Indian Navy News & Discussions

[Black Widow]

One a great man (me) said, "Defense products are evolutionary, not revolutionary"...

As I read Admiral (or Naval spokeperson) correctly he said "Nuclear power option is open, he didn't said IAC-II will be Nuclear powered"...

So what I feel : The next step of evolution is 65K ton, Diesel powered, Catapult (or Hybrid like planned Russian carrier) Carrier named IAC Vishal... IAC-III may be Nuclear powered 80+ K ton carrier.

Why Catapult? : So that the carrier can operate AWECS.
Which Catapult : EMALS will be best option, but I doubt we can get EMALS.
Which Bird : NAVAL PAK-FA is distant dream, I highly doubt it will be realize, Even if it is realize I Doubt it will be CATOBAR configuration. So N-PAK-FA is ruled out.. It will be western bird..

 

[anant_s]

It would be better to design and operate a few N powered submarines first. IMHO there are 2 reasons behind this.
1. Domestic Naval reactors are a relatively new technology for India and while we are making good progress, the technology needs to mature to be reliable enough for a glitch-free performance. we must remember that even Soviets had their share of failures while deploying N propulsion.
2. In the larger scheme of things, AC are important to IN not the type. It will be atleast 2025 before we have 3 CBG at our disposal, so donot club n power with AC, this will only complicate things and not to mention delays.

As @Abingdonboy has mentioned, our priority should lie with larger ACs and CATOBAR. other things will fall into place for sure.

 

[faithfulguy]

You are such a pessimist.

Just because one project got delayed, doesn't mean everything will be delayed.

On topic, it was long anticipated by defence analysts that IAC-2 will be a nuclear-powered carrier.

What we need are atleast 3 such N-powered carriers, each with atleast 65,000 ton displacement and
deploying 5th generation FGFA fighters.

Good plan. But it would be a better plan to create a death star.

I believe we should build a CATOBAR-compatible version of FGFA for IAC-2.

This is because by the time IAC-2 enters service, all the top navies of the world will be
using 5th gen planes from carriers - and we cannot buy F-35B due to the large amount of
restrictions and no ToT.

India can buy F-35B without TOT. No need for TOT when you can buy the best weapon out there.

One a great man (me) said, "Defense products are evolutionary, not revolutionary"...

As I read Admiral (or Naval spokeperson) correctly he said "Nuclear power option is open, he didn't said IAC-II will be Nuclear powered"...

So what I feel : The next step of evolution is 65K ton, Diesel powered, Catapult (or Hybrid like planned Russian carrier) Carrier named IAC Vishal... IAC-III may be Nuclear powered 80+ K ton carrier.

Why Catapult? : So that the carrier can operate AWECS.
Which Catapult : EMALS will be best option, but I doubt we can get EMALS.
Which Bird : NAVAL PAK-FA is distant dream, I highly doubt it will be realize, Even if it is realize I Doubt it will be CATOBAR configuration. So N-PAK-FA is ruled out.. It will be western bird..

Totally agree with you. India should try to F-35B. Its the best out there.

 

[kurup]

First reason is Russia committed delay in supplying warship grade steel which lead local development & production of warship grade steel by DRDO & SAIL.
Second the truck which carried gearbox of ship is met accident which malfunctioned the gearbox then it also cause delay of a year.
Third is we are making such complex warship first time then some delay is possible.

You understood me wrong . I know what lead to the delays untill now .

IAC1 is going to be floated out in Aug 2013 . It will be commissioned into IN only on 2018 . There is a 5 year gap . I know it is going to undergo trials .

My question was , Isn't 5 years a long time for carrier trials . Or is it the usual norm for carriers .

 

[Manindra]

You understood me wrong . I know what lead to the delays untill now .

IAC1 is going to be floated out in Aug 2013 . It will be commissioned into IN only on 2018 . There is a 5 year gap . I know it is going to undergo trials .

My question was , Isn't 5 years a long time for carrier trials . Or is it the usual norm for carriers .

Mate, its only launched. Its not complete now. Launched means its main hull is launched in water & other works are remain to complete

Ship naming and launching endow a ship hull with her identity, but many milestones remain before she is completed and considered ready to be designated a commissioned ship. The engineering plant, weapon and electronic systems, galley, and multitudinous other equipment required to transform the new hull into an operating and habitable warship are installed and tested

Ship commissioning - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[cirr]

Great news.
But still have to wait 4 years to see this beauty in action.

Over 5 years and 5 months even according to the often ludicrously optimistic official estimate。

In reality，it will be well after 2020.

 

[BeyondHeretic]

Why are the ramps all slanted like soviet carriers?

 

[veekysingh]

Over 5 years and 5 months even according to the often ludicrously optimistic official estimate。

In reality，it will be well after 2020.

and comes PDF's future teller. thank u mate

Why are the ramps all slanted like soviet carriers?

cause we don't hv the tech to make it CATOBAR.

 

[Black Eagle 90]

NEW DELHI: Nothing projects raw power like an aircraft carrier prowling on the high seas, capable of unleashing strike fighters against an adversary in a jiffy. A nuclear-powered carrier can make the punch even deadlier with much longer operational endurance.

With its first indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC) set to be "launched" at Cochin Shipyard on August 12, and sea trials of the first nuclear submarine INS Arihant to begin shortly after, India is now examining the possibility of having a nuclear-powered 65,000-tonne carrier in the future.

Navy vice-chief Vice Admiral RK Dhowan on Thursday said a "detailed study" was underway on the "size, type of aircraft and their launch and recovery systems, propulsion" and the like for the IAC-II project. "Yes, we are also considering nuclear propulsion. All options are being studied. No final decision has been taken," he said.

There are huge cost issues with nuclear-powered carriers, which can easily take upwards of $10 billion to build. The Royal British Navy is reverting to carriers propelled by gas turbines/diesel-electric systems from nuclear ones.

However, the US has 11 Nimitz-class "super-carriers" — each an over 94,000-tonne behemoth powered by two nuclear reactors and capable of carrying 80-90 fighters - to project power around the globe. China, too, is now looking at nuclear-powered carriers after inducting its first conventional carrier — the 65,000-tonne Liaoning — last September.

So, while Navy may want a nuclear-powered carrier, it will ultimately have to be a considered political decision. The force, however, is firm about its long-term plan to operate three carrier-battle groups (CBGs). "One carrier for each (western and eastern) seaboard and one in maintenance," said Vice Admiral Dhowan.

But, even two CBGs will be possible only by 2019. The 40,000-tonne IAC, to be christened INS Vikrant, will be ready for induction only by December 2018, as was first reported by TOI.

"Design and construction of a carrier has many challenges. Around 75% of the IAC structure has now been erected. India joins only four countries — the US, Russia, the UK and France - capable of building a carrier over 40,000-tonne," he said.

The 44,570-tonne INS Vikramaditya - or the Admiral Gorshkov carrier now undergoing sea trials after a $2.33-billion refit in Russia - in turn will be ready by end-2013 instead of the original August 2008 deadline.

Vice Admiral Dhowan admitted India's solitary carrier, the 28,000-tonne INS Viraat, will soldier on till 2018 due to these long delays. The 54-year-old INS Viraat is left with just 11 Sea Harrier jump-jets to operate from its deck. The 45 MiG-29K naval fighters, being procured from Russia for over $2 billion, can operate only from Vikramaditya and IAC.

The 260-metre-long IAC, whose construction finally began in November 2006, will be able to carry 12 MiG-29Ks, eight Tejas light combat aircraft and 10 early-warning and anti-submarine helicopters on its 2.5-acre flight deck and hangars. It will have a crew of 160 officers and 1,400 sailors. Powered by four American LM2500 gas turbines, the IAC will have an endurance of around 7,500 nautical miles at a speed of 18 knots.


Eye on future, India mulls options for nuclear-powered aircraft carrier - The Times of India

Is there any possibility of IN buy the remaing 10 LPD from US with USA upgrades on it that can help them better fight the Chinese in comming months:

Austin-class amphibious transport dock - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Although chances of PN getting 6 more OHPs with upgrades are not possible and even possibility that USA might take away the remaining OHP from PN.

Although if PN had tried hard with US to took 7 OHPs from USN with free of cost upgrades for force projection in anti-piracy role over Somalia then it would be 100% possible along with 11 P-3C Orions and 3-5 P-3C AEW&Cs.

 

[Bullet500]

so after some time we can hope to see some super-carriers being produced in india?

A super carrier will be waste of time, money and resources. I am having doubts on how effective carriers will be in the coming decades. For now 3 carriers are more than enough. We should focus on having more infantry transport units after we have 3 acc

 

[BeyondHeretic]

and comes PDF's future teller. thank u mate



cause we don't hv the tech to make it CATOBAR.

ok ,lol , That's sad , but I thought india will name their first aircraft carrier after ghandhi

 

[Dillinger]

ok ,lol , That's sad , but I thought india will name their first aircraft carrier after ghandhi

Gandhi, its Gandhi and hell no! That would be like naming an AC after the Dalai Lama and this is not our "first" AC. We've been operating ACs since 1961. We always name en' Vikrant other than the Vikramaditya of course. No CATOBAR for now- that's slated on the next one along with nuclear propulsion.

 

[veekysingh]

ok ,lol , That's sad , but I thought india will name their first aircraft carrier after ghandhi

this is a killing machine , not some road which will get Gandhi name tag on it. we are not making it to put on display are we? it will kill as many as it can when we need it to do so

 

[Black Eagle 90]

They also have a good option of getting some these along with the remaing 10 Austin Class ones;

Harpers Ferry-class dock landing ship - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A total 4 of them, these Ships will be helpful for IN in operations over Indian Oceans as well as on South China sea too, Armed with USA made electronics and weapons for protection.

Although IN is also looking for LHDs too and from USN, the cheaper but rather reliable options would be:

5 of these: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarawa-class_amphibious_assault_ship

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarawa-class_amphibious_assault_ship

 

[Black Eagle 90]

India's first indigenous aircraft carrier, lead ship of the new Vikrant-class
will be launched on August 12 in Kochi. The ceremony will be presided
over by Defence Minister AK Antony's wife Elizabeth. The ship is
scheduled for commissioning into service towards the end of 2018.

This picture of an impression of the ship was at a briefing on the programme
and other warship projects held today by the navy (which I sadly missed because
I was chained to the studio).

The Vikrant-class ship will sport the Indo-Israeli LR-SAM (Barak-8), which will
also arm the P-15A (Kolkata-class) destroyers, the first of which are to enter
service next year.

Livefist

The ship looks quite nice in this latest official impression.

So does INAF had replaced the older Aircraft Carrier having Harriers with MiG-29K???