory to the accord was S Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary, while Kenji Hiramatsu, Ambassador of Japan to India, was the Japanese signatory.
Security measures
Another agreement was signed concerning security measures for the protection of classified military information, between Indian signatory G Mohan Kumar, Defence Secretary, and Hiramatsu.
The two countries had earlier expressed their intention to explore potential future projects on defence equipment and technology cooperation such as US-2 amphibious aircraft. ShinMaywa Industries, the manufacturer of the US-2 amphibious aircraft, has already initiated discussions with several Indian companies to reportedly assemble the aircraft in India.
Some of the names include Mahindra Defence, Hindustan Aeronautics, Tata Aerospace, L&T and Pipavav Defence.
The version that is being offered to India is the US-2i. Sources indicated that the basic capability of the US-2i aircraft that India has asked for is the same as the US-2.
Only certain equipment changes have been made to cater to the Indian Navy’s role requirement, according to the RFI (request for information).
Two-decade presence
Incidentally, ShinMaywa Industries has been present in India for around 20 years, and provided aerobridges for airports and has set up waste water treatment pumps across the country.
The US-2 is the first Japanese aircraft offered to India.
Sources said two US-2i would be imported first, off-the-shelf, while the other 10 would be manufactured in India, under technology transfer arrangements by ShinMaywa Industries with an Indian partner.
Currently, the Japan Maritime Self Defence Force currently operates seven US-2s.
(This article was published on January 3, 2016)
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Navy set to get amphibious aircraft from Japanese co | Business Line
INS Kadmatt commissioned; Dhowan stresses on indigenisation
Visakhapatnam: Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R K Dhowan today said the Indian Navy will in future build all types of ships including those designed for warfare indigenously in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Make in India” initiative.
The Admiral was addressing a gathering here after the commissioning of the second indigenous stealth Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) corvette INS Kadmatt, built by M/s Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd (GRSE) at Naval Dockyard here. “Commissioning of Kadmatt is a another milestone in self -reliance of Indian Navy,” he said adding “now Indian Navy is builders navy not buyers Navy.”
The Indian Navy has planned, in another 15 years, to strengthen science and technology and build warships indigenously in association with the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) and public sector shipyards and private companies, he said.
Speaking to mediamen, he said ‘Kadmatt’ will take part in international fleet review scheduled here from February 4-8. “Commissioning of Kadmatt will add a new dimension to the ASW capability of Indian Navy and in particular, the Eastern Fleet. The multifarious missions that can be undertaken by the ship truly reflect the enhanced multi-dimensional capability of the Indian Navy,” Dhowan said.
He said the unique feature of the ship is the high-level indigenisation incorporated in the production. About 90 per cent of the ship is indigenous. The ship has been indigenously designed by Indian Navy’s in-house organisation, Directorate of Naval Design and constructed by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited, Kolkata. DND is Navy’s Design Organisation undertaking indigenous design of all surface combatants, he added.
‘Kadmatt’ is the latest indigenous ship after Shivalik class, Kolkata class and INS Kamorta wherein a plethora of weapons and sensors have been integrated to provide a ‘Common Operational Picture (COP)’.
The ship has many state-of-the-art equipment which include the rail-less helo traversing system and foldable hangar door for integral ASW helicopter which not only increases the strike capability of the ship but also enhances the detection capability manifold.
Dhowan said the ship’s weapons and sensors suite is predominantly indigenous and showcases the nation’s growing capability in this niche area.
The ship also boasts of an advanced 3D Medium Range Air/Surface Surveillance Radar developed by DRDO and produced by Bharat Electronics.
The radar has an integrated IFF system co-mounted on a planar array antenna capable of tracking air/surface targets hundred of kilometers away and differentiates between friendly and enemy units.
The ship is also designed to carry an anti-submarine helicopter which not only increases the strike capability of the ship but also enhances the detection capability manifold, he said.
The ship has a potent strike capability with guns, close-in weapon system, heavy weight torpedoes and anti-submarine rockets.
Very soon the ship will also be fitted with vertically launched Surface to Air Missiles to neutralise enemy missiles, a release said.
The ship will be manned by 13 officers and 180 sailors with Commander Mahesh Chandra Moudgil at the helm as her first Commanding Officer. It would be an integral part of the Eastern Fleet under the Eastern Naval Command. As an ASW corvette, the ship carries on the legacy of her predecessor INS Kadmatt (P78), which served the Indian Navy for 24 years from 23 December 1968 - 30 November 1992, Dhowan said.
Earlier, he inspected the guard of honour, took salute and also unveiled the ships’ plaque.
Flag Officer Commanding-in Chef, Eastern Naval Command Vice-Admiral Satish Soni said the Indian Navy has had a long association with the GRSE, which delivered the first warship INS Ajay in 1961.
Chairman and Managing Director of the GRSE Rear Admiral A K Verma (retired) said with the latest technology the shipyard had been constructing 95 warships and has already delivered 62 of them to the Indian Navy. Large number of naval officers including retired officers and other attended the function.
Upgrading Kilo class submarines: L&T set to partner Russia for Rs 5,000-crore defence deal - The Economic Times
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Upgrading Kilo class submarines: L&T set to partner Russia for Rs 5,000-crore defence deal
By Manu Pubby, ET Bureau | 8 Jan, 2016,
NEW DELHI: Consolidating its position as the leading Indian defence player in the complex field of underwater warfare, engineering giant Larsen and ToubroBSE -2.19 % is set to get a major share in a Rs 5,000-crore deal to upgrade and refit Russian-origin Kilo class submarines.
The company, which is already a leading partner for the nuclear submarine project of the Indian Navy, has been chosen as the Indian partner for the Kilo class refit — a program to increase the life of the submarine by 10 years involving complex engineering .
Sources have told ET that the Russian side has written to the Indian government, informing that an earlier partnership plan with the Anil Ambani promoted Pipavav now stands cancelled as the shipyard would not have been able to meet timelines set by the Navy for the upgrade plan. L&T, which refused to comment on the development when contacted, is now expected to upgrade at least three submarines in India, in what could make the yard a leading contender for similar orders from neighbouring nations that operate Kilo class submarines as well. Sources said that the key factor in choosing L&T was an evaluation of at least three yards that was conducted by Russian shipbuilders.
"A survey of the equipment profile and finances was conducted at the Cochin Shipyard, Pipavav and the L&T yard at Kattupalli. Only the L&T facility was found technically capable of carrying out the work in the given timeframe," an official involved in the process told ET While the first of the four Kilo class subs will go to the Russian Zvezdochka shipyard for inspection and refit, the remaining three are likely to be modernised at the Kattupalli yard. The first of the submarines to be modernised at private yard — a first for India — will go in by 2017, officials said. An order for 2-3 more submarines could also be commissioned, depending on ongoing acquisition plans of the Navy.
The Indian Navy is looking to squeeze some more life out of its two decade-old Kilo class submarines, with a contract being signed in October with Russia to extend the service life of the boats to 35 years. The extensive refit will not only extend the life of the subs but will also upgrade their combat potential. The first submarine to be sent is the INS Sindhukesari that will be fitted with Klub land attack cruise missile. The Sindhukesari, which got its first refit in 1999-2001, will also be fitted with several Indian systems
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P-15B - An updated picture
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LIVEFIST: Reliance Announces Shipyard For Nuke Subs & Carriers
Reliance Announces Shipyard For Nuke Subs & Carriers
Sunday, January 10, 2016
The new defence wing of one of India's largest private sector firms has unveiled plans to build a sprawling shipyard on India's east coast to build nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers. Reliance Defence Ltd (part of the Reliance Anil Ambani Group) has entered into an MoU with the Andhra Pradesh government to build a facility that will be co-located with the Indian Navy's strategic base and BARC's nuclear facility at Rambilli, approximately 70 km south of Visakhapatnam, where the Indian Navy's Eastern Command Headquarters is also located.
A statement from the firm today said, "
This facility will support the Indian Navy’s strategic projects and focus on building strategic submarines and aircraft carriers."
As part of the memorandum signed between Reliance and the Andhra Pradesh government, the latter will make 1,500 acres of land available for this facility in close proximity of strategic establishments of the Indian Navy and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).
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Reliance will make an initial investment outlay of Rs 5,000 crore in this project. This will represent the single-largest investment at one location anywhere in Andhra Pradesh. This investment is expected to generate more than 10,000 new jobs and also lead to the creation of a multi-teier array of defence ancillaries, bringing in further investment of between Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 crore and thousands of additional skilled jobs," said the Reliance statement.
The new facility has been in the works for a while now, and part of the overall consolidation of India's shipyard infrastructure. Following Reliance's acquisition of the Pipavav shipyard on India's western coast, it was only a matter of time before the firm committed to greenfield shipbuilding capacity in the east.
The huge shipbuilding requirement stretched between a handful of state-owned shipbuilders wasn't going to cut it. The Reliance statement says it pretty plainly: "
It is estimated that the Indian Navy will spend over Rs 3 lac crore over the next 15 years - or nearly Rs 20,000 crore per year - on acquisitions and fleet modernisation of submarines and aircraft carriers, over the next 15 years, creating a huge pipeline of opportunity for the proposed world class naval facility."
The Reliance-Pipavav shipyard and the new facility now pit Reliance in the same arena as another private sector behemoth L&T that has dominated strategic warship building work so far. Interesting times.
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New naval base coming up near Visakhapatnam | Business Standard News
New naval base coming up near Visakhapatnam
Bay of Bengal base will house nuclear submarines and aircraft carrier
The navy has lifted the shroud of secrecy over a major new sea base being built on India's eastern coast, which will be home to the first indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, and an armada of warships under the Eastern Naval Command.
The new base, on the Bay of Bengal, will also house India's nuclear ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) force. Current plans involve building six SSBNs, to form the underwater leg of the country's nuclear triad. The first, INS Arihant, will soon be operational; the second and the third are currently being built.
For years, the ministry of defence (MoD) has refused to acknowledge the existence of the base, which will come up around the coastal hamlet of Rambilli, 50 km south-west of Visakhapatnam. The plan is code-named 'Project Varsha'.
Divulging that the new base will house conventional as well as nuclear warships, Vice-Admiral Satish Soni, head of Eastern Naval Command, told Business Standard, "We don't talk about it much for obvious reasons. There are plans for a new base, and we hope to see one in a matter of seven-eight years."
India's eastern seaboard on the Bay of Bengal, with deep water and harbours with over 10 m depth, is far better suited as a nuclear submarine and aircraft carrier base than the western seaboard, where the shallower Arabian Sea is barely four metre deep along the coast.
Like China's massive nuclear submarine base at Hainan Island, the depth of water at Rambilli will allow submarines to enter and leave the base without being detected by satellites. This secrecy is crucial for SSBNs, which must remain undetected when they leave for months-long patrols, carrying nuclear tipped ballistic missiles.
China's rapid naval build-up, and its belligerent handling of maritime disputes with smaller neighbours in the South China Sea and East China Sea, has caused New Delhi to focus keenly on enhancing the operational posture of the eastern fleet, which must counter any threat from China.
The same concerns had, in 2001, led to the creation of the tri-service Andaman & Nicobar Command (ANC), 1,225 kilometres from Visakhapatnam in the Bay of Bengal. The ANC dominates the Malacca Strait, and the shipping routes between West Asia and south-east Asia.
Visakhapatnam is home to the eastern fleet, India's biggest, with 50 warships. The new base at Rambilli will decongest Visakhapatnam - also a major commercial hub - and provide a secure base that is removed from population centres.
Western Naval Command already has such a base, INS Kadamba, built in 2005 to decongest Mumbai. Located at Karwar, near Goa, it is home to the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, and much of the western fleet. Being built in several phases, that project is code named 'Project Seabird'.
With INS Vikrant harboured in Rambilli after the aircraft carrier is commissioned in 2018, the naval air base at Visakhapatnam - INS Dega - is being expanded to house the Vikrant's MiG-29K and Tejas fighters and its helicopters when the carrier is not at sea.
Soni says the government has approved Rs 200 crore for infrastructure at INS Dega for the Vikrant's MiG-29K fighters; and another Rs 200 crore for the navy's Hawk trainers that will be based at Visakhapatnam.
Visakhapatnam's importance as a naval aviation centre has been boosted by the recent identification of a secondary airfield, to which aircraft can be diverted in case of emergencies or bad weather at Visakhapatnam. Soni says land acquisition has begun, and the state government has provided clearance to the navy.
"We are looking at Bobilli, a disused, World War II airfield about 45 nautical miles from here (Visakhapatnam). We will have fighters flying from here, so we will need an alternative base, to which flights can be diverted. Bobilli is north-west of Visakhapatnam, towards Vijayawada", said Soni.
Currently, the diversionary airfields around Visakhapatnam are: Vijayawada (157 nautical miles); Bhubaneswar (212 nautical miles); and Shamshabad (279 nautical miles).
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Sindhukirti submarine completes deep diver trials - The Hindu
Sindhukirti submarine completes deep diver trials
- SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
- Jan 15 2016
The vessel was delivered to the Navy in June after modernisation at HSL
Soviet-made seventh Sindhughosh submarine of Indian Navy INS Sindhukirti, which underwent retrofitting at Hindustan Shipyard Limited, has successfully completed its maiden deep dive trials without any major defects. The vessel was delivered to the Navy in June after medium repairs and modernisation at HSL.
The development is of great significance as it certifies the high quality of repairs carried on the hull and associated systems by trained and experienced workmen of HSL adhering to stringent quality norms.
Though the yard took more time for refit than stipulated, it is worth mentioning that the retrofitting of INS Sindhukirti was the first of its kind undertaken by an Indian Shipyard with support from Indian Navy.
Prime contender
HSL Chairman and Managing Director Rear Admiral L.V.S. Babu appreciated the HSL team for their commitment and quality work which resulted in defect-free first sortie and full power trials followed by clearance of ‘check dive’ and deep dive’ in the first attempt.
He said this had placed the yard as a prime contender for undertaking Medium Refit Life Certification (MRLC) of EKM submarines, as well as for construction of Project P-75(I) submarines.
Despite major devastation caused by Cyclone Hudhud, HSL had timely undocked the submarine on November 4, 2014 and completed harbour acceptance trials in record period of seven months due to synergised efforts between the yard and Naval Dockyard-Visakhapatnam) and other Naval agencies.
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