Indian Navy News & Discussions

[black_jack]

India will on Tuesday formally open a key naval station, aptly named INS Baaz (Hawk), in the southern part of Andaman and Nicobar Islands that will boost its ability to keep an eagle eye on the critical maritime choke-point: the Strait of Malacca.

With navy chief Admiral Nirmal Verma declaring the base open, the nation's southeastern-most fringe, which is closer to Indonesia than the Indian mainland, India will gain strategic supremacy in the area, an Indian Navy officer said in New Delhi.

The new base, which will also include an upgraded air base, will soon be operating heavier military planes from the Indian Air Force fleet like the just-inducted Hercules C-130J Super Hercules meant for special forces' operations.

Campbell Bay straddles a strategically key location in the Indian Ocean/Bay of Bengal overlooking the mouth of the Strait of Malacca, from across Aceh in Indonesia. With this, the Indian military will be sitting pretty at a location from where it can kickstart operations if maritime activities in the region are threatened.

Once a piracy-affected region, Indian and Indonesian navies continue to monitor it for criminal activities by jointly patrolling their maritime borders.

India's move comes even as the US has spelt out its future military strategy to focus on the Asia-Pacific by "re-balancing" its force levels from the Atlantic.

US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta had said at the Shangri La Dialogue in Singapore last month - and in New Delhi earlier - that the US will base at least 60 per cent of its naval assets in the Asia-Pacific region.

The Strait of Malacca acts as a key link between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, connecting East Asia, Australia and the US with Asia and Africa.

At least a quarter of the world's trade - and more importantly, at least 80 per cent of China's oil requirements - passes through the Strait of Malacca.

India already operates naval bases at Port Blair and Car Nicobar in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands chain.

It also has at least three air strips at Diglipur in the north Andamans, Port Blair and Car Nicobar.

The new base will significantly increase India's strategic reach in the region, considering that Campbell Bay is about 300 nautical miles south of Car Nicobar, till now the navy's major forward operating base in the area.


India gets hawk eye over Strait of Malacca | NDTV.com

 

[arp2041]

INS Vikramaditya, ready for Russian national day parade:

 

[Sergi]

^^^ Nice pic

 

[RPK]

TEXT-Fitch rts Dynatron Services at 'Fitch BB-(ind)' | Reuters


Aug 06 - Fitch Ratings has assigned India's Dynatron Services Private Limited (Dynatron) a National Long-Term rating of 'Fitch BB-(ind)'. The Outlook is Stable. Dynatron's main business is to provide after-sales-support for diesel engines, gear transmissions, electronic control and monitoring systems to the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard.

The rating is constrained by Dynatron's small scale of operations, falling profitability and high customer concentration risk. Provisional unaudited financials for FY12 (year end March) indicate revenue of INR139m (FY11: INR143m) and EBITDA margin of 16.7% (FY11: 22.9%). The company generates about 90% of its revenue by supplying spare parts and providing after-sales-support services to the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard.

However, Fitch draws some comfort from Dynatron's long-standing ties with the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard. The company has been serving these defence departments for over 25 years and signs multi-year contracts with the Indian Coast Guard to service the diesel engines on their vessels. The existing three-year contract will expire in March 2015. The rating factors in Dynatron's agreements with several international defence vendors to provide after-sales-support for their products being used by Indian defence departments.

The rating is further supported by the company's strong credit metrics and comfortable liquidity as demonstrated by its net cash position of INR22m at end-FY12. However, credit metrics are expected to worsen in the short to medium term as the company plans to raise debt to fund its upcoming ship repair facility in Karwar, Karnataka, for the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard vessels located around the region. The facility will provide a new growth opportunity to the company and also help in diversification of its revenue base.

WHAT COULD TRIGGER A RATING ACTION?

Negative: Future developments that may, individually or collectively, lead to negative rating action include:

- a significant decline in revenue due to early termination of contract from the Indian Coast Guard

- financial leverage (adjusted net debt/EBITDA) above 4.0x on a sustained basis

- a downgrade of its parent company's - Crown Corporation Private Limited (CCPL) - rating to below 'Fitch BB-(ind)'

Positive: Future developments that may, individually or collectively, lead to positive rating action include:

- a significant increase in the scale of operations

- financial leverage below 2.5x on a sustained basis along with upgrade of its parent's (CCPL) rating.

Dynatron was established in 1975 and was formerly known as Dynatron Exports Private Limited. Dynatron is majorly owned by CCPL ('Fitch BB-(ind)'/Stable), which is engaged in the export of defence products.

 

[Jon Snow]

Does anyone know if the Indian navy has plans for a cruiser type vessel - 25000 tonnes or so of pure firepower. We could buy a kirov class battlecruiser from Russia ( which is in reserve,Russia has 3 of these beasts in reserve) and modernize it to amazing specs.
They carry the S-300 on them as SAMs(plus 2 more systems as PD SAMs - the Tor missile system and the 9k33 Osa) - complete air defence for an entire CBG can come from just this one ship which also provides firepower equal to any 3 delhi class destroyers and is big enough to take a few hits and survive(if anything can actually penetrate all those amazing SAMs)

 

[manofwar]

Does anyone know if the Indian navy has plans for a cruiser type vessel - 25000 tonnes or so of pure firepower. We could buy a kirov class battlecruiser from Russia ( which is in reserve,Russia has 3 of these beasts in reserve) and modernize it to amazing specs.
They carry the S-300 on them as SAMs(plus 2 more systems as PD SAMs - the Tor missile system and the 9k33 Osa) - complete air defence for an entire CBG can come from just this one ship which also provides firepower equal to any 3 delhi class destroyers and is big enough to take a few hits and survive(if anything can actually penetrate all those amazing SAMs)

All of them are planned to be refitted and reintroduced by 2020. No way Russian Navy is going to pass over such a strategically important vessel.
If IN wants Cruisers, we will have build them ourselves or look towards USA for one. And as I understand the American ones are too expensive to maintain and use, that's why only USN uses them. So, that leaves only self construction.
Third option- Getting China to build it. They have a huge shipbuilding and offensive weapon industry, but this would kind of defeat the whole frikin' purpose
The last and the best option- Have the hull built in South Korea and attach the weapons ourself(Russian or indegenious). They have the world's largest shipbuilding capacity and hold the largest market share, so it wouldn't take much time for them.

 

[cloud_9]

Pipavav Defence wins global naval deal

Pipavav Defence and Offshore Engineering Co. Ltd said on Monday that it received an order from a West African client to build two offshore patrol vessels worth a combined Rs. 1,192 crore, marking its first international naval contract.The contract value would go up to Rs. 2,504 crore if the client exercises an option for two more similar ships, Pipavav Defence said in a filing to the Mumbai Stock Exchange.

In 2011, India’s defence ministry had placed orders with Pipavav for five similar offshore patrol vessels.

“One of the thrust areas of the company is to focus on foreign military sales to friendly countries,” a company spokesman said, adding that it was negotiating an order for four so-called corvette type warships with a global company.

In July, Pipavav Defence signed a shareholders agreement with state-run shipbuilder Mazagon Dock Ltd for jointly constructing surface warships for the Indian Navy.

 

[Executioner]

Guys is this pic is real, landing on AC.

Photos: Grumman E-2C Hawkeye 2000 (G-123) Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net

 

[kurup]

Guys is this pic is real, landing on AC.

Photos: Grumman E-2C Hawkeye 2000 (G-123) Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net

Yes , the pic is real .......

This is a video of E2C landing on a carrier

 

[RISING SUN]

Why INS Arihant, submarine in final stages of testing, is so important
New Delhi: The INS Arihant, India's indigenous-built nuclear-powered submarine which is capable of carrying nuclear missiles "will be going for sea-trials soon," Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Nirmal Verma told reporters today in New Delhi.
The submarine is now the in last stage of testing. Sources have told NDTV that barring any major set-backs, the INS Arihant should be able join the Indian Navy within the "next 18 months".
The advent of INS Arihant into the fleet will complete the crucial link in India's nuclear triad - the ability to fire nuclear weapons from land, air and sea. Admiral Verma, however, refused to give details of the weapons package on board the nuclear submarine. "I will not want to get into the details" he said.
The sea-trial of the INS Arihant was scheduled to start last year but was delayed because of technical glitches.
The Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) announced last month that it has successfully developed nuclear-tipped submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs). Long shrouded in secrecy, unlike surface-to-surface nuclear missiles like Agni, the SLBM was a closely -guarded secret while in development and was called the 'Sagarika Project'. In all probability, the INS Arihant will take this missile on board. So far, countries like the US, Russia, France, China and the UK have the capability to launch a submarine-based ballistic missile.
Although INS Arihant signifies a huge jump for the Indian Navy, the good news ends here. India's fleet of conventional submarines is fast depleting. India has 14 conventional submarines that run on either battery or diesel and are aging and outdated. Each of them will have completed the standard life-span of 25 years by 2017.
Admiral Verma admitted concern over the fact that upgraded versions have been grounded by bureaucratic delays.
At any given time, only seven submarines are available for deployment and are split on either coast. Seven submarines are mostly unavailable because they need to be serviced, refitted at increasingly short terms. Also, because the boats are aging fast, their lifespan need to be extended and therefore they are not deployed.
The Indian Navy's 30-year submarine programme, devised in 1988, envisaged buying six submarines from the West and countries in the East like Russia. India was to use the acquisition process to gain enough knowledge to build the next 12 submarines on its own. But Indian shipyards have largely been unable to either pick up the requisite technology or capability. Shipyards like the Hindustan Shipyard Limited which was originally supposed to build at least 3 submarines have been found to be incapable of building submarines.
The Indian Navy has now approached the government to be allowed to build two submarines in the shipyard of the foreign collaborator. "It is not exactly asking for importing two submarines. We are asking the government to allow us to build two submarines in their shipyard. In the long run it will be help our technicians gain expertise" and cut down in delays when building in India, Admiral Verma said.
Why INS Arihant, submarine in final stages of testing, is so important | NDTV.com

 

[black_jack]

Seven months after US President Barack Obama signalled America’s new strategic focus on China, announcing a “rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region” and naming India as a key ally, India’s Navy chief stated that his focus was on the Indian Ocean and not on the increasingly militarised waters of the South China Sea.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi today, the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Admiral Nirmal Verma, said, notwithstanding “major policy statements from the US, from our perspective the primary areas of interest to us is from the Malacca Strait to the (Persian/Arabian) Gulf in the west, and to the Cape of Good Hope in the south… the Pacific and the South China Sea are of concern to us, but activation in those areas is not on the cards.”


The CNS pointed instead to the Indian Navy’s cooperation with China, particularly in anti-piracy patrols off West Asia, where the Indian, Chinese and Japanese navies coordinate their patrolling.
Admiral Verma talked down any prospect of coordinating with the US Navy, making it clear that lowering, not raising, tensions was in India’s interest. “Certainly as far as rebalancing is concerned, we don’t want a situation where something happens in (the) South China Sea to upset global shipping because it is going to have an impact on everybody. I do believe there are efforts on from the major powers that are involved in South China Sea and they will also calibrate their steps so that such a situation does not arise.”

In fact, the US and India have held extensive discussions on the evolving situation in the Asia-Pacific. US Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs, Andrew Shapiro met with Indian officials in April, renewing the political-military dialogue after a gap of six years. US Defence Secretary, Leon Panetta, held discussions with Defence Minister, A K Antony in June. The Asia-Pacific was also discussed in detail during the third US-India Strategic Dialogue that month.

The joint statement issued at the end of that dialogue says, “The United States and India have a shared vision for peace, stability, and prosperity in Asia, the Indian Ocean region, and the Pacific region and are committed to work together, and with others in the region, for the evolution of an open, balanced, and inclusive architecture…. They agreed to further enhance their consultations on the Indian Ocean region.”

Admiral Verma today detailed the major Indian naval build-up in the IOR. He said a record 15 new surface ships had joined the Indian Navy’s fleet over the past five years, and the nuclear attack submarine, INS Chakra, leased from Russia. Another 46 are currently being built: 43 in Indian shipyards, and three in Russia.

Another 49 warships are in the MoD’s lengthy procurement pipeline. These include seven frigates that will soon be built at Mazagon Dock Ltd, Mumbai and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers, Kolkata (GRSE) under Project 17A; four water-jet fast attack craft to be built at GRSE; a training ship that will be built in a private shipyard; eight mine hunters, of which two will be built in South Korea and six more in Goa Shipyard Ltd with transferred Korean technology.

In addition, the construction of six more conventional submarines under Project 75(I) is “at the final stages of approval”, and evaluation is underway for buying a Deep Submergence and Rescue vessel for rescuing sailors from any distressed submarine. During “the coming months”, tenders will be issued for four Landing Platform Docks (LPDs), 16 anti-submarine vessels designed for shallow coastal waters; one survey training vessel; and two diving support vessels.

Admiral Verma forecast that “over the next five years we expect to induct ships and submarines at an average rate of five platforms per year, provided the yards deliver as per contracted timelines.” Much of this build-up is centred on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, located in the Bay of Bengal, 1200 km from the Indian mainland, which dominate the international shipping lanes leading into the Malacca Strait. This is a key choke point for all shipping transit—from West Asia to the South China Sea.

Last week, the Naval chief inaugurated a Naval air base, INS Baaz, on the Great Nicobar Island, at the very mouth of the Malacca Strait. This supplements the Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter base at Car Nicobar. INS Baaz, 300 km closer to the Malacca Strait than Car Nicobar, does not yet have a runway long enough for fighter aircraft. But the Naval chief revealed that land acquisition was under way and environmental clearances being obtained for a 10,000-foot-long runway that would allow fighter operations.

While inaugurating INS Baaz on July 31, Admiral Verma had declared the navy would be “progressively increasing the number of warships” based at Port Blair, the headquarters of India’s only tri-service command, the Andaman and Nicobar Command.

Hailing the base’s “brilliant strategic location,” the Naval chief stated that additional bases would be “dispersed along the entire length of the island chain, so as to maximise the reach and time-on-task for ships and aircraft on patrol” in the area.


Navy chief says Indian Ocean is priority, not South China Sea

 

[subincb]

Hope the shipyard is free now for Vikrant, or may be not. If you see google maps there are 3 ships similar(so 2 more) and hope all will be out in a month and the vikrant can go back in.

https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&so...0.005987&z=17&iwloc=A&cid=9473465642586151373

Cochin Shipyard Limited delivers platform supply vessel - The New Indian Express



Adding another feather to its cap, the Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) on Tuesday delivered a Platform Supply Vessel (PSV) of the high-tech Rolls Royce.

CSL is claimed to be the the first shipyard in the world to have built and delivered a vessel of this series. The vessel ‘SCI Nalanda’ was built by the CSL for the Shipping Corporation of India (SCI).

CSL authorities said that SCI Nalanda is the first of the series of two high technology offshore vessels being built for SCI, and was based on the UT 755 CD Rolls Royce design. The vessel is dually classed under the rules and regulations of the Det Norske Veritas (DNV) and the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS), and registered under the Indian flag with Mumbai as its home-port.

The ‘Clean Design’ notation by DNV signifies the highest levels of environmental compliance.

This 79x16 m vessel is a high-end diesel electric PSV with four 994 KW diesel generators and two 1,470 KW Azimuth thrusters. The second last vessel in the series is expected to be delivered to SCI next month.

The vessel was delivered to the owners on Tuesday in the presence of the S Hajara and Cmde K Subramaniam, chairmen and managing directors of SCI and CSL, respectively.

The protocol documents of the ship were signed by CSL operations director R S Sundar and SCI senior vice-president Capt K Devadas. V S M Nair, master designate of the vessel, received the registration documents of the vessel from S Hajara.

 

[Abingdonboy]

VISAKHAPATNAM: The Indian Navy is well on its way to be a potent world class force, with 46 ships and submarines to be added in its fleet, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command Vice-Admiral Anil Chopra today said.

Addressing the naval officers and civilians after unfurling the national flag on the 66th Independence Day today, Vice Admiral Chopra said even as the year gone by saw the Eastern Naval Command add stealth frigates, nuclear powered submarine and unmanned aerial vehicle squadron to its arsenal, now it has planned to include 46 more ships and submarines and a large number of aviation assets.

In the near future, the Command will be home to additional strategic platforms, anti-submarine corvettes, P8i long range maritime reconnaissance aircraft, MiG 29K fighter jets and advanced jet trainers, he said.

The Command has remained in the forefront with the Eastern Fleet leaving footprints all across the Indian Ocean region - from the Gulf of Aden to the West Pacific.

On the occasion, he urged all present to stand up to the security challenges faced by the nation.

A ceremonial parade was held at the Eastern Naval Command parade ground where Vice Admiral Chopra took the salute.

Indian Navy on way to be world class force: Vice Admiral Anil Chopra - The Economic Times

 

[arp2041]

INS Arihant and India

 

[cloud_9]

Indian Navy set to create history