Indian Navy News & Discussion - 22 April 2015

[Singha]

this may be area where next PLAN carrier will be built
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Hai+J ... b8fff79595

[SaiK]

so pakis have not yet responded for international fleet review next feb.

[wig]

Former Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Radhakrishna Hariram Tahiliani (Retd) passed away today 14 Oct 15 in New Delhi

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=0

excerpts

A distinguished graduate of the French Test Pilot School and an outstanding pilot, he was the first to land on the deck of INS Vikrant on a Hawker Sea Hawk Fighter on 18 May 61, ushering carrier based aviation into the Indian Navy. The Admiral had commanded the carrier borne squadron INAS 300 during the Indo – Pak war in 1971. His distinguished career included command of INS Trishul and the Aircraft Carrier INS Vikrant. The “Greyest of the Grey Eagles” is an apt expression to sum up Admiral Tahiliani’s seminal and vast experience as a stupendous naval aviator. His exemplary vision, catapulted the Naval Air Arm to where it is today. He was instrumental in the procurement of the second aircraft carrier INS Viraat along with its fighter complement of Sea Harrier aircraft.

[ramana]

I know his brother who lives in Bay Area.
RIP.

[Paul]

My condolences...however I remember him as a LCA baiter in the 90s.

[Nick_S]

so pakis have not yet responded for international fleet review next feb.

They have already refused.

[Hobbes]

so pakis have not yet responded for international fleet review next feb.

They have already refused.

Guess they don't want to risk having one of their rustbuckets sinking during the review.

[Hobbes]

Old news, but relevant given the incalculable damage the UPA and "Saint" Anthony did to India's security:
http://www.newslaundry.com/2014/10/18/n ... interview/

The story in question is a particularly explosive interview that Nitin Gokhale, NDTV’s Security and Strategic Affairs Editor, conducted with former Navy Chief Admiral DK Joshi in which he launched a scathing attack on the Ministry of Defence (MoD) under the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime and on the media for misreporting.

Admiral Joshi, in a severe comment on the MoD under the UPA, stated that he was “amused” at the haste with which his resignation was accepted. He said his immediate reason for quitting was the dysfunctional and inefficient model with which the armed forces have been burdened. Urging for reforms in higher defence management, he also stated that authority must rest with those who are accountable, that is men in the service and not the ministry.

Without mincing any words, Admiral Joshi stated that the media gave into sensationalism while reporting on issues, including the Sindhurakshak mishap. As examples he talked about a newspaper that “invented the coup theory” and followed it by saying “…this reporter was darling of the foreign vendors, and to show his importance he would author articles like the reporter is in country abc at the invitation of xyz”.

[shiv]

Old news, but relevant given the incalculable damage the UPA and "Saint" Anthony did to India's security:
http://www.newslaundry.com/2014/10/18/n ... interview/

The video is here. I have downloaded it in case the "Free Media" Congress party forces YouTube to have this video pulled. I suggest that multiple people should keep private copies of this video.

The admiral points out that ten years under UPA was full of vested interests that delayed and damaged defence preparedness. And NDTV showed its UPA lickspittle-giri by pulling it.

What angers me is that the government did not even approve the changing of submarine batteries - made in India and that as we know led directly to the accident in which we lost a sub.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=p ... urE1XHgYAE



If you are short of time, watch from here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=p ... gYAE#t=471

[Philip]

I was told that a certain controversial "land shark" dude ,who had special privileges at airports-"no frisking",was interfering in defence matters/deals. Whatever the truth,the inescapable fact is that more damage was done to Indian security by the Cong/UPA decade of misrule and dereliction of duty,than by an of India's enemies.

A perfect storm is brewing in the Indo-China Sea (ICS),with the US poised to challenge the Chinese hegemony over the artificial islands they've created.Time to watch the fun;posted here as it will have a definite effect on IN ops in that region,aptly named Mischief Reef.The IN must work out its strategy and GOI its

Chinese media: military must be ready to counter US in South China Sea

Editorial in Global Times, which is close to Communist rulers, condemns Washington’s ‘ceaseless provocations and coercion’

Chinese dredging vessels in the waters around Mischief reef in the South China Sea. The US is expected to sail warships close to the artificial islands in the next two weeks. Photograph: Reuters

Agence France-Presse

Thursday 15 October 2015

Chinese media criticised the US on Thursday for “ceaseless provocations” in the South China Sea, with Washington expected to soon send warships close to artificial islands Beijing has built in disputed waters.

An editorial in the Global Times, which is close to China’s ruling Communist party, condemned US “coercion”, adding: “China mustn’t tolerate rampant US violations of China’s adjacent waters and the skies over those expanding islands.”

It said China’s military should “be ready to launch countermeasures according to Washington’s level of provocation”.

Tensions have mounted since China transformed reefs in the area – also claimed by several neighbouring countries – into small islands capable of supporting military facilities, a move the US says threatens freedom of navigation.
What’s behind Beijing’s drive to control the South China Sea?
Read more

Following a meeting of American and Australian officials on Tuesday, the US defense secretary, Ash Carter, warned Beijing that Washington would continue to send its military where international law allows, including the South China Sea.

The remarks were backed by the Australian foreign minister, Julie Bishop, who said the two countries were “on the same page”.

Senior officials in Washington have indicated that the US military could sail by these islands in the coming days or weeks.

The warship or ships would pass within the 19km (12-mile) territorial limit China claims around the structures, to demonstrate that US commanders do not recognise it.

Such a move, the Global Times suggested, could be a “breach of China’s bottom line”.

“If the US encroaches on China’s core interests, the Chinese military will stand up and use force to stop it,” the paper warned.

The editorial came after China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, said “certain countries have been flexing military muscles in the South China Sea over recent period of times”.

“That is the biggest cause of ‘militarisation’ in the South China Sea,” she added at a regular briefing on Wednesday.

On Saturday, China said work had finished on two lighthouses in the disputed area and pledged to build more facilities, which it said were intended to serve civilian as well as military purposes.

Satellite images of the islands published by a Washington-based think tank show runways that could be used by air force jets.

Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam – members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) – claim parts of the sea. Taiwan is a sixth claimant.

China has invited Asean defence ministers for a two-day informal summit in Beijing starting on Thursday, according to the country’s defence ministry.

Meanwhile, Vietnam has accused China of sinking one of its fishing boats near disputed islands in the South China Sea that could further raise tensions between the Communist neighbours.

Phan Huy Hoang, an official in central Quang Ngai province where the fishermen came from, said on Thursday a Chinese vessel slammed into the fishing boat with 10 fishermen on board near the Paracels islands on 29 September and sank it.

The fishermen were rescued by another Vietnamese fishing boat and the case was reported to authorities when the fishermen returned home two days ago.

Hoang said more than 20 Vietnamese fishing boats had been attacked by Chinese vessels this year. He said a formal protest would be made to China.

Associated Press contributed to this report

[Austin]

Coast Guard to finally get choppers it wanted post 26/11; Airbus emerges as lead

[SaiK]

http://thediplomat.com/tag/ins-arihant/
India’s Deadliest Sub to Test-Fire Missiles

After successfully completing sea trials, the Indian Navy’s first indigenously developed ballistic missile nuclear submarine (SSBN), INS Arihant, is expected to begin missile tests this month The New Indian Express reports.

Once this month’s missile tests are successfully completed, the submarine is slated to enter service with the Indian Navy during the International Fleet Review held in the port city of Visakhapatnam in February 2016, according to an Indian defense official.

The first of two missile tests scheduled for this month will involve the Nirbhay long-range subsonic cruise missile–India’s answer to the U.S.’s Tomahawk and Pakistan’s Babur missile–and developed by the Defense Research & Development Organization (DRDO).

“Firing of Nirbhay missile from the submarine will be followed by firing of another type of missile. So far, all trials and tests have been held successfully from the nuclear submarine,” the Indian defense official stated.

The second test will in all likelihood involve the K-15 Sagarika submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBMs) with a 700-750 kilometers range. The test could also include the K-4, an intermediate-range nuclear-capable submarine-launched ballistic missile also under development by DRDO, with a rage of up to 3,500 kilometers. The Nirbhay’s maximum range is 1,000 kilometers. according to local media reports.

Both the Nirbhay and K-15 (as well as the K-4) can be armed with nuclear warheads. However, previous tests of the Nirbhay in March 2013 and October 2014 were only partially successfully, according to a DRDO official quoted in The Indian Express:

Our previous test was successful where all the critical phases were completed, and the mission parameters met. It will take us a couple of more tests before Nirbhay gets operational clearance.

Should the Nirbhay not receive operational clearance soon, the INS Arihant will face severe limitations as integral part of India’s nuclear triad given the K-15’s limited range, which would mean that the submarine would have to move closer to enemy shores to launch its missiles, making it vulnerable to detection.

In addition, as I reported before, India’s nuclear warfare policy is centered on a No First-Use (NFU) doctrine; consequently, New Delhi needs to field a credible second-strike capability.

However, as a May 2015 report by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (see: “India and Pakistan Locked in Nuclear Naval Arms Race”) points out “India, like Pakistan, is known to keep its nuclear warheads de-mated from the delivery mechanisms. For the INS Arihant to fulfill its operational responsibility, SLBMs mounted with nuclear warheads will have to be deployed on the vessel.”

India’s deadliest submarine is based on the Russian Project 971 Akula I-class nuclear-powered attack boats. It is the lead vessel of the Indian Navy’s future fleet of four (some media reports say five) Arihant-class SSBNs. India already began construction of INS Aridhaman, the second vessel of the Arihant-class, this year.

[sudeepj]

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... IIndiaNews

Very terse report. Perhaps something really serious has gone down.

JAKHAU: Pakistan submarine on Thursday fired at four Indian boats carrying 25 fishermen on port of Jakhau village in Gujarat.

One fisherman was injured in the firing and 24 others were arrested by Pakistan navy.

Earlier, Pakistani navy had fired at an Indian boat off the Gujarat coast, killing one fisherman.

According to the reports, Pakistan has seized 837 Indian boats and has put 257 Indian fishermen in jails.

Apparently, the submarine grabbed these people from an Indian port!

[sum]

^^ Why is a TSP submarine hunting Indian fishermen?

Or is it that the sub surfaced too close to some fishermen by mistake and the Pakis just decided to leave no witnesses behind?

[shiv]

If a Paki submarine "fired" at these fishermen then it must have been on the surface - which sounds very Paki to me. Besides, submarines don't carry fixed guns and a weapon has to be fetched from storage inside the sub to shoot at anything.

Maybe the sub was trying to be stealthy but surfaced because of a technical problem. If it was a sub at all. A sub "arresting" 25 fishermen means that they would have to be accommodated inside the sub. Cosy.

In the media Paki navy often becomes innocent boat being pestered by Indian navy; terrorists become harmless well intentioned smugglers

[ShauryaT]

but let us discount these soon to be retired kit and run with either the F-16-block52 or the JF-17.
they would have 1 centerline large drop tank, 2 SRAAM for self defence and 2 air launched ASM of harpoon size (subsonic). they would be topped up by Midas tanker around 150km offshore in a safe protected refueling area.

for china the combatants would be H-6 (tu16 clone) bomber with multiple subsonic and supersonic ASM and also the JH7 naval strike fighter with 2 ASM. you can add some PLANAF Su30 also with 2 supersonic ASM.

The only way PAF would be able to do this is if they are able to come within circa 100 KM of the destroyer. Presumes they have overcome or are able to risk IN and IAF air power on waters of the IOR. If they can pull this tactic off, then hats off to them.

The only way PLAN can do this is if the IN destroyer is in the China sea, why would we risk such an attack there without air cover is a mystery? The PLANAF trying such a venture on our seas presumes, they have been able to dominate the air space over the IOR, an unlikely scenario.

Is not the cardinal rule of modern sea power the domination of the air space over waters and raison d'être for the 11 super carriers of the USN. Scenarios seem highly unlikely, although in the realms of possibility and hence a native ability of the destroyer to meet the air threat is needed. The scenario also makes a good case for the need of air power over waters, both for offense and defense of the fleet.

What would be interesting to analyze is the offense to defense armaments carried by the various destroyers, which may provide insight into their doctrines.

[uddu]

Naval officers of Japan Navy Ships greets onlookers during the media visits of five-day ‘Malabar exercise’ ( India, United States and Japan ) on the Eastern coast, at the Port Trust in Chennai on Thursday. (Source: PTI)

[Philip]

This is a blatant provocation by the double-damned Paki pigs. Mr.M should demand the release of ALL Indian fishermen otherwise we should send the Paki envoy packing and ban all overflights of Indian territory by Paki civil aircraft.

The second Q is where did the incident take place? One report says off the port of Jakhau.Where is that on the map? It is common knowledge that Indian fishermen,egged on by Eelamists deliberately enter Lankan waters and poach their fish,now an issue between Tamil fishermen on both sides of the Straits. The ICG,along with a few IN OPVs should be engaged in more extensive patrolling off the Gujarat/Kutch coast and warn Indian fishermen not to venture beyond their line of patrol. Any Paki mischief would then have to happen inside the line of IN/ICG control which they would dare not.The setting up of the new naval base at Porbandar has come at the right time.

http://www.newsnation.in/article/93598- ... r-gam.html

Maritime exercises begin: Navy to fight 'enemy' submarines in Indian waters; 'Kilo' join war games

By : News Nation Bureau
Wednesday, October 14, 2015 11:14 AM
Maritime exercises begin: Navy to fight 'enemy' submarines in Indian waters; 'Kilo' join war games

Indian Navy will on Wednesday present for the first time Kilo, meaning “a hole in the water", submarine in the ongoing Malabar series of exercises in the Bay of Bengal for the very first time.

INS Sindhudhwaj is a Russian designed 'Kilo' class submarine of the Indian Navy.

The submarine, which is considered a gold mine in the naval circles, will be extended to the circles of the United States and Japan due to the enormous trust that has developed in the recent years.

Notably, presently China operates 12 'Kilo' class submarines, which are advanced versions of Indian Navy submarines.

The training will also give an opportunity to foreign nations to know exactly what they may be up against in the waters of the Pacific or the South China Sea which is currently disputed.

Why the best?
•It is so quiet that it cannot be detected by even the most advanced navies.
•It is capable of stealthily monitoring warships traversing the waters of the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal.
•It gives warships and foreign submarines the ability to instantly classify the sound.

The exercises come at a time when the US is in the process of a strategic tilt to the Asia-Pacific region. Both Japan and the United States are opposed to Chinese naval expansionism in the Pacific and the South China seas.

Today’s exercises will witness a war game. A war game because that will put India to match the might of shore-based maritime surveillance aircrafts, sonar systems of most advanced warships and anti-submarine helicopters.

The clear order for Indian ships will be- "there's an 'enemy' sub in these waters, get him before he gets us."

So India gears for all the ultimate test.

[Philip]

Why the IN needs to leverage its assets,particularly smaller warships and increase their combat capability.Sandeep Unnithan's prescient article posted earlier-and he has been on this subject for quite some time,adds to the debate and course of action that the IN must take.

Russia’s Tiny Missile Boats Pack Huge Punch – Military Expert

The 26 cruise missiles launched at terrorist positions in Syria by four small Russian warships of the Caspian Fleet have raised many an admiring eyebrow in the West, including that of US journalist and military expert David Axe.

Russian Long-Range Cruise Missiles 'Particular Challenge' for US Defense
“The raid shocked foreign observers — not the least because the ships involved were so … tiny,” Axe wrote on his War Is Boring website on Saturday.

“One of the biggest surprises for Russia-watchers was the small size of the ships that launched the missiles — 1,000-ton ships. That’s really small,”

David Axe cited Eric Wertheim, author of Combat Fleets of the World guidebook.
According to Wertheim, Russian naval design philosophy has always emphasized firepower."

"But it’s worth noting that the four ships that launched the cruise missiles are all in the landlocked Caspian Sea. They don’t deploy anywhere, so they don’t need fuel and living spaces for long voyages," he wrote.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the attacking ships were Dagestan, Grad Sviyazhsk, Veliky Ustyug and Uglich.

The latter three are Buyan-class missile boats, 203 feet long and displace 950 tons of water. Dagestan is a 335-foot, 1,900-ton Gepard-class frigate.

All four ships entered service in just the last few years.

“For perspective, bear in mind that the smallest US Navy surface warship to possess an equivalent weapon, the Tomahawk cruise missile, is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer that’s 500 feet long and displaces 9,000 tons. And America’s Littoral Combat Ship frigates, which displace 3,000 tons, carry only small, short-range missiles,” David Axe wrote in a comment.

Read more: http://sputniknews.com/us/20151011/1028 ... z3ohygBkry

The spirit of Adm.Gorshkov lives on in the RuN!

[uddu]

Jakhau port is about 60km away from international border.

[KBDagha]

Jakhau is very near to my ancestral village.. Sub surfacing deep in our waters is worrying news..

[Aditya G]

Jakhau is very near to my ancestral village.. Sub surfacing deep in our waters is worrying news..

i think it is DDM.... somewhere 'pakistan marine' became 'pakistan submarine'.

[Vipul]

Navy signs Rs 5,000 crore pact with Russian shipbuilder Zvezdochka for Kilo class submarine refit.

The Indian Navy is looking to squeeze some more life out of its two decade old kilo class submarines, signing up a contract with Russia to extend the service life of the boats to 35 years. Struggling with a depleted underwater fleet, the Navy has finalized a contract with Russian shipbuilder Zvezdochka and will be sending the first submarine for the refit in June next year.

The extensive refit, the value for which is pegged at Rs 5,000 crore for a total of four submarines, will not only extend the life of the boats but will also upgrade their combat potential. Sources told ET that the first submarine to be sent is the INS Sindhukesari that will be fitted with Klub land attack cruise missile. While the first of the four submarines will be upgraded at Severodvinsk in Russia, the plan is to upgrade the remaining three in an Indian yard as part of the 'Make in India' initiative. Zvezdochka, which is the Russian yard tasked with the modernization process, has already tied up with Reliance Defence to upgrade the submarines at the Pipavav yard in Gujarat.

However, the Navy has currently awarded the upgrade contract for the first submarine only. A decision on the remaining will be taken after a review of Indian yards and their capability to undertake the complex upgrade. The Sindhukesari will be the first of the Indian Kilo class submarines to undergo the life extension upgrade to 35 years even though the Russian Navy has done this 'second refit' to its fleet.

Sources told ET that the Sindhukesari, which got its first refit in 1999-2001, will also be fitted with several Indian systems, including navigational and communication equipment. "The idea of a second mid-life refit of Indian submarines has been discussed between Russia and India since 2010. The process of up gradation will take a little over two years," officials told ET.

[tsarkar]

^^ Surprising news of Pakistani submarine. There is significant IN & ICG presence in the port and BSF in the interior. The 30 mm API shells from IN & ICG patrol craft effortlessly can hole and incinerate the submarine's hull & engines. Those shells were designed to penetrate armoured vehicles on the battlefield and would make mincemeat of the unarmoured submarine hull. If it entered within 12 nm of our coast, it can be shot without warning.

[tsarkar]

0:20 and 1:33 of the IFR 2016 theme song shows a Rajput class ship with 8 inclined BrahMos canisters replacing the P15 missiles and Elta 2038 + RAWL radars.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/sli ... 335185.cms
Pictures from a day at sea at Vizag (not Navy Day as incorrectly stated in the caption)

Pic 5 shows a Kora class ship with Elta 2038 and OTO gun with new turret.

Pic 7 shows Seaking using dunking sonar.

[Paul]

The latest US LCVs are in Chennai to take part in Malabar 2015.

Unnithan's article appears around same time. My paranoid mind tells me both are not independent occurrences.

[Aditya G]

tsarkar ji, which branch of the navy decides ship pennants, ship names, commissions new warships and retires older ones?

How are minor vessels, which do not even have pennants accounted for? launches, water barges, tugs etc?

0:20 and 1:33 of the IFR 2016 theme song shows a Rajput class ship with 8 inclined BrahMos canisters replacing the P15 missiles and Elta 2038 + RAWL radars.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/sli ... 335185.cms
Pictures from a day at sea at Vizag (not Navy Day as incorrectly stated in the caption)

Pic 5 shows a Kora class ship with Elta 2038 and OTO gun with new turret.

Pic 7 shows Seaking using dunking sonar.

Plenty of visuals. Note MiG-29K in flight refueling as well.

[tsarkar]

^^ Ship Pennant & Names come from Heraldry Division of the History Department. They often organize naming competitions like we have on BR.

Someone from the Department suggested naming our first aircraft carrier Himalaya. The then CNS angrily retorted the old HMIS Himalaya shore establishment in Karachi was still continuing as PNS Himalaya http://www.paknavy.gov.pk/himalaya.html Also, warships and carriers exemplify mobile firepower, unlike mountains that are immobile. He gave the guidance of sticking to abstract terms, so INS Vikrant came about. And now we've Shivalik class of ships.

Another hated name was INS Amba, Submarine Support Ship taken from Russia. The submarines really didn't want mothering, nor those serving on the ship had any maternal feelings towards the submarines.

Commissioning and Decommissioning are decided by material state of the ship.

Minor Vessels, that include large ships like Fleet Tankers Deepak & Shakti, come under A series (Auxiliary) pennants.

Pennant Numbers are like your car registration numbers, every ship needs to have one.

For merchant ships, the Port where the ship is registered issues numbers. Even the smallest of pleasure yachts have numbers. So all ships & boats operating out of Mumbai will carry a number starting MBPTxxxxx for Mumbai Port Trust, like a Maharashtra car will have MH, Delhi DL, Karnataka KA, & so on.

[Aditya G]

I havent understood, as to why the Navy re-uses pennants. re-using names makes sense, but pennants should be unique - like registration numbers should be.

I also found naming IAC as Vikrant, even though the original was (then) still in service as a museum ship. Ofcourse, later the Vikrant was scrapped.

...They often organize naming competitions like we have on BR.

[NRao]

Navy signs Rs 5,000 crore pact with Russian shipbuilder Zvezdochka for Kilo class submarine refit

[Austin]

Lungi dance moment if they can make it

Indian Navy keen on fielding indigenous nuclear-powered submarine at international fleet review

[member_29172]

Is it a good idea to show off Arihant so soon? Milk the secrecy for a few more years or even decades. Secrecy is a good thing

[parshuram]

Jakhau is very near to my ancestral village.. Sub surfacing deep in our waters is worrying news..

i think it is DDM.... somewhere 'pakistan marine' became 'pakistan submarine'.

Agree, Not sure why would PN risk it's Sub to capture Fisherman ??? and it came and was sportted and we could not scramble our P-8's . Definitely a DDM

[vishvak]

Is it a good idea to show off Arihant so soon? Milk the secrecy for a few more years or even decades. Secrecy is a good thing

Adding to it, secrecy is always a good thing and more so as secrecy is maintained. Not sure why Arihant is ever displayed to any foreigner.

[Aditya G]

Lungi dance moment if they can make it

Indian Navy keen on fielding indigenous nuclear-powered submarine at international fleet review

Keep lungis stretched and ironed for commissioning.

Ifr is really no landmark ... Its the commissioning what we want. Hope recent nirbhay failure does not effect it

[SaiK]

IN is upping the ante for known reasons. Stay off from IN blue areas! Indian Ocean is India's own.. and will Dharmically invade Chinese red seas as well as Pacific and Atlantic.

The Ks (4 & 15) should tell the futt-a-futty shibbers. I want them to host 200kt mirvs in the near future. stage set for baby surya

[Aditya G]

After the Mistrals, now the Talwar Mods are available in market as well:

http://www.janes.com/article/55284/russ ... s-frigates

Russia is hoping to find an export customer for the final three Admiral Grigorovich-class (Project 11356M) frigates currently being built for the Russian Navy, a source told IHS Jane's .

"The Defence Ministry is reallocating the money, initially set aside for the other three frigates, to the construction of other ships it badly needs. Meetings of Defence Ministry and Federal Military Technical Co-operation Service officials suggested that a solution could be to export the ships," the source said.

The vessels are being constructed at the Kaliningrad-based Yantar Shipyard and use a Ukrainian Zorya-Mashproyekt gas-turbine propulsion plant. While Russia has already received the propulsion systems for the first three vessels, Ukraine's termination of defence exports to Russia has left the final three without their turbines.

Saturn was to build alternative M90FP turbines for the class under Russia's import substitution programme. However these cannot be completed before 2019-2020, with this further delay to an already delayed build programme not suiting the Russian Navy.

While Ukraine will not supply the engines to Russia, the option is open for an export customer to acquire the vessels from Russia and the engines separately from Ukraine.

The Indian Navy has expressed an interest in receiving three Admiral Grigorovich-class vessels, which are based on its six Russian-built Talwar-class frigates. However, in July India noted it was looking to licence-build the design in India, rather than to purchase them already built. It is not clear whether India has now changed its aims to licence-build the vessels, or whether it may look to do both.

The first-of-class Admiral Grigorovich is currently conducting state sea trials, and is expected to be delivered to the Russian Navy's Black Sea Fleet in November (two years behind schedule).

[Gagan]

Guys, don't underestimate the seriousness of the Pakistani submarine episode.

Jakhau is just some 10-15 odd Kms from one of IAF's MAJOR airbases in Naliya. It is about 60Kms from the Bhuj AFB. The IAF also bases its maritime strike aircrafts in this area.

Almost the entire oil headed to India from the middle east come into a shipping lane just south of Jakhau and offloads into several oil jetties in the gulf of katch in Gujarat.

This is a super sensitive area that the IN and the Coast guard will have to patrol in the event of a conflict. The pakistanis have some of their subs equipped with sub launched exocets, which could potentially used in a blind land attack mode.

[Singha]

a exocet with its radar seeker will easily lock onto the huge RCS of berthed ships at the jetty as well as shore infra like POL farms(Karachi 1971!), cranes, refineries etc. ofcourse a dedicated land attack missile like SLAM will have other sensors like scene matching etc to seek out targets in a more discriminating manner. but a exocet will work just fine on a refinery or POL storage.

all they need to do is unleash 6 from all tubes , 75km offshore and slink away...even if 3 score hits its a big boost in the media war.

[K_Rohit]

0:20 and 1:33 of the IFR 2016 theme song shows a Rajput class ship with 8 inclined BrahMos canisters replacing the P15 missiles and Elta 2038 + RAWL radars.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/sli ... 335185.cms
Pictures from a day at sea at Vizag (not Navy Day as incorrectly stated in the caption)

Pic 5 shows a Kora class ship with Elta 2038 and OTO gun with new turret.

Pic 7 shows Seaking using dunking sonar.

Thanks, this is useful and first time I am seeing this. We now have 3 types of Rajputs:
- D51 Rajput- with 8 inclined Brahmos and SAMs on 2 twin arm launchers
- D54,55 Ranvir and Ranvijay with 8 Brahmos VLS replacing aft twin arm launcher for the SAMs. Continues to have Styx
- D52,53- Unmodified - still with Styx

Is this correct? Confirmation?