p2bp,
I am not aware why you want to be spoonfed. That is what I gather from your "give me facts" refrain.
It would only mean a bit of googling. I am sure you know how to use the internet.
Notwithstanding, here is a dated article from a non Indian source that is otherwise well respected for defence news.
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy (IN), the worlds fifth largest navy, is a well-balanced three-dimensional force consisting of sophisticated missile-capable warships, aircraft carriers, minesweepers, advanced submarines and the latest aircraft in its inventory. Many of the warships are of indigenous design and have been constructed in Indian shipyards. These ships compare well with the ships of similar capability constructed by advanced countries. The Naval forces are maintained and supported by modern dockyard facilities encompassing state-of-the-art technology. At present the Navy has two major Naval bases at Mumbai and Visakhapatnam.
The navy is relatively well-armed among Indian Ocean navies, operating one aircraft carrier, over 40 surface combatants, and over a dozen submarines. The fleet is aging, and replacement of ships and aircraft has not been adequately funded. India's coast guard is small and is organized along the lines of the U.S. Coast Guard. With India's long coastline and extensive Exclusive Economic Zone, the navy and coast guard work hard to patrol the waters dictated by India's economic and strategic interests.
The Navy consists of ships such as aircraft carrier, cruisers, destroyers, frigates, mine-sweepers, survey ships, store carriers, tankers, submarines etc., and shore establishments, such as training institutions, dockyard, storage deposits and other miscellaneous, technical and administrative establishments. It also has a separate Aviation Wing consisting of Naval Air Stations and a Fleet Requirement Unit. The training establishments cater for the training of new entry Sailors, apprentices and boys as well as for specialised training of officers and men in mechanical and electrical engineering, gunnery, communication, navigation, anti-submarine and naval aviation etc,. There are also schools for training in seamanship, physical culture, supply and secretariat duties, etc.
India entered the 21st Century with a small but formidable regional naval posture. Long considered a "blue water" navy, the Indian Navy faces major challenges as many of its major vessels near the end of their service lives. Indigenous shipbuilding efforts are struggling to achieve acceptable levels of productivity and efficiency.
A banner year for bilateral training exercises, 2003 will likely be a model for future exercise planning. As a U.S. partner in the war on terrorism, the IN did little this year other than bilateral training exercises to bolster antiterrorism efforts.
After several years of meticulous preparation, by 2003 the outlines of a new operational philosophy of the Indian Navy were becoming increasingly perceptible. This is an operational philosophy whose contours are well suited to the current perception of the Indian Navy - that of a competent, confident, operationally viable and regionally visible maritime power. Ships of the Indian Navy are not merely visible in the Indian Ocean Region and its environs - but also further afield.
In keeping with the 2003 naval slogan, the Indian Navy is indeed "Tacking to the Blue Waters". "Tacking" is a sailing term, indicating a change of direction of a sailing vessel. "Blue Waters" is a common maritime term implying deep seas, far away from one's own shores.
In keeping with this change in thrust and direction, Indian Naval ships are demonstrating the Navy's emergence as a regionally viable stabilising force. For Instance, in April of this year, the active assistance of the Indian Navy was requested by the Republic of Mauritius - 2,500 nautical miles away - to tow their Coast Guard Vessel Vigilante to Mumbai for repairs at the Naval Dockyard. This arduous and professionally challenging task was flawlessly executed by INS Gaj. In recognition of the demonstrated capability of the Indian Navy, the Government of Mauritius additionally requested surveillance of its Exclusive Economic Zone. First, INS Sharda, and now, INS Suvarna, maintained presence in the area, sharing with them information of importance.
Similarly, in June 2003, INS Ranjit and INS Suvarna executed a month-long deployment in and off Maputo, the capital of Mozambique - over 3,500 nautical miles away from India. This was at the specific request of the Government of Mozambique to provide security and training assistance.
Closer home, responding to a call, by the Government of Sri Lanka in mid-May 2003 for Indian assistances in providing succour to the flood-stricken southern and central districts of the country, the swiftness and comprehensiveness of the response by INS Sharda were instrumental in showing that a friend in need is a friend indeed.
Indian Naval ships were visible in or headed for the eastern choke points of the Indian Ocean, building professional partnerships with other navies of South East Asia, IN ships Rajput and Rana renewed contacts with old friends in Singapore, as well INS Mumbai with the Indonesian Navy.
Farther out still, the three masted sail training barque INS Tarangini proudly bore the Indian flag as far away as Canada and the US, carrying through the Great Lakes India's desire and, ability to build bridges of friendship across the seas. After taking part in tall ship races, she will transit the Panama Canal, cross the Pacific and return home.
For the Indian Navy, "Bridges of Friendship Across the Seas" had a particular relevance, for it knows that it is the sea itself that is the bridge - and the Indian Navy is determined to travel upon this bridge, reaching across to its maritime neighbours intimately connected by the sea, no matter where in the world they are.
Following the 28 December 2004 tsunami, rescue and relief operations under taken by Andaman and Nicobar Command included intensive search and rescue for survivers by Marine Commandos of Indian Navy at Indira Point light house and adjoining areas. Indian Naval Ships Brahmaputra with its two chetak helicopters, Sandhayak with one chetak helicopter, Darshak with one chetak helicopter, Jyoti, Trinket, Sharabh and LCU- 38 operated off Great Nicobar Island and Nancowry group of islands. INS Rajput with chetak helicopter on board operated off Car Nicobar whereas Indian Naval Ships Magar, Kumbhir, LCU- 35 and LCU- 36 were deployed off Hut Bay. Helicopters on board INS Brahmaputra carried out aerial recce of Pilomilo, Pilobabi, Pilokunji and Kyang Island along with tribal captain.
Indian Maritime Doctrine
To assist and influence the nations thinking, in June 2004 the Navy issued its Indian Maritime Doctrine and made it available to the public. It is a glossy booklet of 135 pages as a book of reference, and it includes all the attributes that a doctrine should, to provide for common language and to appreciate the many roles that a responsible Navy should be prepared for, in peace and war. The Chief of Naval Staff in the foreword has stated, If we are to fulfill our maritime destiny, all of us the Government, the armed forces, the civil services, the media and the public - must have a maritime vision and a thorough understanding of the maritime concepts outlined in this doctrine.
The Indian Navy enters the new millennium as a professional focussed and committed force, deeply conscious of its roles and responsibilities. In times of peace and tension, the Indian Navy is a powerful instrument of the nation's foreign policy, while in times of conflict, it is the foremost expression of the nation's maritime power.
In an increasingly complex world, the missions of the Navy are correspondingly more diverse and complex than ever before. This complexity is global as well as regional, and is unlikely to diminish in the 2lst century. It is, as a consequence, essential for the Indian Navy to establish a recognizable set of navigational aids that will guide and chart its development and its conduct through the turbulent waters that lie ahead. At the most fundamental level, these navigational marks, as also the discernible dangers, are charted through the issue of backbone publications, the foremost of which is a clearly articulated doctrine.
The 'Indian Maritime Doctrine' is an unclassified document and will become available to every officer, civil servant, politician, analyst and professional concerned with the maritime affairs of our country. The purpose of a maritime doctrine is to provide the country with a common language and a uniform understanding of maritime concepts. It would provide a common reference point, language, and purpose, uniting the actions of many diverse elements into a team effort. It is intended to evoke the same degree of comprehension in the mind of every person who reads it, irrespective of his profession, experience or association with the sea.
The maritime domain is changing rapidly. India appreciates these changes and shapes strategies and policies to further national interests. India is a maritime nation and we have a bright maritime future, if only we can use the seas to advantage. If India is to fulfill a maritime destiny, the government, the armed forces, the civil services, the media and the public must have a maritime vision and a thorough understanding of the maritime concepts outlined in this doctrine.
The 'Indian Maritime Doctrine' is conceptual in nature and should not be construed as a policy statement. The Indian Navy rocognizes that while any formalized maritime doctrine is authoritative, its application should be embarked upon judiciously and astutely. There should be room for flexibility and innovativeness for responding to political changes, operational scenarios and technical opportunities. Otherwise, maritime doctrine runs the risk of evolving into a rigid dogma that straitjackets the strategic thought and tactical planning that is meant to flow out of it.
Maritime doctrine may be considered as having the following three constituent parts: the enduring tenets of the nature of war; the dynamic application of these tenets to meet today's circumstances and a predictive element designed to prepare us for tomorrow. When taken in totality, these three constituent parts define the scope of maritime doctrine, making it a dynamic combination of history, tradition and experience, born out of an understanding of maritime power and an intimate comprehension of the nature of war in general and maritime warfare in particular.
The 'Indian Maritime Doctrine' has been circulated to senior members of the government, bureaucracy and the armed forces, and has been widely welcomed as an important keystone document for the Indian Navy that was long overdue.
India - Navy
If that is so why Doesn not India come clear and announce officially tht She is out of the project?
