To counter China, govt pushes naval exports to small Indian Ocean nations

[CONNAN]

Prime Minister Narendra Modi commissioning Barracuda — India’s first ever export warship — in Mauritius on the island country’s national day on March 12 is set to be followed by a bigger orders from countries in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

While the government has already cleared export of 13 warships to Mauritius, which will be supplied over the next year, senior officials in the MoD have said that a task to “identify” and “support” maritime needs of smaller nations in the IOR is being undertaken so as to counter the Chinese presence in the region.

“This forms a strategy in which the government is looking at supporting the maritime infrastructure of friendly foreign countries… Most navies in our littoral look for sub-20 metre boats for harbour patrol, 50-60 metre boats for their territorial waters and 80-110 metre boats for their EEZ surveillance. GSL (Goa Shipyards Limited) and GRSE (Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers), Kolkata, have set up production lines so that these ships can be produced and offered at competitive prices and in a fixed, time-bound manner to these friendly nations,” a senior Navy official said.

According to the official, India will not only be maintaining the supplied vessels, but will also be deploying Indian personnel in these nations to “look after the supplied assets”. “We have signed MoUs with some countries where we will provide operational availability at sea-guarantee to them through GSL and GRSE,” he added.

While the defence ministry has been pushing indigenous defence production under its ‘Make in India’ slogan, some of the recent clearances include two Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs) and 11 Fast Attack Crafts to Mauritius. These projects, cleared over the past 11 months, “are in different stages of execution and total to about Rs 1,200 crore” according to Rear Admiral Shekhar Mittal, CMD, GSL. GSL, has also secured orders from Sri Lanka for two Offshore Patrol Vessels and a damage control simulator to Myanmar. GRSE, which has built the $50.8 million Barracuda for Mauritius, is also participating in a global tender to supply two frigates to Philippines. “One meeting took place in Manila in January. Also in the pipeline is the supply of 10 patrol vessels to Vietnam. This will be under the line of credit extended to the nation by GoI,” said a GRSE official.

US shares India’s concern over Chinese role in South China Sea

New Delhi: The US on Tuesday said that they “share” India’s concern about “what China is doing in South China Sea”. Visiting commander of the US Pacific Fleet, Admiral Harry Harris, on Tuesday told a group of reporters: “A China that recognises norms” is in interest of everyone. “We encourage China to follow international laws,” he said.

According to Harris, the US is also looking at placing “60 per cent of its naval fleet” in the Pacific region by 2020. “Right now we have 60 per cent of our sub-surface fleet and 55 per cent of surface ships” in the Pacific region… We are sending two ships to Japan and will bring an aircraft carrier in addition to the existing five in the Pacific,” Harris said.

To counter China, govt pushes naval exports to small Indian Ocean nations | The Indian Express | Page 1

 

[Sine Nomine]

And you think some odd patrol boats will counter china in Indian ocean...

 

[CONNAN]

India keen on naval exports to nations in the IOR
Government of India, under its Make in India move for indigenous development of defence, has recently cleared proposals of supplying two Fast Patrol Vessels and 11 Fast Track Crafts to Mauritius, among others, at a total cost of around Rs 1200 crore.

In a move to expand its presence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), the Government of India is keen on supporting maritime infrastructure of its friendly countries in the region, by pushing naval exports.

The Indian government is all set to commission it’s first-ever export warship-Barracuda, to Mauritius on March 12, 2015, says a report from the Indian Defence & Research Wing (IDRW).

Besides this, the Indian government has already cleared exports of 13 other warships to Mauritius and these are expected to be supplied in the coming year.

The report further says that the government is also willing to extend a similar maritime support to other small countries in the region, so as to counter Chinese presence in the IOR.

As per the report, a senior navy official was quoted to have said that most navies in our littoral region (part of ocean close to shore) look for sub-20 metre boats for harbour patrol, 50-60 metre boats for their territorial waters and 80-110 metre boats for their Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) surveillance.

Goa Shipyards Limited and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, Kolkata, have set up production lines for producing and offering these ships at competitive prices and in a fixed, time-bound manner to these friendly nations, he added.

The report further says that the Government of India, under its Make in India move for indigenous development of defence, has recently cleared proposals of supplying two Fast Patrol Vessels and 11 Fast Track Crafts to Mauritius, among others, at a total cost of around Rs 1200 crore.

Meanwhile, the Indian Navy is also under plans to acquire 50 ship-borne drones for intelligence, surveillance purposes, as a part of its efforts to boost its maritime security, say the defence sources, according to the IDRW report.

In another case, the United States Pacific Fleet commander Admiral Harry Harris on Tuesday, during his meet with the Indian Navy chief Admiral Robin Dhowan, raised concerns over the moves of China in South China Sea.

While informing that the US currently has 60% of its sub-surface fleet and 55% of its surface ships in the Pacific region, the US official was reported to have told that the ‘US is looking to put in place, 60% of its naval fleet in the Pacific region, by 2020’.

He, however, said that such supposed plans of the US were not directed against China, but only in view of the US recognizing its economic future in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

While informing that the US is also keen on upgrading the annual Indo-US Malabar naval exercise into a multilateral venture along with Japan and Australia as regular participants, the US official added that there is a need for both the US and Indian navies to focus on building their maritime relationships in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.

India keen on naval exports to nations in the IOR - The Dollar Business

 

[Skull and Bones]

And you think some odd patrol boats will counter china in Indian ocean...

No, but will increase our presence and intelligence gathering ability in our neighborhood.

 

[areal]

India should stop thinking it has the capability to counter or compare to China. A great country is not made through meaningless comparison.
Actually, China does not feel the existence of India in most cases.

 

[Ryuzaki]

India should stop thinking it has the capability to counter or compare to China. A great country is not made through meaningless comparison.
Actually, China does not feel the existence of India in most cases.

yes,that is why it has a strategic partnership with Pakistan and want to dock in Sri Lanka,isn't it?

 

[areal]

that's because India at first made itself not welcomed by its neighbors.

yes,that is why it has a strategic partnership with Pakistan and want to dock in Sri Lanka,isn't it?

 

[Alphacharlie]

India should stop thinking it has the capability to counter or compare to China. A great country is not made through meaningless comparison.
Actually, China does not feel the existence of India in most cases.

Wow!! Clap CLap....

 

[cirr]

Another testimony to the fact that the India lives under the shadow of China？

Really puzzling。

India is free to do what it is in its national interests。India does not need to use China as THE excuse。

 

[desimorty]

China does under cut India in a lot of areas. they have the money and the single mind. However, Nations within the IOR can only antagonize India so far. India is in the Indian ocean. China, USA may visit Indian Ocean, may have a base in the case of the USN but India can reach the Indian ocean with relative ease. India doesn't need to compete . at least as much as china.