Brig Arvind Dhananjayan

India’s Submarine Development Plan (SDP)-2030 is quantitatively focused on development of Diesel-Electric Attack (DEA) submarines (SSKs) and Nuclear Attack Submarines (SSNs). It is complimented with the development and induction of SSBNs (nuclear-powered submarines capable of firing ballistic missiles), which is imperative for nuclear deterrence on a regional and global scale to counterbalance the threat of China’s fast-paced naval modernization.

The Indian Navy currently operates two nuclear-powered attack submarines – INS Arihant and INS Arighat. INS Arihant was commissioned in 2016, and INS Arighat in 2022. The Indian Navy plans to build six SSNs of the Arihant class. The third and fourth submarines in the class, INS Aridhaman and INS Arighot, are under construction. The fifth and sixth submarines are still in the design stage.

The Indian Navy’s future plans for its SSN fleet include the construction of the Scorpene-class SSNs as explained in this article.

Acquisition of DEA Submarines/SSNs

Being largely oriented towards regional operations, the Indian Navy is predominantly focused on efforts towards safeguarding India’s territorial waters and deterring any inimical act of aggression by a potential adversary, either off the Eastern/Western Seaboards and the avenues of ingress into these waters or in the Northern Indian Ocean, which is traversed by favourable Sea Lines of Communication (SLOC). Concomitantly, China and Pakistan would have to set aside substantial naval resources to offset a surface and sub-surface threat from the Indian Navy to its naval patrols and mercantile shipping in these waters. The Indian Navy would also be tasked to effectively blockade Pakistan Navy’s attempts at any maritime misadventure off the peninsula. These tasks make it essential to have capabilities, among others, for maritime deterrence and sea denial.  While the former is a fallout of the combined operational capability of the Indian Navy, the latter would largely constitute the responsibility of the submarine arm.

Such an argument, among other financial and temporal considerations, would have influenced the decision to persevere with acquisition of modern SSKs and SSNs as part of the SDP.

Apart from the SSBNs mentioned, the acquisition of SSNs would significantly enhance the reach and stealth quotient of India’s sub-surface fleet, as SSNs have the capability to carry out fleeting attacks on an adversary’s static and sea-based assets, while staying submerged for protracted periods.

Growing Submarine Arm

Following the decision to introduce submarines into the Indian Navy six decades ago, imports and collaborative submarine-building ventures with foreign firms have effectively maintained a credible sub-surface fleet. In the aftermath of the Kargil War, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approved a 30-year SDP to enable acquisition of 24 conventional submarines. Thus came into being a two-phase plan, with Project-75 and Project-75 (I) [75 (India)] constituting the initial phase, each envisaging development of six SSKs. The subsequent phase of 12 SSKs was envisaged to be undertaken indigenously. However, in keeping with the rapidly expanding maritime threat from China, the Indian Navy approached the CCS in early 2021, with a proposal to replace six of the balance 12 SSKs with SSNs, under the moniker of Project-75A/76.

Project-75, in collaboration with the French Naval Group (formerly DCNS), has now fructified, with five Kalvari Class (Scorpene) submarines having been commissioned and the sixth undergoing sea-trials.

Project 75A/76 

Project 75A/76 envisages the indigenous development of six SSNs over the present and next decade, with 6000-ton displacements and an overall projected cost of Rs. 96,000 crores. These vessels will be designed by the Indian Navy’s Directorate of Naval Design (DND) and manufactured at Vishakhapatnam.

Advanced Technology Vessel

In order to enhance the Indian Navy’s strategic reach, the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) programme was commissioned, envisaging development of four SSBNs (INS Arihant, commissioned in August 2016 and INS Arighat undergoing sea-trials, with two more larger vessels under development). These submarines would provide practically unlimited range, with intercontinental strike capability, as a component of India’s nuclear triad. These developments were spurred on by the void created due to termination of a brief three-year lease of INS Chakra-I, a Soviet SSN, which ended in 1991; and the subsequent expiry last year of a 10-year lease of INS-Chakra-II, an Akula-II Class SSN from Russia. A further addition to these ranks will come in the form of another Akula Class Russian submarine, INS Chakra-III, slated to be leased in 2025 for 10 years.

Project-75 (I)

Project-75 (I) could not be progressed concurrently as envisaged under the 30-year plan due to various reasons. Hence, the Naval Staff Qualitative Requirements for the project were modified to include procurement of SSKs with state-of-the-art Air-Independent-Propulsion (AIP) systems, enabling them to stay submerged for longer durations and substantially increasing their operational range and lethality. 

In October 2014, India’s Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) decided that all six submarines would be constructed in India, and in June 2017, it was reported that the contract for construction would be awarded under the “Strategic Partnership” Model (SPM). This referred to participation of Indian firms along with foreign manufacturers under the ‘Make in India’ paradigm of Defence Acquisition Procedure-2020. The DAC subsequently approved an enhanced budget in January 2019.

Concurrently, an Empowered Project Committee (EPC) was constituted to steer the project till contract conclusion and Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for the project was accorded.  In January 2020, the EPC shortlisted Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and MDL as the two Indian firms that would collaborate with one of five shortlisted foreign manufacturers for the project. On 20 July 2021, the CCS allowed issuance of Request for Proposal (RFP) under the SPM to both Indian firms for a total amount of ?43,000 Crores, making this the first project under the SPM and India’s largest defence acquisition project!

The SPM envisages the setting up of manufacturing lines in India along with Transfer-of-Technology. Consequently, three of the five shortlisted foreign vendors exited, citing unfavourable contract clauses. Acceptance of the RFP by the balance two foreign firms saw MDL signing a pre-emptive agreement with German shipbuilder ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) in June 2023, while L&T had signed a Teaming Agreement with Spanish shipbuilding company Navantia on 11 April 2023 – both for the purpose of submitting a techno-commercial bid for the project. As per these pre-emptive agreements, Navantia would, if shortlisted, design and develop these submarines based on its Isaac Peral S-80 Submarine (due to be delivered to the Spanish Navy by end 2023), which boasts the most advanced AIP system in the world today. TKMS is, meanwhile, reported to be offering its Type 214/218 DEA submarines with AIP. Induction of Project-75 (I) submarines is expected to commence by the end of this decade.

Recent Developments

As part of the SDP, the DND, assisted by the DRDO, is reportedly working on the design of an indigenous DEA with AIP, soon envisioned to become the mainstay of India’s future SSK fleet. The DAC, in its meeting on 13 July, discussed the acquisition of three more Kalveri Class (Scorpene) submarines with AIP, as outlined in Project 75 (I), to be built at MDL and validated by France’s Naval Group, likely via a Government-to-Government contract. The Naval Group had earlier set up a 100% owned subsidiary, Naval Group India, with presence in New Delhi and Mumbai, to oversee the ‘Make in India’ commitment of Project-75, with an investment of over Rs 100 crores for establishment of three workshops for maintenance, spares and future refit of the Project-75 submarines. These workshops are also involved in validating the DRDO-developed AIP system for installation on existing submarines and those proposed for acquisition. An MoU between Naval Group and MDL was also reportedly signed, on 6 July 2023, for collaboration on the proposed acquisition of the additional submarines, which would include fitting of indigenous AIP and other onboard systems, resulting in a significantly higher indigenous content than before. Naval Group India would also oversee the fitting of indigenous AIP on existing Project-75 submarines as they commence their refit, beginning with INS Kalvari in 2024. The fitting of the indigenous AIP plug would require certain modifications to the hull of the submarines, including extension in length and subsequent integration, which would also be overseen by the Naval Group.

The revised Indo-French Joint Statement, issued on 14 July at the end of prime minister Narendra Modi’s visit to France to mark the 25th anniversary of the India-France Strategic Partnership, omits specific mention of these submarines but reiterates the joint readiness of both nations to explore development projects for expansion of India’s submarine fleet. This may be construed as a positive indicator for fruition of such acquisition by India.

Presently, design work for the SSNs is underway at the Submarine Design Group (SDG) under the DND, with the preliminary design phase having been completed in early 2020. The SDG, assisted by DRDO, is presently involved in the detailed design phase of the project. Construction of SSNs is expected to commence in 2023-24. with the first submarine expected to enter service in 2032.

Comments

Surveillance over India’s vast 7,500 km coastline, a 2 mn square Exclusive Economic Zone, and island territories off the eastern/ western coasts is a colossal mandate. Add to this the onerous responsibility of being a ‘net security provider’ in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), and India’s Navy and Coast Guard are landed with the unenviable charge of protecting India’s waters/seaboards from all forms of economic/military intrusion. Both China and Pakistan have viable navies capable of choking India’s maritime trade and denying operational sea-space for military or mercantile movement. Apropos, the Indian Navy on the cusp of metamorphosing into a genuine blue-water force, needs to be able to project maritime power, control sea-space for furtherance of own operations and deny the same to India’s potential adversaries. It is therefore imperative that India looks at self-reliance and indigenization to consolidate and enhance the effectiveness of its surface and sub-surface arsenal.

With 18 operational submarines at present, the Indian Navy’s Submarine Development Plan constitutes a much-needed fillip, in addition to the existing sub-surface fleet undergoing regular planned refit, refurbishment and modernization, to maintain its submarine arm as a potent and lethal sub-surface force.

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The Indian Navy has fast-tracked the process of purchasing 26 fighter jets for its two aircraft carriers after evaluating the trial report of the two shortlisted contenders — F/A 18 Super Hornet of Boeing and the Rafale of Dassault Aviation.

The Super Hornets are US-made while the Rafale is manufactured by France. The Navy needs 26 jets for the two aircraft carriers — INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant.

The Navy has carried out trials of both the aircraft from its shore-based facility, INS Hansa in Goa, which is a replica of an aircraft carrier deck.

The trial team submitted its report to the Naval headquarters recently after carrying out extensive trials at its Goa-based facility. The evaluation process is at an advanced stage.

The two contenders in the tender have given extensive details of their planes to the Navy and all the issues would be taken into consideration before arriving at the plane to be shortlisted for the carrier-based operations.

The jets are required for operations on the INS Vikrant aircraft carrier as the MiG-29s are found to be sufficient only for the operational readiness requirements of the first aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya.

INS Vikrant is without an element of fighter aircraft as trials are supposed to be conducted by the end of this year. The Navy earlier required 57 planes for operations on both the carriers, but the requirement was cut short by more than half in support of indigenous planes.

The Navy is looking at getting the 26 aircraft within three years of the order being placed. Out of the 26, the Navy wants eight two-seaters for training purposes. However, the Rafale is a single-seater, while the Super Hornet comes in both configurations.

One advantage that the Super Hornet has over the Rafale is the foldable wings, which reduce its wing span from 44 feet to 30 feet, making it more flexible to be accommodated. The Super Hornet can carry four anti-ship missiles compared to one on the Rafale. The Super Hornet with a maximum take off weight is 29,900 kg, while the Rafale is 24,500 kg.

Sources said once the Navy zeroes in on the choice, it will likely be a government-to-government deal like the one for getting 36 Rafale jets for the Indian Air Force.

The navy is looking at an aircraft that can operate from both STOBAR (Short take off- but arrested recovery) and CATOBAR (Catapult Take-off but arrested recovery) aircraft carriers. The STOBAR carriers come with a ski-jump ramp while the CATOBARs are flat deck. Indian Navy’s two carriers INS Vikramaditya and newly inducted INS Vikrant are both STOBAR carriers. The third carrier under planning is likely to be a CATOBAR and keeping that in mind, the navy’s requirement is to have a fighter jet that can operate from both, as the current MiG 29s are limited to the two STOBAR carriers of the Indian Navy.

A CATOBAR carrier can have a bigger impact as it increases range, has more weapons and can operate a variety of aircraft.

Super Hornet and Rafale are suited for CATOBAR carriers but the tests that have taken place are from the navy’s shore-based facility in Goa that has a ski-jump and is identical to the two aircraft carriers India has.

The original Navy plan was to buy 57 fighters but there have been delays. Sources said now the navy is speeding up the process for the critical acquisition of at least 26 aircraft. The Navy currently has a fleet of 40 plus MiG 29 K aircraft but will need replacement at some point of time. With 18-20 aircraft operating from each carrier if a third one indeed gets a go-ahead surely more fighters would be needed. In the Indian Navy’s plans is a third carrier, even though it might be a distant dream as of now. The MiG 29 Ks were inducted in 2010 and the first squadron commissioned in 2013 to operate from INS Vikramaditya.

More BrahMos Missiles for Warships

The Ministry of Defence, on 22 September, signed a Rs 1,700-crore deal with BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited (BAPL) for acquisition of dual-role capable surface-to-surface BrahMos missiles for deployment on warships of the Indian Navy.

“Providing further impetus to atmanirbharta (self-reliance) in defence production, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) signed a contract with BAPL for acquisition of additional dual-role capable surface-to-surface BrahMos missiles at an overall approximate cost of Rs 1,700 crore under the ‘buy-Indian’ category. Induction of these dual-role capable missiles is going to significantly enhance the operational capability of Indian Navy fleet assets,” said a statement from the MoD.

A combination of the names of Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers, BrahMos missiles are designed, developed and produced by BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture company set up by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Mashinostroyenia of Russia. The first test launch of the initial version of Brahmos took place in 2001. Various types of the BrahMos, including those which can be fired from land, warships and the Sukhoi-30 fighter jets, have already been developed and successfully tested and inducted since then.

The MoD further said: “It is notable that BAPL is making crucial contribution to augment the new generation surface-to-surface missiles with enhanced range and dual-role capability for land as well as anti-ship attacks. This contract is going to give further boost to indigenous production of critical weapon system and ammunition with active participation of indigenous industry.”

BrahMos is a two-stage missile with a solid propellant booster engine. Its first stage brings the missile to supersonic speed and then gets separated. The liquid ramjet or the second stage then takes the missile closer to three times the speed of sound in cruise phase. The missile has a very low radar signature, making it stealthy, and can achieve a variety of trajectories. The ‘fire and forget’ type missile can achieve a cruising altitude of 15 km and a terminal altitude as low as 10m to hit the target. The enhanced range version of the missile has a range of 4,000km, as compared to the original range of 290km.

Cruise missiles such as BrahMos, called ‘standoff range weapons’, which are fired from a range far enough to allow the attacker to evade defensive fire from the adversary. These weapons are in the arsenal of most major militaries in the world.

Diving Support Vessels

Two Diving Support Vessels (Nistar & Nipun) being built by Hindustan Shipyard Ltd, Vishakapatnam for the Indian Navy, were launched on 22 Sep 22.

The Diving Support Vessels (DSVs) are first of the kind, ships indigenously designed and built at HSL for the Indian Navy. The vessels are 118.4 metres long, 22.8 metres at the broadest point and will have a displacement of 9,350 tons.

These ships would be deployed for deep sea diving operations. Additionally, with Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV) embarked, the DSVs are designed to undertake submarine rescue operations, in case requirement exists. Furthermore, these ships will be capable of sustained patrolling, conducting Search & Rescue operations and carrying out Helicopter Operations at high seas.

With approximately 80 % indigenous content, the DSV project has generated considerable local employment opportunities and has also promoted indigenisation which in turn will aid in boosting India’s economy.

Third Aircraft Carrier – INS Vishal

The Indian Navy’s second aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, will be fully operational by the end of 2022 and it is likely to move forward with the third aircraft carrier, INS Vishal targeting the year 2030. The added capabilities being envisaged for future carriers could boost our capacity building in terms of maritime security as follows:

 Incorporation of technologies such as the Electromagnetic Air Lift System (EMALS), which was disseminated to India by the US defence company, General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems Inc. in 2017.

 The Catapult Assisted Take-Off But Arrested Recovery (CATOBAR) system is used in advanced aircraft carriers for the purpose of ‘catapulting’ aircraft (especially heavy-weight fighters) and ‘assisting’ their landing back on the carrier using arrestor wires.

 A nuclear power plant to cater to all the energy needs on board and for prolonged deployment.

 Space for housing more fighter aircraft and carrier-borne blade folding AEW aircraft.

 Could fly aerial drones and dock autonomous underwater and surface vehicles.

To counter the recent threats from China and to neutralise the hegemony being demanded by China over Indo Pacific region, getting an upper hand at sea is the way forward for India. By just choking the Malacca Straights in the far east, India can counter China effectively during the discourse of an incident. Deployment of carriers at critical points in oceans could become a game-changer during the time of hot pursuits. Henceforth, India needs to have strategic dominance across Indian Ocean Region for maintaining its interests. With the third carrier, we can ensure the availability of two carriers for deployment at any given time.

These aircraft carriers are slightly cheaper alternatives than overseas military bases. To the  Indian Navy, it assures that in some conflictual situations in the Indo-Pacific region, these fighter aircraft carriers will be available on the ground. They can be deployed for combat requirements and provide a long range of surveillance that cannot be provided by a shore-based asset.

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With China aggressively building new aircraft carriers and a blue-water navy to counter the US and project power around the globe, the Indian Navy is now pushing hard for its long-standing case for a third and much bigger aircraft carrier to retain its combat edge in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

Naval chief, Admiral Hari Kumar, mentioned during his Navy Day 2022 press conference, ‘It’s not about either carrier or submarine, but the right balance between ships, submarines and aircraft.’ The third aircraft carrier, which the navy desires, is expected to be of 65,000 to 70,000 tonnes as compared to INS Vikrant of 45,000 tonnes. It is estimated to cost approximately Rs 80,000 to 90,000 crore, including provision of aircraft and helicopters.

Blue water capabilities only flow through aircraft carriers. In case India possesses three aircraft carriers, at any one time, two would be available. On the other hand, there is a counter view that the age of aircraft carriers has passed. Its cost of construction, maintenance and alternatives, including use of island territories as airbases, and submarines for sea denial are cheaper and more viable.

Aircraft carriers are known to have lengthy maintenance schedules. The cycle of maintenance can lead to an absence of a carrier for years, as has been the case with the refit of India’s lone aircraft carrier the 45,000-tonne INS Vikramaditya, acquired from Russia for $2.33 billion in November 2013. Its refit started in the beginning of 2021 and still continues. It has been delayed due to a fire onboard in July.

With one aircraft carrier still under maintenance and one yet to be inducted, the Indian Navy will be operating without one for some more time.

In Support of the Third Aircraft Carrier

The overall air power that an aircraft carrier brings to the operational area is not limited to the tremendous capabilities that the fighter aircraft can deliver. It also includes the capabilities of the carrier-borne helicopters and the weapon package of the escort and support ships that sail with the carrier as part of the Carrier Battle Group.

An aircraft carrier is central to the Navy’s concept of operations, and the Navy would need three aircraft carriers to safeguard national maritime interests within our areas of interest against the backdrop of changing geopolitics in the Indian Ocean region. The Carrier Battle Groups are undoubtedly the source of power projection, and provide freedom of manoeuvre in the vast area of operations of interests. The three carriers would arm the Navy with the required teeth to deter our potential adversaries from any misadventure, as well as to establish credible deterrence in our area of operations. The maritime capability perspective plan of the Indian Navy, therefore, envisages induction of three aircraft carriers to ensure development of capability to operate two Carrier Battle Groups at all times, and with the third carrier under maintenance.

The indigenous ecosystem has been created by building the IAC. The stage is now well set to take the next step forward to indigenously build the next aircraft carrier to ensure the expertise gained is utilized to the maximum in times to come.

After building the Rs 20,000-crore IAC, which took 13 years from keel-laying to delivery after being first sanctioned by the government way back in January 2003, the Cochin Shipyard (CSL) is ready for the next carrier project.

Once the go-ahead is given, CSL can build a warship similar to IAC in eight years. Its new 310-meter dry dock will be ready by 2024 to build a 65,000-tonne carrier.

Against Aircraft Carriers

Aircraft carriers are vulnerable to long-range missiles such as the Chinese DF 21D and DF 26. The loss of an aircraft carrier in operations is a major loss for the nation. India does not have an expeditionary doctrine or forces, hence, aircraft carriers are considered unnecessary. It is arguable whether the Indian Navy should have a third carrier or build additional submarines, whose strength has reduced to 16 from the desired 24.

Submarines can effectively provide a ‘sea denial strategy’ as against a ‘sea control strategy’ created by ‘Carrier Battle Groups (CBG).’ Sea denial may be a better option for the country, which lacks financial resources.

Due to shortfall in funds,the Navy has reduced its projections for a 200-warship navy by 2027 to 175. It has also lowered its demands for helicopters and P 81 Maritime multi-mission aircraft.

Air power experts root for air to air refuellers to enhance the range of fighter aircraft and support naval operations from shore-based airfields.

Aircraft carriers project a nation’s capabilities in peace time. However, Indian aircraft carriers are unlikely to be operationally employed beyond the Indian Ocean region, for which a two-carrier fleet is sufficient.

Operating three CBGs is also requires the necessary support flotilla, even if two are operational at any one time.

Threat from China

China already operates two carriers, Liaoning and Shandong, and is fast building two more with CATOBAR configuration. The third Chinese carrier, the over 80,000-tonne Fujian, was `launched’ in June. The US has 11 `super’ 100,000-tonne nuclear-powered carriers, each of which carries 80-90 fighters and aircraft.

China started manufacturing its first aircraft carrier in 2012 and commissioned its third indigenous one, Fujian, in June this year.

China has become the biggest Navy with 355 warships and submarines while India’s total fleet strength is 130.

In its quest for regional and global power, China made a decisive turn to the sea around 20 years back, and the balance between maritime and continental orientation began to shift towards the former. This was stepped up since 2013, under President Xi Jinping. In the last 15 years or so, the PLA Navy has added over 100 major ships and submarines to its fleet. It is the most rapid growth by any Navy for a long time in recent history. PLA Navy deployments have also grown rapidly, and new bases and access arrangements in the Indo-Pacific have been operationalised.

These increases imply hardening of the Chinese posture and continuation of aggressive approaches, unless efforts by many other countries towards a “push back” yield some results. It will also mean increased deployments and presence of the PLA Navy in other areas, including the Indian Ocean. The challenge can manifest in a variety of ways, on trade routes, shipping, coercive approaches in India’s neighbourhood, and other conventional military threats. The rapid growth of the PLA Navy is also meant to create maritime power asymmetries, which would need suitable responses.

The security challenges posed by the widening footprint of the PLA Navy, the potential of China-Pakistan collusion, and growing traditional and non-traditional threats at sea are pointers towards a further increase in the Indian Navy’s roles and responsibilities.

Comments

For the Indian Navy’s roles and responsibilities, both sea control or sea denial are needed. The Navy must be a balanced force, with the right mix of assets and capabilities that can address the threats and challenges.

The third indigenous aircraft carrier is needed and fits well with the role that India should play in the region, as well as for our security requirements. Integral air power has many strategic, operational and tactical advantages that cannot be replicated by shore-based air power. These include strengthening strategic stability in India’s areas of interest, displaying resolve and intent where required, deterrence, sea-control, trade and SLOC security, full integration of the air wing with the situation at sea, control and direction of aircraft for air combat and time critical targets, response time, persistence, and inherent flexibility.

Vulnerabilities of carriers should be addressed through tactical planning, self and collective defence capabilities, and countermeasures.

The broad contours of the ship, including size, tonnage, configuration, propulsion, and the air wing have been debated for long. The proposed indigenous aircraft carrier-2 (IAC-2, expected to be 65-70,000 tonnes) will supplement INS Vikramaditya (46,000 tonnes), and INS Vikrant, the 44,500-tonne IAC-1.

It is time to take a decision.

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The commissioning of India’s first indigenously designed and built aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant, by the prime minister, on 2 September, at Chochin Shipyard, marks the dawn of a new era for the Navy. Befittingly, INS Vikrant is named after its predecessor, which had played a key role in the naval blockade of East Pakistan during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. The old carrier, which was bought from the UK, was decommissioned in the 1990s.

The 45,000-tonne vessel – “a floating airfield and a floating town” – will carry a crew of 1,600 and a fleet of 30 aircraft will operate from it. It was built at a cost of over Rs 20,000 crore.

The carrier was designed by the Navy’s Warship Design Bureau and built by Cochin Shipyard. It has over 75 per cent indigenous content, which includes the higher-grade steel used for warships. Some critical technology was imported but the building of the aircraft carrier will give the country the confidence to set bigger targets in defence manufacturing and achieve them. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that it bore testimony to the government’s ‘atmanirbhar’ programme.

The designing of the ship began in 1999 and its keel was laid in 2009. It was floated out of dry dock in 2011 and launched into the sea in 2013. That it took nine years from then to commissioning now is a cause for worry. It is still not fully operational as a warship. Even berthing facilities are yet to be created in Vizag, which will be its home port.

Vikrant will help project naval power

With Vikrant, India joined the elite group of nations – the US, Russia, France, the UK and China – who are capable of designing and constructing aircraft carriers. Also, with a displacement of 43,000 tonnes when fully loaded, INS Vikrant is set to be the seventh largest among the carriers or carrier classes in the world.

INS Vikrant, the country’s second aircraft carrier now will, along with INS Vikramaditya, help raise the strength, reach and profile of Indian Navy and project its power far from the country’s shores. It is very relevant and significant when the Chinese navy is increasingly active in the Indo-Pacific region.

INS Vikrant is expected to put India’s naval force, now gifted with a new ensign, on a firm footing in the choppy waters. India’s stature as a responsible naval power is buttressed by its commitment to ensuring a ‘free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific’ and helping out IOR nations under Mission SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region).

Old INS Vikrant

INS Vikrant, with pennant number R11, was the first-ever aircraft carrier that was operated by the Indian Navy. The ship was officially laid down in 1943, and was being built for the Royal Navy as HMS (Her Majesty’s Ship) Hercules when the constitution was put on hold after World War II ended.

Like many other ships at the time, the under-construction HMS Hercules was put up for sale by the United Kingdom, and was purchased by India in 1957. The construction work was completed and the ship was commissioned in the Indian Navy as INS Vikrant in 1961.

The ship operated its aircraft fleet with a catapult assisted system and ski-jump during its service.

Compared to the new INS Vikrant, the old one had less than half its displacement and was over 210 metres in length against 260 metres of the present one.

R11 saw significant action during the 1971 war with Pakistan when it led the Naval blockade of East Pakistan. The ship was decommissioned in 1997 after 36 years of service. Over the next 15 years, it was preserved as a museum ship before being finally sold to be dismantled.

The Name Vikrant

The Sanskrit word Vikrant, which means courageous, finds its origins in various scriptures including the Bhagwad Gita. The sixth shloka in the first chapter of the Gita, while describing the valour of some Generals from the army of Pandavas, uses the adjective ‘Vikrant’.

As far as the origin of the word goes, the ‘Vi’ prefix in the Sanskrit word denotes something that is distinctive or extraordinary, and the ‘krant’ suffix means to move or advance in a direction.

The word Viraat which means magnanimous, can also be found in the same chapter of Gita in a later verse and is the name of the now decommissioned and dismantled British-origin Centaur-class aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy.

Along with the pennant number R11, the newly commissioned INS Vikrant also carries forward the motto of its predecessor – “Jayema Sam Yudhi Sprudhah” – from the Rigveda which means: “I conquer those who fight against me”.

Indigenous design and construction

The first major milestone for IAC – also referred to as Project 71 (P71) – was ceremonial steel cutting in April 2005. Other ceremonial events followed soon.

In any ship’s life there are four key ceremonial occasions – keel laying, launching, commissioning and decommissioning.

Keel laying ceremony originates from the tradition of laying one central timber that forms the backbone of the ship. For modern ships, keel laying is marked by placing the first of the modular components of the ship being placed in the dock. The keel of the IAC-I was laid on February 28, 2009.

The IAC was launched on August 12 in 2013 and by that time, 80% of its structure had been fabricated and all the major machinery including turbines, alternators and gearboxes were installed.

The readiness of IAC’s propulsion and power generation equipment and related systems was tested in harbour as part of basin trials in November 2020.

The sea trials were delayed because of the second COVID-19 wave.

Finally on August 4 last year, the first phase of sea trials kicked off with the IAC sailing on its first open sea voyage from Kochi, and returning four days later.

This was followed by second and third phases of sea trials in October 2021 and January 2022, respectively.

These three phases tested the propulsion machinery, electrical and electronic suites, deck machinery, life-saving appliances, ship’s navigation and communication systems. Fourth and final phase of sea trials for the IAC was completed on July 10 after conducting integrated testing of the majority of the equipment and systems onboard, including some of the Aviation Facilities Complex equipment. The ship was delivered to the Navy on July 28.

The equipment, amenities and apparatus onboard

The INS Vikrant is 262 metres long and 62 metres wide, making its flight deck bigger than two football fields. The aircraft carrier displaces around 4,3000 tonnes when fully loaded, with a maximum designed speed of 28 knots with endurance of 7,500 nautical miles, which is equivalent to around 14,000 km.

The 18-floor high ship has close to 2,400 compartments, designed to house 1,600-strong crew. It also has specialised cabins to accommodate women officers and sailors. The aviation hangar is as big as two Olympic-size pools that can accommodate around 20 aircraft. There is a well-equipped kitchen that can serve a diverse menu. It also has a unit that makes 3,000 rotis per hour.

Its medical complex has a 16-bed hospital along with modular emergency operation theatre, physiotherapy clinic, Intensive Care Unit, pathology set up, radiology wing with a CT scanner and X-Ray machines, a dental complex, isolation ward and telemedicine facilities.

In its fully operational mode, the carrier will have an air wing consisting of 30 aircraft comprising of Russian-origin, carrier-capable MiG-29K fighter jets and airborne early warning control helicopter Kamov-31 helicopters, US origin MH-60R multi-role helicopters, in addition to homegrown Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) and Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) (Navy). Vikrant uses the Short Take Off but Arrested Recovery (STOBAR) model with a ski-jump for launching aircraft, and a set of three arrester wires for their recovery onboard.

The path ahead after commissioning

Flight Trials

Flight trials aboard indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC) Vikrant will start in November and the warship is expected to be fully operational along with its air wing by June 2023.

The flight trials will involve the Russian-origin MiG-29K fighter jets that will use the ‘ski-jump’ to takeoff from Vikrant’s deck and will be recovered by arrester wires, known as STOBAR – short takeoff but arrested recovery.

12 MiG-29Ks are likely to be deployed on Vikrant along with a new deck-based fighter that the navy is looking to buy as an interim measure to meet its requirements before the indigenous twin-engine deck-based fighter (TEDBF) is ready. The navy’s existing aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya operates MiG-29K fighters.

India plans to buy 26 new fighters for Vikrant through a government-to-government deal to meet the navy’s requirements, with US firm Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet competing against French aircraft maker Dassault Aviation’s Rafale-M for the order.

Vikrant, which has an indigenous content of 76%, will operate an air wing consisting of 30 aircraft including the new fighters, MiG-29Ks, Kamov-31 choppers, MH-60R multi-role helicopters and advanced light helicopters.

Boeing, one of the two contenders for an Indian order for deck-based fighter jets, is pitching to equip the navy with its F/A-18 Super Hornet aircraft and dovetailed its offer with the government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) strategy.

The French side stresses that the Rafale-M brings commonality with the Indian Air Force’s 36 Rafale fighters, thus offering advantages related to training, maintenance and logistics support. While the Super Hornet operates from all 11 US Navy aircraft carriers, the Rafale-M is deployed on the French Navy’s Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier.

Questions have been raised about the serviceability of the MiG-29K fighters (India has imported 45 of these jets from Russia) that the existing aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya operates, and the Russia-Ukraine war has not helped matters.

Like INS Vikramaditya, the fighters on board Vikrant will also use the ski-jump to takeoff and will be recovered by arrester wires or what is known as STOBAR (short takeoff but arrested recovery) in navy parlance.

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In playing this larger role, the Indian Navy is currently stretched due to limited assets. A few years back, it operated from the east coast of Africa to the Malacca Strait. But now, it regularly deploys in distant regions, and frequently operate in the Western Pacific, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. Hence, the induction of INS Vikrant is significant, to sustain such deployments. It will also increase the combat capability of the Navy, once the carrier air wing is integrated onboard over the next few months.

INS Vikrant will help contribute to India’s long-range deployments. It will enhance deterrence and combat capabilities once its integral air is operational. As the second aircraft carrier, it enhances the Navy’s flexibility, reach and sustainability in maritime operations. It will also enable availability of integral air at sea, when one of the two carriers is undergoing refit or routine maintenance.

Improved naval capabilities also allow stepping up partnerships, exercises and deployments with other friendly countries, which in turn contribute to regional stability. Within the Quad, Japan and Australia largely operate in the Pacific. The acquisition of Vikrant will strengthen the Indian Ocean segment of India’s partnerships. Further, it needs to be noted that India cannot be a net security provider without adequate and suitable naval capabilities.

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The launch of a ship refers to it entering water for the first time. The process is carried out in tandem with the rising and receding tides. The next step after launch involves outfitting inside the ship, which is followed by sea trials. Once trials are done, a ship is commissioned.

Both 15B and P17A ships have been designed in-house by the Directorate of Naval Design, the fountainhead for all warship design activities in India, and during their building phase at the shipyard, around 75 per cent of the equipment and systems were sourced from indigenous firms including micro, small and medium enterprises, the statement added.

Defence Minister’s Speech

The defence minister, in his address after the launch, termed the two warships as “shining examples” of India’s growing indigenous capability. “These warships will be among the most technologically advanced missile carriers in the world that will cater to the present as well as future requirements,” he said.

After the concurrent launch of Surat and Udaygiri, Rajnath Singh said the two warships will add might to the Indian Navy’s arsenal and represent to the world India’s power of self-reliance. He exuded confidence that India will not only cater to its shipbuilding needs but also others in the coming days.

Singh said the ever-evolving security scenario in the Indian Ocean and the Indo-Pacific region demands a more important role for the Indian Navy in the times to come.

“The Indo-Pacific region is important for the economy of the whole world. India is a responsible maritime stakeholder in the region. We support consensus-based principles and peaceful, open, rule-based and stable maritime order. Being an important country in this region, it is the primary objective of our Navy to keep the Indo-Pacific open, safe and secure,” he said.

Project 15B Ships

The Project 15B class of ships are the next-generation stealth, guided missile destroyers of the Navy being built at Mazagon Docks. Surat is the fourth of Project 15B destroyers. It heralds a significant makeover of the P15A (Kolkata Class) destroyers and is named after the commercial capital of Gujarat and also the second-largest commercial hub of western India, after Mumbai. Surat has a rich maritime and ship building history and vessels built at the city in the 16th and 18th centuries were known for their longevity (of more than 100 years).

The warship Surat has been built using the block construction method, which involved hull construction at two different geographical locations. The first ship of this class was commissioned in 2021. The second and third ships have been launched and are at different stages of outfitting or trials.

Following its traditions and policy guidelines, the Indian Navy has named the destroyer Surat after the commercial capital of Gujarat, which is famous for its rich maritime and shipbuilding history.

Surat is the fourth and last ship of the Indian Navy’s Project 15B guided missile destroyers. The Rs 35,000-crore project is a follow-up programme of Project 15, which was launched in the 1990s to add guided missile destroyers to the inventory of the Indian Navy. It came to be known as the Delhi-class and was followed by Project 15A or Kolkata-class which focused on advanced technology and equipment.

Project 15B or Vishakhapatnam-class, was launched to add four stealth guided-missile destroyers and was envisaged to incorporate technological advancements in the naval ships. The P-15B destroyers were to incorporate new design concepts for improved survivability, sea keeping, stealth and manoeuvrability.

In a statement earlier, the Indian Navy said enhanced stealth features were achieved through the shaping of hull and the use of radar transparent deck fittings which made these ships difficult to detect. On their special features, it said that ships of the P-15B programme will have state-of-the-art weapons and sensors, including a vertically launched missile system for long-distance engagement of shore and sea-based targets. These ships will be equipped to carry and operate two multiple role helicopters, it added.

The first ship of this class, INS Visakhapatnam, was commissioned in 2021. The other two—Mormugao and Imphal—have been launched but not commissioned yet. All three, including Surat, are likely to be commissioned between 2023 and 2025.

Project 17A Ships

Udaygiri, named after a mountain range in Andhra Pradesh, is the third of Project 17A frigates. They have improved stealth features, advanced weapons and sensors and platform management systems. Udaygiri is the reincarnation of the erstwhile Udaygiri, the Leander Class ASW frigate, which saw numerous challenging operations in its illustrious service to the country spanning over three decades from February 18, 1976 to August 24, 2007. Under the P17A programme, a total of seven ships are under construction–four at Mazagon Docks and three at Kolkata’s Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers.

Various novel concepts and technologies like integrated construction, mega block outsourcing, project data management/project lifecycle management etc have been adopted for the first time in indigenous warship design and construction.

The first two ships of P17A Project were launched in 2019 and 2020 at Mazagon Docks and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers respectively.

Frigates are named after mountain ranges. The ship Udaygiri gets its name from a mountain range in Andhra Pradesh.

Udaygiri, is the third stealth frigate of the P-17A class. The programme is a follow-up of Project 17 or Shivalik-class which was approved by the government in the late 1990s to build multi-role stealth frigates, a type of Naval warship that comes below a destroyer.

Project 17A or Nilgiri-class, with an estimated cost of ₹45,000 crore, was envisaged to build seven advanced guided missile frigates with an improved degree of stealth features, improved anti-air and surface war capabilities in the form of advanced weapons, sensors and platform management systems.

The Project 17A frigates are being fitted with weapons and sensors along with an integrated platform management system. The project is said to have cost around Rs 45,000 crores.

The ships to be built under Project 17A are listed with Yard Nos as under-

INS Nilgiri             12651

INS Himgiri          12652

INS Udaygiri       12623

INS Dunagiri       12654

INS Taragiri         3022

INS Vindhyagiri 3023

INS Mahendragiri             3024

Characteristics. Project 17A frigates are 149m long and 17.8m wide. The ships are powered by two MAN Diesel 12V28/33D STC engine producing 6000 KW of power each and two General Electric LM2500 marine gas engine producing maximum power of 25060 KW.

The ship are equipped with EL/M-2248 MF-STAR S-band multifunctional radar developed by IAI ELTA, BEL HUMSA-NG bow sonar, and Ajanta Electronic warfare system.

Project 17A class frigate can accommodate two medium-sized helicopters such as HAL Dhruv or Sea king MK 42B.

Armament. Each Project 17A frigate will be equipped with 32 Barack and 8 Brahmos Surface to air missiles and these missiles will be fired from a vertical launch system. Each frigate will be fitted with one BAE 5 Inch 62 Calibre MK-45 Naval gun and two AK-630 M Close-in weapon system. Two RBU-6000 ASW rocket launchers will be fitted onboard the frigates for anti-submarine warfare.

Indigenous Projects

Falling in line with the government’s Atmanirbhar (self-reliance) push to cut down on defence imports, the Indian Navy’s efforts to indigenise its equipment and systems started early. In 2014, it implemented the Indigenisation Plan (INIP) 2015-2030 for indigenous development of its resources. It further ramped up its efforts with a focus on weapons and aviation-related equipment. As of April 2022, 39 of the 41 ships and submarines that were under construction were being built in Indian shipyards.

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The GISAT-2, is among 21 planned procurements, including some long-term acquisitions as per information from the ministry of defence (MoD). And, the capability development/modernisation of the navy is being undertaken in accordance with the long-term plans being put in place for the next decade.

While the MoD has listed GISAT-2 for procurement this fiscal, the timeline for development of the satellite and launch have not been firmed up yet. Among the armed forces, the Navy has been ahead when it comes to acquiring satellites.

GISAT Family of Satellites

Geo Imaging Satellite (GISAT) is an Indian imaging satellite class for geostationary orbit with a high temporal resolution, meant for providing near real time imaging with fast revisit capability and real time monitoring. Two satellites will provide resolution in the range of 42 to 318 m. It will carry multi-spectral (Visible and Near-InfraRed, and Short Wave-InfraRed), multi-resolution (42 to 318 m) imaging instruments. The first satellite was launched on 12 August 2021 but failed to reach orbit as cryogenic upper stage of GSLV could not ignite. The second satellite, (GISAT-2) will be acquired by Indian Navy and will differ slightly in capabilities compared to GISAT-1.

GSAT-2 capabilities

The satellite’s final geostationary transfer orbit is of around 36,000 km. All Indian earth observation satellites have been placed somewhere around 600 km orbits so far and circle the earth pole to pole. The orbital slot where GISAT-1 will operate is 93.5° East this means that it will be collocated with INSAT 3A, INSAT 4B and GSAT 15.

Known instruments to be carried on GSAT-2 are:

•  Multi-spectral Visible Near Infrared (MX-VNIR)

•  Hyperspectral Imager – Visible Near Infrared (HyS-VNIR)

•  Hyperspectral Imager – Short Wave Infrared (HyS-SWIR)

•  Multispectral – Long Wave Infrared (MX-LWIR)

The geo imaging satellite will help keep a check on natural hazards and disasters, keep a constant watch on the border areas, and monitor any geographical changes.

It will be able to carry out rapid surveillance. It will rotate the earth and return the same spot every two hours and when needed, it can spend a longer time on certain areas.

GISAT has a lifespan of 7 years. The earth observation satellite weighs 2,100 kg. It is powered by a deployable solar array and batteries. GISAT is built on a modified I-1K (I-1000) Bus.

The GISAT-2 will be designed to provide near real-time images of large areas of region of interest at frequent intervals, which will help the navy not only in surveillance but also operations planning. Operating from a geostationary orbit (GEO), the satellite will facilitate near real-time observations under cloud-free conditions too.

A 2+tonne class satellite, GISAT-2, like GISAT-1 will be configured around the modified I-2k satellite bus. The payload specifications of GISAT-2 will differ from that of GISAT-1 and that ISRO is working on various payloads. The first one (GISAT-1) was for civilian use, but GISAT-2 is for strategic purposes and the Navy has very specific requirements which they (ISRO) need to meet. ISRO will be launching the satellite on the GSLV-Mk2 after obtaining financial clearances for the same.

Military Satellites

Currently, India has only two dedicated military satellites. The GSAT (Geosynchronous Satellite) satellites are India’s indigenously developed communications satellites. GSAT 7, launched in Aug 2013, enables the Indian Navy to acquire blue water capabilities and not depend on foreign satellites like Inmarsat, which provide communication services to its ships. GSAT-7A, launched in Dec 2018, is an advanced military communications satellite meant exclusively for the Indian Air Force.

On March 22, 2022, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) accorded acceptance of necessity (AoN) for GSAT-7B satellite for the Indian Army (IA). The GSAT-7B satellite would help the Indian Army enhance its surveillance in border areas.

In November 2021, the DAC had accorded AoN for a 2,236-crore proposal by the Indian Air Force (IAF) to buy GSAT-7C satellite and ground hubs for improved real-time communication.

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The RFP for the Project 75 (I) was sent to France’s Naval Group-DCNS, Russia’s Rosoboronexport, Germany’s Thyssenkrupp, Spain’s Navantia and South Korea’s Daewoo. As this project will be completed under the Strategic-Partnership model. All three European and Russian companies have now pulled out of this project, leaving only Navantia and Daewoo in the race.

These five companies had to choose between two Indian companies, Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) or Larsen & Toubro (L&T), to manufacture these six submarines in India.

The provision was to build these six conventional submarines in the country only in a joint venture with a foreign company.

Scorpenes Under Construction

The Naval Group is making six Scorpène-class submarines in collaboration with MDL. Of these, four, the Kalvari-class submarines, have joined the Navy, the fifth is under sea-trial and the sixth Vagsheer was launched earlier this month.

These are six conventional diesel-electric submarines. AIP, ie, Air-Independent Propulsion system developed by DRDO will be retrofitted during mid-life upgrade. The advantage of AIP is that they will not need to get out of the sea again and again. That is, in a way, they are stealth-submarines. AIP allows non-nuclear submarines to operate without access to atmospheric oxygen. These stealth-submarines do not need to be taken out of the sea like the diesel-electric submarines.

Background

Vagsheer — the last of six Indian-made Scorpene-class submarines — was lowered into the water for trials in Apil. The Indian Navy has six new underwater boats, four of which (Kalvari, Khanderi, Karanj and Vela) are in service and the others (Vagir and Vagsheer) will be commissioned by early 2023.

Failure to conclude the construction of six more Project 75(I) conventional submarines with AIP will mean the assembly line will be idle. Technical skills to manufacture a submarine will be lost if a deal is not finalised soon.

India commenced getting its Foxtrot-class submarines from December 1967, from the then USSR. By 1974, it had eight such submarines. In 1981, New Delhi entered into an agreement with German HDW, to buy two Type 209 submarines. While these submarines — INS Shalki and INS Shankul — were being built the HDW scam broke out. The government did not use the ‘option clause’ in the agreement for the construction of two additional submarines.

By 2028-29 most of the Kilo-class submarines may be out of action. The Russian submarines have been the mainstay of the Indian fleet for the past two decades. As replacement for the old Foxtrots, India turned to Moscow and bought ten Kilo-class boats, commencing mid-1980s. The last of the Kilo-class boat – INS Sindhushastra – was commissioned in 2000. Of these, INS Sindhurakshak exploded and sank near Mumbai in 2013. India gifted the decommissioned INS Sindhuvir to the Myanmar Navy. Seven out of the eight remaining submaines have outlived their lifespan but are still functioning due to upgrades.

In February 1999, the Cabinet Committee on Security approved a 30-year plan that envisaged two production lines – P-75 and P-75I – to make 12 submarines at two Indian shipyards.

The UPA government signed the Rs 23,653 crore P-75 deal in 2005. As per the contract, the French supplier DCNS was to deliver all the six submarines — manufactured at MDL — by 2012. Though the 30-year plan envisaged two production lines operating simultaneously, the government decided to go for only one.

The first Scorpene submarine was handed over to the Indian Navy in 2017, five years late.

The defence ministry had, in April 2021, cleared the way for the construction of six new stealth P75I submarines for the Indian Navy amid the challenges being faced by China in the Indian Ocean. The Defence Acquisition Council had given the green signal under the Strategic Partnership Model. The ministry issued the RFP in July 2021. The cost of this project named Project 75 (India) is Rs 43,000 crore.

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The Indian Navy is the largest foreign customer of the P8 platform. Apart from India, the US and Australia also use P8 aircraft. The Navy plans to have a total of 22 of these aircraft in the next few years to keep an eye on Chinese movements in the Indian Ocean Region, most importantly its submarines.

ALSO READ: NAVY MODERNISATION: Indian Navy to Get More P-8Is Surveillance Aircraft

Amid heightened Indo-China tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Indian Navy’s deployed its anti-submarine warfare aircraft in eastern Ladakh to carry out surveillance in the area. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has deployed all its frontline fighter jets like Sukhoi 30 MKI, Jaguar and Mirage 2000 aircraft in the airbases in eastern Ladakh and nearby areas.

The Indian Army had successfully used the P-8I aircraft to monitor Chinese movements along the border during the 73-day-long Doklam standoff. The aircraft were live-streaming data to support decision making during the Doklam face-off. The aircraft was also put to use “to keep an eye on movement of Pakistani troops after the Pulwama terror attack last year”.

The aircraft arrived at a time when the Indian Navy was holding the Malabar naval exercise in the Arabian Sea with its Quad partners – the US, Japan and Australia. India’s P8-I aircraft were also participating in the exercise.

Boeing’s P-8I aircraft, which is considered one of the world’s most advanced surveillance and anti-submarine aircraft, is designed for long-range anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.

Purchase History

In January 2009, Boeing was selected by the Indian Government to supply eight P-8I maritime reconnaissance aircraft to the Indian Navy. The contract also included an option for four P-8I aircraft. The Indian Navy was the first export customer for the aircraft.

The maiden flight of the first P-8I aircraft was made in September 2011. The official flight test programme of the aircraft began in July 2012. The second P-8I aircraft performed its first flight in the same month.

The first P-8I aircraft was delivered to the Indian Navy in December 2012. The remaining aircraft were delivered between 2013 and 2015. The eight P-8I aircraft, which were inducted into the Indian Navy are armed with Harpoon Block-II missiles and MK-54 light weight torpedoes.

The countermeasures for the IN aircraft are provided by directional infrared counter-measures (DIRCM) system and the electronic support measures (ESM) system supplied by Northrop Grumman. The DIRCM can protect the aircraft from incoming infrared guided missiles.

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approved the acquisition of four additional Boeing P-8I aircraft in mid-2016.

P-8I Design and Construction

The P-8I aircraft is based on the Boeing Next Generation 737-800 aircraft. The forward section of the under-fuselage houses an internal weapons bay. The wings are fitted with hard-points for carrying air-to-surface missiles.

The aircraft has a length of 39.47m, wing span of 37.64m and a height of 12.83m. The maximum take-off gross weight of the P-8I is 85,139kg.

The P-8I aircraft are produced by a Boeing-led industry team, comprising CFM International, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Spirit AeroSystems, BAE Systems and GE Aviation. The aircraft are being built at Boeing’s production facility in Renton.

The fuselage is built by Spirit AeroSystems in Wichita and shipped to Renton, for fabrication and final assembly. The flight testing of P-8I is conducted from Boeing Field in Seattle. The final design review was concluded in July 2010 and production of the P-8I began in December 2010. The final assembly of the first aircraft was completed in August 2011.

The P-8I aircraft is manned by nine crew members. The cockpit is integrated with primary flight display, multifunction displays, identification friend or foe (IFF), flight management system and stores management system.

The aircraft is equipped with a CAE AN/ASQ-508A magnetic anomaly detection (MAD) system, APS-143C (V)3 multimode radar and a global version of the Raytheon APY-10 surveillance radar.

ALSO READ: Indian Navy’s P8I Moved To Ladakh

The APY-10 radar provides precise information in all-weather, day and night missions. The P-8I also integrates BEL Data Link II communications system, Avantel mobile satellite system and a speech secrecy system from Electronics Corporation of India (ECIL).

The internal weapons bay can house Mark 54 torpedoes, depth charges and free-fall bombs. The under-wing hard-points can be armed with air-to-surface missiles.

The P-8I aircraft is powered by two CFM56-7 engines supplied by CFM International, a joint venture between SnecmaMoteurs and GE Electric. Each engine provides a take-off thrust of 27,300lb. The engines are equipped with a new-generation full authority digital engine control (FADEC) system.

The P-8I aircraft can fly at a maximum speed of 789km/h and can reach a maximum altitude of 12,496m. The aircraft has a maximum range of 2,222km with four hours on station.

MiG-29K Trainer Aircraft Crashes

Indian Navy’s MiG-29K trainer aircraft crashed into the Arabian sea on 27 November. One of the two pilots on board the tandem-seat trainer was rescued, whilst the body of Commander Nishant Singh, a qualified MiG-29K instructor, was found on 7 December.

The jet had taken off for a sortie from India’s only aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya. MiG-29K – the Russian-origin fighter planes – operate from the deck of INS Vikramaditya, which had taken part in the recent Malabar naval drills involving the Quad navies of US, Australia, India and Japan in the northern Arabian sea.

The MiG-29KUB trainer was part of a fleet of 45 similar Russian fighters that have been problematic ever since their induction into service from 2009.

No distress call was seemingly raised by either of the two pilots of the ill-fated platform; an investigation was launched into the accident, which was the fourth since 2018 involving the IN’s fleet of MiG-29K/KUB fighters and trainers.

In February 2020, a single-seat MiG-29K had crashed whilst on a routine flight from its base at INS Hansa in Goa, and three months later a MIG-29KUB trainer was involved in an accident following a bird strike. Earlier, in January 2018 a MiG-29K had crashed after veering off the runway at Hansa, leaving a total of some 41 of 45 platforms in operational service presently, almost half of which are kept in reserve.

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Two U.S. General Atomics MQ-9B Sea Guardian intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance drones arrived at the Arakkonam naval air station in Tamil Nadu in November to boost the military’s surveillance sweep capabilities. The leased, directly from General Atomics under emergency procurement rules, was necessitated by the Ladakh situation amidst a live military confrontation with China and the need for elevated surveillance over the Indian Ocean.

ALSO READ: Contactless War: Dawn of a Dialectical Evolution in Warfare

As part its force restructuring to offset budgetary constraints, the Navy has been looking to induct more unmanned solutions, both aerial and underwater. As part of this, the requirement of additional P-8I maritime patrol aircraft has been cut down from 10 to six and was to be offset by procurement of long endurance drones.

The Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 had introduced an option for leasing military platforms.

In 2019, the Navy had asked General Atomics for details of the Sea Guardian, following which company officials made detailed presentations on its capabilities.

The Guardian, which is the maritime variant of the Predator MQ-9 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), has a maximum endurance of 40 hours and a maximum flying altitude of 40,000 feet. It has a 3600 maritime surveillance radar and an optional multimode maritime surface search radar.

According to the company’s data sheet, the drone can “perform over-the-horizon long-endurance, medium-altitude Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions.”

The Sea Guardian drones under lease by the Indian Navy are not weaponised, though the type is capable of being configured for anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare and the airborne anti-mine capability.

ALSO READ: Project Cheetah to Arm Heron and Searcher Drones Revived

The pair of Sea Guardians are only a fraction of the 22-30 such drones, including armed versions, that the Indian military has been looking to procure since the Obama Administration. A tri-service proposal to procure 10 Unmanned Aerial vehicles (UAV) for each Service from the U.S., including armed drones has been in the pipeline for sometime but has been delayed due to budgetary considerations.

The drones arrived well after India signed the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCAS) with the United States, paving the way for export controlled communication equipment held off earlier military hardware like the Indian Navy’s Boeing P-8Is and Indian Air Force’s C-130J and C-17 aircraft.

The drones also arrived shortly after India and the U.S. managed to nail down the last of the foundational military cooperation agreements, the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geo-Spatial Cooperation (BECA).

About the Sea Guardians

The Sea Guardian RPAS features a multi-mode maritime surface-search radar with Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR) imaging mode, an Automatic Identification System (AIS) receiver, a High-Definition – Full-Motion Video sensor equipped with optical and infrared cameras. This sensor suite, augmented by automatic track correlation and anomaly-detection algorithms, enables real-time detection and identification of surface vessels over thousands of square nautical miles.

Specifically, the Sea Guardian’s onboard sensors included the GA-ASI Lynx® Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), a Raytheon Intelligence & Space SeaVue Expanded Mission Capability (XMC) radar, a Raytheon Intelligence & Space Multi-Spectral Targeting System, a Leonardo Electronic Support Measure (ESM)/Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) SAGE 750, a Shine Micro Automatic Identification System (AIS), an Ultra sono buoy receiver and a General Dynamics Mission Systems-Canada sono buoy processor.

Other Leasing Possibilities

The Defense Ministry introduced a stop-gap solution under the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020. The government allowed the three services – Army, Navy and the Air Force – to lease equipment rather than buying them in one go.

In 2019, India had rented an Akula-1 class nuclear-powered attack submarine from Russia for a period of 10 years at a $3billion contract. Russia will deliver the Akula-1 class submarine, to be known as Chakra III, to the Indian Navy by 2025.

The Navy has approached foreign vendors to enquire about short term lease of helicopters that can be used to transport supplies and personnel between ships with a secondary surveillance role. Under the newly introduced Defense ministry leasing guidelines, the Indian Navy is looking to lease 12-18 light utility helicopters for its logistical needs from foreign vendors.

The helicopters that will be leased will later be refitted with light weapons by the Navy as per its requirement adding that the helicopters will likely be equipped only with a machine gun during the lease period.

The Navy currently possesses the multirole Chetak choppers that were first delivered in 1965 and have been the backbone of the Search and Rescue (SAR), Casualty Evacuation and Route Transport Role (RTR) operations. However, the Navy is now looking to replace the ageing fleet of choppers.

While the IN has been quick at leasing equipment, the IAF is also consiodering lease of Basic Trainer Aircraft (BTA) and possibly even air-refuelers which has been a long-standing requirement for over a decade.

DAP Provisions

According to the DAP-2020, leasing of new or previously-used equipment is best suited where the time constraint militates against outright procurement or if the capability it provides is needed for a specific time period. Leasing is also recommended if the military asset or platform would remain underutilised if procured, its requirement is in limited numbers, and the cost of creating administrative and maintenance infrastructure is high. Obtaining operational experience would also be an objective for leasing.

The DAP-2020 gives the option of choosing between an ‘Operating Lease’ -an arrangement where the concerned asset may be acquired by the MoD at the end of the cessation of the leased period at a mutually agreed-price or a ‘Finance Lease’, under which the MoD pays the entire cost of the asset over the lease period and consequently assumes its ownership.

The Operating Lease could be a Dry Lease, in which only the asset is leased or alternately a Wet/Damp lease, under which the lessor provides the asset, crew, maintenance, and insurance to the lessee.

Leasing allows a cost-effective process to acquire military equipment without a commitment to capital expenditure. But leasing also requires a realistic assessment of likely budgetary allocations before opting for large-scale equipment leasing.

However, even for leasing military equipment, a formal process of acceptance of necessity (AON), request for information (RFI) and so on are required to be followed, which is similar to the regular acquisition process and can be time-consuming.

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Vagir is part of the six Kalvari-class submarines being built in India. The submarines, designed by French naval defence and energy company DCNS, are being built as part of Indian Navy’s Project-75.

These submarines can undertake missions like anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying, and area surveillance.

Vagir is named after the Sand Fish, a deadly deep sea predator of the Indian Ocean. The first Vagir, a submarine from Russia, was commissioned into the Indian Navy on December 3, 1973, and was decommissioned on June 7, 2001 after almost three decades of service to the nation.

ALSO READ: Review of Indian Navy’s Modernisation

“Building the Scorpene was indeed a challenge for MDL, as the complexity of the simplest of tasks increased exponentially due to all work having to be done in the most congested of spaces,” MDL said in a release.

“The state-of-art technology used in the submarine has ensured superior stealth features such as advanced acoustic absorption techniques, low radiated noise levels, and hydro- dynamically optimised shape and also the ability to attack the enemy using precision guided weapons,” the release said.

The attack can be launched with both torpedoes and tube launched anti-ship missiles, whilst underwater or on surface, MDL said. “The stealth of this potent platform is enhanced by the special attention to her characteristic underwater signatures. These stealth features give it an invulnerability, unmatched by most submarines,” it said.

The submarine is designed to operate in all theatres of operation, showcasing interoperability with other components of a Naval Task Force, MDL said.

“With the launching of Vagir, India further cements its position as a submarine building nation. This is in sync with the current impetus of the government towards Make in India and AtmaNirbhar Bharat,” MDL said.

Two submarines of the ongoing Project-75 Scorpeneprogramme at MDL, Kalvari and Khanderi, have been commissioned into the Indian Navy. The third submarine, Karanj, is in the last phase of rigorous sea trials. The fourth Scorpene, Vela, has commenced her sea trials, whilst the sixth and last submarine, Vagsheer, is being readied for boot together.

“Two SSK submarines built by MDL during 1992-94 are in active service, which is a testimony to the professionalism and capability of Mazagon Dock personnel,” it said.

INS Kavaratti ASW Corvette Commissioned

Army chief Gen MM Naravane, on 22 October, commissioned anti-submarine warfare (ASW) ship INS Kavaratti into the Indian Navy at the Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam. Kavaratti is the last of four indigenously-built ASW under ‘Project 28’ or orKamorta-class corvettes of the Navy. It is a class of ASWs currently in service with the Navy.

 ‘Project 28’ was approved in 2003. The other three warships under this project are INS Kamorta (commissioned in 2014), INS Kadmatt (2016) and INS Kiltan (2017).

The 109 metres long INS Kavaratti (pennant number P 31) incorporates stealth features in its design as well as 90% indigenous content, including the use of carbon composites. The use of carbon composites to build it has been described as a ‘commendable feat achieved in Indian shipbuilding.

The warship has been designed by the Navy’s in-house organisation, the Directorate of Naval Design (DND). Kolkata’s Garden Research Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), meanwhile, has built it. It has state-of-the-art weapons and a sensor that can detect and take action against hostile submarines. It also has a good endurance for long-range deployments.

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Kavaratti has completed sea-trials of all its systems fitted onboard and, hence, will be commissioned as a combat-ready platform.

The IN said in a statement that the corvette, which has an overall beam of 12.8 m and is capable of achieving speeds up to 25 kt, was commissioned as a ‘combat-ready’ platform following the completion of sea trials.

Among other things, the Kamorta class is equipped with two licence-built RBU-6000 anti-submarine rocket launchers, one Oto Melara 76 mm/62 Super Rapid gun, and four Larsen & Toubro indigenous twin torpedo launchers for the locally designed Varunastra torpedoes, which have a stated range of up to 40 km.

INS Kavaratti derives its name from the eponymous INS Kavaratti, which was an Arnala class missile corvette. The older INS Kavaratti operated during the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war.

Smart Shooter ‘SMASH 2000’ Rifle Sights for Navy

India’s Navy Chief, Admiral Karambir Singh, said at his annual press conference, on 3 December, that the Navy was procuring SMASH 2000 rifle sights, manufactured by Israeli company Smart Shooter, as protection against drone attacks. This acquisition, according to the Admiral, was one of the steps taken by the Indian Navy against possible naval threats on the part of China. No details were provided regarding the quantity, cost or timing of delivery. The Admiral also confirmed that Heron UAVs, which are manufactured by Israel’s IAI, were deployed on India’s northern border with China amid continuing tensions between the countries in the region of Eastern Ladakh.

The SMASH 2000 is a smart electro-optical rifle sight that includes a fire control computer. The sight significantly increases operational shooting accuracy and significantly improves the hit rate for a variety of targets, both stationary and mobile.

Smart Shooter was awarded a contract by India’s defense ministry for the supply of SMASH 2000 Plus systems that will be installed mainly on AK-47/103 rifles. According to the company, the improved accuracy and speed of hitting targets will dramatically increase each soldier’s confidence in any combat scenario and maximize operational effectiveness.

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