Despite challenges owing to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown, the Kolkata-based Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) has successfully delivered the last of eight LCUs manufactured for the Indian Navy, he said.

The LCU ships, equipped with state-of-the-art technology, were developed in-house with 90 per cent of its parts indigenously manufactured.

ALSO READ: COAST GUARD: OPV Launched, FPV Commissioned

“These ships are very unique in their design and class in the world. A very specific kind of requirement was given by the Indian Navy — speed of 15 knots, a displacement of 900- odd tonnes and a low draught for beaching in the shallowest of waters,” Saxena told .

Apart from troops, each ship can accommodate main battle tanks, personnel carriers and other Army vehicles, which can be launched on the beaches, he said on Thursday.

The ships are designed to accommodate 216 personnel and have two indigenous CRN 91 guns to provide artillery fire support during landing operations, he added.

The post GRSE delivers eighth landing craft utility ship to Indian Navy appeared first on IMR.

While the four-nation QUAD multilateral exercises under Malabar begin pn 2 November, the Indian military planners have decided to give top priority to Eastern Naval Command and island territories of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Lakshadweep to counter any threat from PLA Navy in Indian Ocean. The Western Naval Command has also been asked to spread out its assets with Karwar base in Karnataka as focus.

The plan follows a security assessment that pitched concern around China’s PLA Navy way over the maritime threat from the Pakistan Navy.

ALSO READ Xi Jinping tells Chinese troops to focus on ‘preparing for war’

In this context, the national security planners are considering raising another amphibious brigade, one for eastern and western seaboard, for offensive operations in the future. As of now, India has one dedicated amphibious brigade, whose elements are spread between Thiruvananthapuram and Andaman and Nicobar Islands Command in Port Blair. The amphibious forces are specialised in launching a counter-offensive from sea using landing ship tank (LST) vessels such as INS Jalashwa and projecting power in the region and beyond. The planners are considering having one full brigade in Thiruvananthapuram, and the second stationed either at Visakhapatnam or AN Islands.

India’s island territories are at the heart of Indian Navy’s operational plan in the Indian Ocean as they dominate the major shipping lanes from Suez Canal and Persian Gulf to South-East and North Asia via Malacca Strait. The Indian Air Force fighter jets, armed with Brahmos missiles, can strike at any moving target in and around Malacca, Sunda or Lombard straits in the worst-case scenario. These three straits are the only way to access the South China Sea from Indian Ocean. Shipping costs mount manifolds if the ships have to be diverted from the Malacca Strait to other two straits.

Despite the strategic leverage that the island territories represent, the Indian Navy is still largely focused on Mumbai and Visakhapatnam with the AN Command left to the tri-services headquarters. With the military theatre commands in the offing, both AN Islands and Lakshadweep are going to be the hub of India’s maritime strike capabilities. Lakshadweep lies on the Nine Degree Channel, the most direct route for East Asia-bound ships from the Persian Gulf.

Given that India and the US have tied up for Indian Ocean Region with institutionalised tie-ups with American Indo-Pacific, Central Command and African Commands, the QUAD countries will project maritime surveillance and dominance in their region with assets communicating and sharing information through secure military communication channels among air, surface and underwater combatants made possible by the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement signed in 2018.

Source

The post India will raise 2nd amphibious brigade to counter PLA Navy appeared first on IMR.

While Singh was in Moscow in June to participate in the 75th Victory Day celebrations, his September 3-5 visit will focus on SCO meet, besides bilateral consultations with the hosts amid fresh tensions along the LAC. Singh and his Russian counterpart are expected to discuss steps to widen defence partnership including supplies at critical times.

ALSO READ INDIA-RUSSIA: Military Ties Remain Strong

Russian Navy ships Admiral Vinogradov (Destroyer), Admiral Tributs (Destroyer) and Boris Butoma (Tanker) with integral helicopters will be visiting the port of Hambantota (Sri Lanka) from August 31 to September 3, before proceeding to Russia, persons familiar with this development informed.

Indra Navy 2020

INDRA NAVY-2020, earlier planned in Vladivostok has been postponed due to Covid-19 pandemic situation. Russian Navy has instead proposed conducting a “non-contact, at sea only” Passage Exercise (PASSEX) to maintain the continuity of engagements between the two Navies, ET has reliably learnt.

INDRA NAVY-2020 is planned as PASSEX on September 4-5, during the passage of Russian Navy ships from Hambantota to Malacca Straits in the Bay of Bengal. Indian Navy will deploy ships Ranvijay (Destroyer), Sahyadri (Frigate), Kiltan (Corvette) and Shakti (Tanker) with integrated Helicopters. As part of INDRA NAVY-2020, maritime operations such as Flying, Gun Firing on Surface and Aerial Targets, Tracking Exercises and Replenishment at Sea Approaches (RASAPS) are planned, ET has learnt.

India-Russia (INDRA) Exercises between the Army, Navy and Air Force of the two countries have been held since 2005. Joint Tri-Services Exercises ‘INDRA’ are also being held once in two years since 2017. The last INDRA Tri-Services Exercise was held in India in December 2019.

ALSO READ India holds naval exercise with Japan amid stand-off with China

“INDRA NAVY-2020 will once again showcase the level of friendship, trust and interoperability between Indian Navy and the Russian Navy,” a source said.

India is keen to develop a partnership with Russia in the Indo-Pacific region based on its principle of inclusive Indo-Pacific construct. Russia on its part wants to steadily enhance its presence in the region spanning Lisbon to Jakarta and seeks Indian presence in its Far-East as Indo-Pacific partnership.

Interestingly, Indo-Russian exercise could happen almost in the same area where the Malabar exercise involving India, the United States of America and Japan and will take place later this year. Australia too could be invited for the exercise.

Source

The post Indian and Russian Navies to hold mega exercise near Andaman and Nicobar Islands appeared first on IMR.