Bharat Rakshak

Please observe the following guidelines:

PLEASE DO NOT post a news article without the proper heading and the URL. Your HTML coding must enable the news link to open in a new browser/window. Click here to learn more on how to post a proper link. Also kindly refrain from posting links to other forums which are discussing a news story, as that does not count as news.

PLEASE DO NOT post an entire article unless there is no archiving available on the news site. In the absence of a link, kindly post the entire article providing the title, the source, the author (optional), and the date. This initial heading must be displayed in bold font.

PLEASE DO NOT paste excerpts from the news link in the news thread, as that violates copyright laws. Also kindly refrain from any comments and/or discussion on the news articles posted in the news folder.

PLEASE DO NOT add smilies, other animated graphics and pictures in the news folder.

Thanking You in advance for your cooperation.

Indian, U.S. Ships To Gather for Annual Malabar Exercise
Defense News, October 2004

By VIVEK RAGHUVANSHI, NEW DELHI

Within a year of holding their largest joint naval exercise, India and the United States soon will team up for another that will include a U.S. nuclear submarine. The exercise, the most recent in the Indo-U.S. Malabar series, will be held off the cost of Goa for a week beginning Oct. 4. A senior Indian Navy official said Sept. 29 that the participating U.S. Navy ships will include a Los Angeles-class nuclear submarine, an Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided missile frigate and the missile cruiser Ticonderoga.

The U.S. Navy also will bring P-3 Orion maritime surveillance aircraft, which India is negotiating to buy from the United States through the Foreign Military Sales route. The Indian Navy is fielding a Delhi Class guided missile destroyer, a Brahmaputra Class guided missile frigate, a German-built Shishumar Class submarine, and Sea Harrier jump jets operating from Goa's land bases. Besides anti-submarine warfare, the two navies will undertake maneuvers on sea-control missions, fleet air defense and surface firings. In October 2003, the two navies met for a joint exercise Oct. 5-8 off the cost of Kochi in the Arabian Sea.

Goa Shipyard to build 8 mine-sweepers for Navy
[Times of India, 08 October 2004]

Mormugao: An advanced class of eight mine-sweepers called Mine Counter Measure Vessels will be built by Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL) for the Indian Navy at a cost of about Rs 2,400 crore. Each vessel will cost Rs 300 crore and GSL is optimistic that the navy will place orders for three more vessels after the first eight are delivered. GSL Chairperson Rear Admiral Sampath Pillai (Retd.) stated that the new vessels were different from traditional mine-sweepers because their hulls were built of glass-reinforced plastic rather than steel. "This makes them unique because they will also have the latest sensors and equipment to detect and de-activate mines," he said. According to him, most navies focus on buying destroyers and frigates but lack mine-sweepers. "After the Bangladesh war, we had to approach the former Soviet Union for help to clear the mines laid around our ports. Even the US and Australian navies do not have such vessels," he said. The Portuguese set up GSL in 1957 as a small barge-building yard. "After independence, Mazagaon Dock Ltd (MDL) took over GSL, and it owns 48% of our shares today. The remaining 50% of equity is owned by the Centre and the balance by our workers and the locals," he said. GSL concentrates on building small ships of up to 2,000 tonnes for the Indian Navy and Coast Guard. "We are modernising our yard and devoting more than half of our space to build these unique vessels," he said. Three shipyards come under the defence ministry. While MDL builds big ships like destroyers and frigates, Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers build medium-size ships and GSL concentrates on small and fast attack craft for the navy.

Eastern Fleet ships deployed overseas for 45 days

India sends warships to South China Sea

Sailor Exchange with Indian Navy Opens Window to New World

Malabar 04 Exercises Conclude Successfully Off Indian Coast

Sailors Enjoy Visit to India During Malabar 04

[url=http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=37511]Indian Navy to lease Russian nuclear submarine for 10 years
[/url]
Indian Navy to lease Russian nuclear submarine: Report

India to lease nuclear submarine from Russia

Defence Minister to address Navy Commanders Conference today

Navy being given go ahead for major acquisitions

GRSE pays Rs 10 crore dividend

Exide Industries hoping for a re-charge

India Makes Its First Naval Radar System
[Defense News, 25 October 2004]

India has designed and developed its first airborne multi-mode airborne surveillance radar system for the Navy. The service has ordered 10 Super-Vision 2000 Radar systems at an estimated cost of $600,000 apiece, for delivery beginning in mid-2005, said a senior executive of Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL), Bangalore, which will produce the system. The state Defence Research & Development Organisation’s Electronics & Radar Development Establishment (LRDE), Bangalore, developed the Super-Vision-2000 Radar system this year. An LRDE scientist said the Super-Vision 2000 is a lightweight and compact system developed for helicopters such as the indigenous Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) and the Navy’s Russian Kamov helicopters, as well as aircraft like its Dornier maritime surveillance planes. The LRDE scientist said the system design and development phase cost $2.2 million. The system comprises an antenna, transmitter, receiver, data processor and display, and weighs less than 100 kilograms. The radar can detect sea-surfacing targets like a periscope or vessel as well as sea-skimming missiles and targets in the air. The radar also can be used for navigation, weather mapping and beacon detection. The Super-Vision 2000 will be installed in the naval version of the ALH being produced by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd., Bangalore. BEL plans to market the system to other militaries after it fulfills the Indian Navy’s requirements.

India Still to Decide on French Subs: Defense Minister
[Agence France-Presse, 29 October 2004]

India has not decided whether to buy six Scorpene submarines from France, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said after the Naval Chief suggested the deal would be sealed soon. "We are considering the proposal. But no final decision has been taken," he said in Calcutta after meeting French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier on October 27th. As Barnier flew out on October 27th, India's Navy Chief of Staff, Admiral Arun Prakash, said the 2 billion euro ($2.5 billion) deal was under very close examination at the highest level of government. "We have received assurance that the deal will see the light of day soon," he said. Barnier had pushed the sale, accompanied by 36 SM-39 missiles, in New Delhi talks this week.

Attack Submarine Takes Part In Joint Maneuvers With India

NSS Chief of Staff, Major General Mohamed Zahir vists INS Tir

IN organises cruise for special children

IN visits India International Boat Show 2004

Sophisticated naval craft on show in second phase of Malabar 2004