Indian Military

New Delhi — The state-owned Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) will be embarking on a major modernisation drive and has requested the state government for additional land to pursue its project. GSL will initiate its infrastructure modernisation project in four phases at an estimated cost of $178 million. This modernisation drive will triple the capacity of GSL in terms of shipbuilding.

According to GSL officials, the first two phases of the project costing Rs.400 crore are at an advanced stage and are expected to be complete by this year end. The completion of the two phases will make GSL the first shipbuilding yard in the country to be equipped with a modern ship-lift facility for launching and docking of ships.

As for the remaining two phases of modernisation, it involves infrastructure for the Mine Counter Measure Vessel (MCMV) project of the Indian Navy. GSL is expecting this to progress as and when the Indian Navy finalises the MCMV project.

GSL has major plans up its sleeves including an upcoming shore-based training facility project at the INS Hansa, Goa.

Images of China's new Jin-class SSBN. The Pentagon says there are significant problems with its Julang-2 missiles






(This is the concluding article of a four-part series on India's critical, yet significantly delayed, submarine programme)
by Ajai ShuklaBusiness Standard, 2nd Sept 10
An increasingly apparent reason for the Ministry of Defence’s slow decision-making on a second submarine production line for the Indian Navy is: the deep divisions within the navy over India’s submarine force. A debate rages between the submarine arm and the surface navy — particularly the dominant aviation wing — on whether the future lies in submarines or aircraft carriers.

Photo: Courtesy The New York Times: China's Jiaolong submersible, which planted China's flag recently at the bottom of the South China Sea

Article reproduced from: The New York Times
By WILLIAM J. BROADPublished: September 11, 2010
When three Chinese scientists plunged to the bottom of the South China Sea in a tiny submarine early this summer, they did more than simply plant their nation’s flag on the dark seabed
The men, who descended more than two miles in a craft the size of a small truck, also signaled Beijing’s intention to take the lead in exploring remote and inaccessible parts of the ocean floor, which are rich in oil, minerals and other resources that the Chinese would like to mine. And many of those resources happen to lie in areas where China has clashed repeatedly with its neighbors over territorial claims.

New Delhi — The Indian Navy is currently participating in a trilateral naval exercise as part of the India-Brazil-South Africa Maritime (IBSAMAR 2010) exercise being conducted in the Indian Ocean region off Durban. IBSAMAR is conceptualised by the Joint Work Group for Defence, which is one of 16 Joint Working Groups of the three nations looking into various cooperation initiatives.

This second edition of the IBSAMAR is a two-week nautical exercise which will conclude on September 27th. IBSAMAR is being held around the South African coast and there would be visits to Durban, Cape Town, Simon’s Town and Port Elizabeth as part of the nautical exercise. This maritime exercise involves 11 ships of the navies of South Africa, which is the host country, India which is the lead country and Brazil which is the support country. Four warships including a destroyer and two frigates from the Indian Navy’s Western Fleet are participating in the biennial India-Brazil-South Africa Maritime (IBSAMAR) exercise.

New Delhi — The Indian navy will receive a major fillip in its maritime reconnaissance capabilities since the Indian Defence Ministry has cleared the purchase of four long-range surveillance aircraft and four big amphibious assault warships.

The entire project has been cleared by the Defence Acquisition Council and the naval projects consisting of the acquisition of warships and surveillance aircraft will amount to the tune of over $4 billion. The four new aircraft will be the P-8I Poseidon long-range maritime patrol aircraft besides the four amphibious warfare ships called Landing Platform Docks (LPDs).

The acquisition of P-81 surveillance aircraft will enable the Indian Navy to monitor the Indian Ocean region besides augmenting its anti-warship and anti-submarine warfare capabilities. The P-81 aircraft will be armed with torpedoes, depth bombs and Harpoon missiles besides long-range radars and sensors.

As for the amphibious warships or LPDs, it will enable the Indian Navy to transport infantry battalions and their equipment to long distances besides helping in disaster management and other relief operations.

New Delhi — The Defence Minister AK Antony today called for an adoption of ‘cooperative approaches’ for ensuring the security of sea lanes in the Asia-Pacific Region. Addressing the first ever ASEAN Plus Eight Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Hanoi today, Mr Antony said India is participating in two projects together with the Malacca countries, within the framework of IMO, to improve the safety of navigation in this region.

He said the Indian Navy has been conducting anti-piracy patrolling and escort operations in the Gulf of Aden for over two years now. Mr Antony said Piracy remains a serious challenge for the world community and expressed India’s commitment to work together with other countries to address piracy.

A press release issued by the Indian defence ministry said, “The security of sea lanes of communication is vital in today’s world. It is in the common interest of nations to keep sea lanes open, secure and free for navigation, trade and energy supplies. Piracy remains a serious challenge for the world community, as we have witnessed in the Gulf of Aden and adjoining areas.

New Delhi – With the Indian Ocean region becoming very vulnerable to terror threats, the Indian Navy has decided to beef up its security along the Indian shores and has decided to go in for additional surveillance planes as well as spy drones.

The Indian Defence Ministry has floated a global Request for Information (RFI) for the medium range maritime reconnaissance aircraft (MRMR) with an operating range of over 350 nautical miles, and HALE (high-altitude, long-endurance) unmanned aerial vehicles or spy drones, with a service ceiling above 40,000 feet and endurance over 25 hours.

According to the Indian Navy, the acquisition of MRMR planes and spy drones can only compliment the surveillance on the Indian shores. The MRMR planes will be equipped with radars as well as anti-ship and submarine warfare capabilities. The Indian Navy has already finalised the acquisition of 12 P-8I Poseidon long-range maritime reconnaissance (LRMR) aircraft from Boeing at $3.1 billion. The first P-8I is slated for induction in early-2013.

A newly-built coastal police station at Kochi. The Home Ministry has financed 73 such stations across India's 9 coastal states and 4 coastal union territories.
by Ajai ShuklaKochi, Business Standard, 26th Nov 10
Two years after ten Pakistani terrorists sailed undetected from Karachi to Mumbai and exposed multiple vulnerabilities in India’s internal security, the government’s most successful response has perhaps been in boosting coastal security. After having long regarded its northern land border as the key security challenge, New Delhi has made significant headway in devising and implementing a new Coastal Security Scheme (CSS).
The new frontline against seaborne terror is guarded by a brand new network of 73 coastal police stations, like the one at Kochi that Business Standard visited. Differentiating it from the traditional thana, the exterior sports a smart blue-and-white maritime motif; inside, the chairs still bear their original plastic protective covering.

Fast Interceptor Boats (FIBs), built by Goa Shipyard Ltd, at the new Kochi coastal police station, in Fort, Kochi. The Home Ministry is paying for 204 FIBs for 73 new stations
By Ajai ShuklaBangalore, Business Standard, 27th Nov 10
At least one of the lessons of the Mumbai terror strike of 26/11 --- when ten Laskhar-e-Toiba terrorists set out from Karachi, hijacked an Indian fishing boat, the MV Kuber, and sailed into the heart of Mumbai undetected --- have been fully absorbed by the government. The approaches to India’s coastline will soon be amongst the most carefully watched waters in the world.
In the aftermath of 26/11, the apex Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) issued detailed orders, and allocated funds, to implement a Coastal Surveillance Scheme, to ensure a 24x7x365 watch over India’s 7600-kilometre coastline so that no hostile elements could sneak in by sea again.

[PIB] A multi ship force of the Indian Navy has been tasked to undertake a comprehensive search in the Eastern parts of the Arabian Sea to locate and disable probable pirate (mother) vessels and skiffs.

Between 24th and 29th Nov 10 a sudden spurt of piracy attempts were reported in the Eastern Part of Arabian Sea at distances of 350-700 nautical miles from the West Coast of India. Reports were also received about MT Polar, a Panama Flagged Tanker hijacked on 30 Oct 10, being in the area and acting as a possible mother ship. In a swift step of affirmative action the Indian Navy despatched its force to the area to search and locate pirate mother vessels/dhows/skiffs and carry out a thorough anti piracy sanitization of the area. The Indian Naval Force consists of ships, armed helicopters, MARCOS team and Maritime Patrol Aircraft.

The efforts of Indian Navy yielded immediate results as MT Polar has cleared the area in Eastern Arabian Sea on 30 Nov 10 and was heading back towards Somalia at best speed.