Indian Naval News & Discussion - 12 Oct 2013

[Singha]

looks like something Rastapopoulos the villain in Tintin might use. and infact he did in red sea sharks book.

[kit]

heh .. was going to say it .. ah .. btw u have a mod cap on ? ... congrats chief !

[koti]

Sweet
ps: picked up from militaryphotos.net

[Kartik]

Awesome ! Just wish it was in HD

[krishnan]

HD is available

[Kersi D]

Hawk is not the only aircraft in our fleet with naval variant ....

The BAE Hawk has a naval variant - T-45 Goshawk. Built by Boeing, in service the US Navy, it was in production until 2009 IIRC. Given that the Tejas has a two seat naval variant in development, there's no particular need for a naval Hawk. However for the record, if it needed to be acquired, we would not have to develop such a variant, the design (probably tooling as well) could be bought outright.

The SEPECAT Jaguar was tested Clemenceau in 1970s

K

[Kersi D]

Yes forgot that the Goshawk was carrier capable too.However,can both the Goshawk and naval Jaguar take off from a ski-jump with a reasonable payload? If the NLCA bombs,could the Jaguar upgrades consider a naval variant too,or would it be too inferior to the option of just buying more 29Ks for commonality.

My humble 2 paise. Jaguar is too underpowered to be considered as a carrier borne aircraft

K

[Philip]

Kersi,the upgraded ones with the new engines.Cheers.

[Philip]

Just examine the asinine and cretinous manner in which the MOD has handled the sub acquisition plan for the IN's conventional subs.Our Scorpene programme has been plagued with problems,mismangement,procurement issues,delayed ad nauseum. As on expert said,when they finally arrive,they will be obsolete! That too these are all non-AIP Scoepenes for which no AIP system has been identified as yet. The French ,DCNS (and MDL) have simply failed to deliver the goods on the Scorpenes and with such a cavalier attitude,one must wonder whether the Rafale deal will not be similarly plagued with HAL,another DPSU whose performance in the LCA project has been similarly dismal as much as MDL.

X-posted from the Intl. naval td.

Just compare the costs of the 6 Kilo 636s,just over $300m per sub,compared with the cost of our 6 Scorpenes,which were ordered long before the Vietnamese order,where not a single boat has been commissioned and costs of the Scorpenes almost 4,000 crores ,$600+M each! The Vietnamese deal was signed as late as 2009,while the Scorpene deal was signed in 2005! The first Kilo 6363 has been delivered along with its training facility just 4 years on,while the first Scorpene is only expected in 2016,11 years on! At this rate of building,24 Kilos can be built in the time that MDL can build just 6.Simply shocking.

Last update 14:52 | 07/11/2013

Russia hands over Cam Ranh submarine sailor training center to Vietnam

VietNamNet Bridge - Representatives from Russia and Vietnam signed a document on the transfer of a submarine sailor training center for the 636 Kilo class submarine in Cam Ranh Bay to the Vietnam Navy.

On November 7, Russia will hand over the first submarine to Vietnam.

According to the Vietnam News Agency, the handover ceremony will be held in January 2014, on the occasion the first of the six submarines of project 636 to dock at Cam Ranh Bay.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/s ... 942060.ece
Updated: July 23, 2013
Scorpene sub delayed by one more year

It is official. Gloomy days aren’t over for the Scorpene submarine project. Plagued by years of delays and subsequent cost overruns, the project being executed by defence shipyard Mazagon Dock in Mumbai has missed the deadline once again, dealing a body blow to the Navy’s desperate effort to pull its impuissant submarine arm out of the trough.

The French-origin submarines, being built under a transfer of technology (ToT) contract, will not be available for induction into the submarine-starved Navy in 2015, as promised by the yard. The revised target for delivery of the first of the six Scorpenes is September 2016, with the remaining hopefully entering service at the rate of one submarine every 12 months thereon.

“We have set a new target of September 2016 for delivery of the first Scorpene,” confirmed Rear Admiral (retd.) Rahul Kumar Shrawat, Chairman and Managing Director of Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) during an interaction with The Hindu in Kozhikode recently. Rear Admiral Shrawat says orders for the third and final batch of 178 high-value items — outfitting equipment that gained an unsavoury reputation as MDL-Procured Material (MPM) after the yard’s cumbersome and hazy procurement procedures held up the project for over two years — was placed on DCNS, the original manufacturer of the Scorpenes, in November last year.

The orders were placed on a single contractor to save the yard from the burden of having to deal with a large number of foreign vendors. The process inter alia ensured transparency and ease of procurement, Rear Admiral Shrawat said explaining the delay.

The Navy, however, is livid over the yard’s persistent disregard for deadlines. Top Navy officials rue that by the time the Scorpenes are commissioned, they would be obsolete. The first three Scorpenes will not even have air independent propulsion (AIP), a technology that enhances underwater endurance of submarines several times over, they point out. Without AIP, submarines are forced to surface once in a few days to recharge their batteries, a process when they are most susceptible to detection.

The contract for construction of the Scorpenes was inked in 2005, with the first originally slated for delivery in 2012. MDL’s long-drawn procurement processes and sluggishness in technology absorption gave the projects hiccups at the start itself. Meanwhile, the project cost grew exponentially from the original Rs.18,798 crore to Rs. 23,562 crore in 2010 with a renewed timeline.
Another roadblock

DCNS’ takeover of Armaris, the company with which the contract was signed, contributed to the complexities in sourcing of stipulated equipment. The project faced another roadblock with the yard failing to renew its technology assistance contract with the Spanish Navantia, co-developer of the Scorpenes, early this year.

While the country head of DCNS, in an interview with The Hindu in April, gave an assurance of “technical assistance [to the project] beyond contractual obligations,” it is believed that any further hold-up would result in the company making a plea for extra fee.

[Philip]

More gloomy news.

https://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/in ... ted-01194/

India’s Project 75 SSKs: Too Late to Save the Submarine Force?
Aug 28, 2013

Aug 26/13: Project 75i. In the wake of the Sindhurakshak’s sinking, Indian media report that the country may look to lease a 2nd nuclear submarine from Russia. On the SSK front, the Times of India reports that defense minister A K Antony may be rethinking the Ministry’s slowness, and compromise his own renewed push toward an all-indigenous procurement policy.

In India,... {click to expand +}
The above update is a recent abstract from our full article, itself part of our subscription offering. Keep reading to know more.DII
SSK Scorpene OHiggins Cutaway
Scorpene cutaway
(click to view full)

India’s submarine fleet currently consists of 16 boats: 10 Russian SSK Kilo (Sindhugosh) Class, 4 locally built SSK U209 (Shishumar) Class, a leased nuclear-powered Improved Akula Class SSN from Russia (INS Chakra), and its own INS Arihant SSBN. Most of the Kilos have been modernized, but readiness rates for India’s existing submarine fleet sits below 40%, and the U209s will have trouble lasting much beyond 2015. With Pakistan acquiring modern submarines, and Chinese submarine building exploding, expanding India’s submarine fleet became an obvious national priority.

In 2005, India confirmed that it would buy 6 Franco-Spanish Scorpene diesel submarines, with an option for 6 more and extensive technology transfer agreements. Unfortunately, 7 years after that deal was signed, “Project 75″ has yet to field a single submarine. A poor Indian procurement approach, and state-run inefficiency, are pushing the country’s overall submarine force toward an aging crisis. This DID FOCUS article covers the Scorpene deal and its structure, adds key contracts and new developments, and offers insights into the larger naval picture beyond India.

In India, this consists of asking bureaucrats to kindly expedite the Project 75i building plan, 14 years after the program was approved to go forward. The paper reports that a Draft CCS Note with required specifications, concrete building plans, etc. will be sent to the Cabinet Committee of Security in “a month or so,” and that it contains the Navy’s requested provision that the 1st 2 submarines would be built abroad. If CCS approval leads to a fast contract, it’s entirely possible that India could have 2 operational Project 75i submarines before it has 2 operational Project 75 Scorpenes. That would shore up the submarine force quickly, but it would also be embarrassing.

The rest of Antony’s reaction consists of chest-beating about no more schedule slippages at state-owned Mazagon Docks Ltd., and calls for better and “faster” refits and maintenance for the shrunken 13-sub fleet – 11 of which are 20-27 years old. Can the Minister guarantee either outcome? No. Are they even technically achievable? If he knew, he would have been doing it already. Sources: Times of India, “Submarine shock: Antony fast-tracks projects”.

Aug 14/13: Sunk. An explosion and fire sink the Kilo Class INS Sindhurakshak while the boat is docked in Mumbai, killing 18 people on board. Firemen manage to contain the blaze to the submarine, so it doesn’t end up sinking the submarine docked next to it as well.

The explosion happens the day before India’s independence day, and the comprehensiveness of the damage leaves observers inside and outside India considering the possibility that it was a terrorist plot. Sources: India’s Business Standard, “INS Sindhurakshak crippled; experts blame battery fire and ammunition explosion” | The Hindu, “Submarine blasts due to ‘possible ignition of armament’” | Hindustan Times, “Russia distances itself from India sub disaster”.

This is a 26 page report available only to full subscribers.

[Philip]

I am posting this to enlighten those ardents of EMALS as the answer to all carrier launching ills.The issue is more complex than one ordinarily thinks,and involves major decisions regarding power plants,aircraft types,etc.

http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/ema ... ers-05220/

EMALS/ AAG: Electro-Magnetic Launch & Recovery for Carriers
Oct 21, 2013 13:00 UTC by Defense Industry Daily Staff.

As the US Navy continues to build its new CVN-21 Gerald R. Ford Class carriers, few technologies are as important to their success as the next-generation EMALS (Electro-MAgnetic Launch System) catapult. The question is whether that technology will be ready in time, in order to avoid either costly delays to the program – or an even more costly redesign of the first ship of class.

Current steam catapult technology is very entertaining when it launches cars more than 100 feet off of a ship, or gives naval fighters the extra boost they need to achieve flight speed within a launch footprint of a few hundred feet. It’s also stressful for the aircraft involved, very maintenance intensive, and not really compatible with modern gas turbine propulsion systems. At present, however, steam is the only option for launching supersonic jet fighters from carrier decks. EMALS aims to leap beyond steam’s limitations, delivering significant efficiency savings, a more survivable system, and improved effectiveness. This free-to-view spotlight article covers the technology, the program, and its progress to date.

From Steam to Magnets: EMALS vs. Current Approaches
CVN-76 cat
Steam cat, ready
(click to view full)

Current steam catapults use about 615 kg/ 1,350 pounds of steam for each aircraft launch, which is usually delivered by piping it from the nuclear reactor. Now add the required hydraulics and oils, the water required to brake the catapult, and associated pumps, motors, and control systems. The result is a large, heavy, maintenance-intensive system that operates without feedback control; and its sudden shocks shorten airframe lifespans for carrier-based aircraft.

To date, it has been the only option available. Hence its use on all full-size carriers.

EMALS (Electro-Magnetic Aircraft Launch System) uses an approach analogous to an electro-magnetic rail gun, in order to accelerate the shuttle that holds the aircraft. That approach provides a smoother launch, while offering up to 30% more launch energy potential to cope with heavier fighters. It also has far lower space and maintenance requirements, because it dispenses with most of the steam catapult’s piping, pumps, motors, control systems, etc. Ancillary benefits include the ability to embed diagnostic systems, for ease of maintenance with fewer personnel on board.

EMALS’ problem is that it has become a potential bottleneck to the USA’s new carrier class. It opportunity is that it may become the savior of Britain’s new carrier class.

The challenge is scaling a relatively new technology to handle the required weights and power. EMALS motor generator weighs over 80,000 pounds, and is 13.5 feet long, almost 11 feet wide and almost 7 feet tall. It’s designed to deliver up to 60 megajoules of electricity, and 60 megawatts at its peak. In the 3 seconds it takes to launch a Navy aircraft, that amount of power could handle 12,000 homes. This motor generator is part of a suite of equipment called the Energy Storage Subsystem, which includes the motor generator, the generator control tower and the stored energy exciter power supply. The new Gerald R. Ford Class carriers will require 12 of each.
CVN-21 enhancements
Ford Class Enhancements
(click to view full)

Because it’s such a big change, it’s a critical technology if the US Navy wishes to deliver its new carrier class on-time and on-budget, and fulfill the CVN-21 program’s cost-saving promises. If EMALS cannot deliver on time, or perform as advertised, the extensive redesign and additional costs involved in adding steam catapult equipment throughout the ship could easily rise to hundreds of millions of dollars.

Launches have begun, and the 2nd phase of EMALS aircraft compatibility testing is scheduled to begin in 2012. Engineers will continue reliability testing through 2013, then perform installation, checkout, and shipboard testing, with the goal of shipboard certification in 2015.

The related Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) sub-program will replace the current Mk 7 hydraulic system used to provide the requisite combination of plane-slowing firmness and necessary flexibility to the carriers’ arresting wires. The winning AAG design replaces the mechanical hydraulic ram with rotary engines, using energy-absorbing water turbines and a large induction motor to provide fine control of the arresting forces. AAG is intended to allow successful landings with heavier aircraft, reduce manning and maintenance, and add capabilities like self-diagnosis and maintenance alerts. It will eventually be fitted to all existing Nimitz class aircraft carriers, as well as the new Gerald R. Ford class.
CVF 2005 Delta Design
CVF concept
(click to view full)

EMALS was also set to play a pivotal role in the British CVF Queen Elizabeth Class, until the window of opportunity shut in 2012. The F-35B’s ability to take off and land with full air-to-air armament was already a matter of some concern in Britain external link before the 2010 strategic defense review, which moved the heavier F-35C from “Plan B” for British naval aviation, to the Royal Navy’s preferred choice.

An F-35C requires catapults, but the Queen Elizabeth Class carrier’s CODAG (COmbined Diesel And Gas) propulsion doesn’t produce steam as a byproduct, the way nuclear-powered carriers do. Instead, it produces a lot of electricity. Adding steam would require a huge redesign in the middle of construction, and raise costs to a point that would sink the program entirely. Instead, after commissioning some research of their own with British firms, they placed a formal request to buy EMALS.

By 2012, however, the Royal Navy had discovered that adding catapults to its new carrier design was much more difficult and expensive than BAE had led them to believe. In an embarrassing climb-down, the government retreated back to the F-35B STOVL (short Take-Off, Vertical Landing) fighter, and ended efforts to add catapults to its carriers.
Program Teams
Growler, EMALed

The program is managed by US NAVAIR’s PMA-251, under the Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment (ALRE) program manager. General Atomics’ EMALS team includes:

GA’s Electromagnetic Systems Division – Electromagnetic System Design and Fabrication, System; Integration, Power Electronics and Controls, Software, and Logistics;
Alion Science and Technology – Specialty Engineering;
Kato Engineering – Energy Storage Systems Manufacture;
L3 Communications’ Applied Technologies Pulse Sciences – Power Electronics;
QinetiQ’s Foster Miller, Inc. – Control Systems, System Health Monitoring;
STV, Inc. – Test Site Design/Integration, Naval System Logistics;
University of Texas at Austin Center for Electromechanics – Energy Storage Systems Design and Analysis.

General Atomics’ related Advanced Arresting Gear team, which is part of the larger ALRE program and can be ordered under EMALS contracts, includes:

GA’s Electromagnetic Systems Division – Systems Integration, Cable Drum and Cable Shock Absorber, Power Electronics/ Controls/ Software, Arresting Controls Software, System Health Monitoring, Test Site Design and Integration;
Alion Science and Technology – Shipboard Integration, Thermal Systems, Electric Power;
Curtiss-Wright Electro-Mechanical Corporation – Electric Motor;
ESCO Corporation – Water Twister and Mechanical Brake Systems
ITT Corporation – Naval System Logistics
QinetiQ’s Foster Miller, Inc. – Control Workstations

Contracts and Key Events
FY 2014

Oct 17/13: Testing. General Atomics in San Diego, CA receives a maximum $52 million order for Advanced Arresting Gear equipment. NAVAIR is building a Runway Arresting Landing Site (RALS) to support of CVN-78 testing, allowing tests with live aircraft before they try it on board ship. RALS will also serve as a troubleshooting aid for ship testing.

$25.5 million is committed immediately. Work will be performed in San Diego, CA (65%); Tupelo, MS (15%); Boston, MA (10%); Philadelphia, PA (5%); Newark, NJ (2.5%) and Dallas, TX (2.5%), and is expected to be complete in October 2016. US NAVAIR in Patuxent River, MD manages the contract (N68335-11-G-0003)
FY 2013

Tests expanding to all carrier-launched manned aircraft.
CVN 78 cost increases
CVN 78 cost growth
(click to view full)

Sept 5/13: GAO Report. EMALS and AAG delays and cost increases have hit a point where they’re creating problems for the new Ford Class carriers, driving up costs to $12.8 billion for the 1st ship, adding risk, and impairing initial capabilities.

Costs: Since 2008, EMALS-related costs for the first-of-class Gerald R. Ford [CVN 78] have risen by 133.7%, from $317.7 – $742.6 million. AAG costs have also spiked, though its 124.8% jump is only from $75 – $168.6 million. This is so despite the Navy’s 2010 firm fixed-price contracts to produce these systems for CVN 78. Even with cost caps, however, late delivery and testing means that changes have to be made to a partially-complete ship. EMALS configuration changes have already forced electrical, wiring, and other changes within the ship; and instead of just being hoisted into place, the Advanced Arresting Gear will now have to be installed in pieces via a hole cut in the flight deck. AAG continues to undergo redesigns, most recently to its energy-absorbing “water twister,” and limited EMALS testing with the delayed F-35C risks forcing further changes after the ship has been built. The Navy says that all future changes will take place within the components’ allotted space and weight, but GAO doesn’t think they can possibly know that.

Risk: Beyond redesign risks, the Navy needs to confront larger ship delivery risks. At present, EMALS isn’t scheduled for TRL 7 level maturity until FY 2014, with AAG to follow in FY 2015. The ship is due for delivery in FY 2016. Systems are already maturing so late that comprehensive testing must wait until the ship is at sea, so further schedule delays have nowhere else to go. Launch delays would mean delays to post-launch test programs, which are closely synced with ship delivery.

Capabilities: Once CVN 78 is built, EMALS and AAG’s reliability will continue to hamper operations. As of March 2013, both systems are far below where they’re supposed to be, with critical failures every 2-3 cycles. Since Initial Operational Test & Evaluation requires certain reliability levels between critical failures (MTBCF), continued problems could endanger the ship’s entry into service. GAO points out that the Navy’s “Duane” model for reliability growth doesn’t match their long-standing data, and even under optimistic planned growth levels, AAG isn’t supposed to hit the ~100 cycle MTBCF minimums before 2027. EMALS will take even longer, to 2032.

Unless and until they succeed, they’ll destroy the new carriers’ key 2007 promise of generating 25% more aircraft sorties per ship than the Nimitz Class. As things stand, even meeting the USS Enterprise’s OEF wartime record of 2,970 combat missions and a 99.1% sortie completion rate seems unlikely. Sources: GAO Report #GAO-13-396 external link | Virginian-Pilot external link, “The costs and doubts keep growing for carrier Ford”.

June 25/13 Testing. NAVAIR successfully launched external link an EA-18G Growler for the 1st time. This starts the 2nd phase of their manned aircraft launch tests, as they intend to proceed with more than 300 launches this year to test all aircraft currently launched from carrier catapults, save for E-2C Hawkeyes. They have already launched at least once each of the Navy’s newest planes. This ramp-up comes at about the same time railguns are also seeing more tests.

April 15/13: Budget. The FY 2014 Presidential Budget adds funding and/or reprogramming to FY12 and FY14 to properly reflect pricing. At $43 million, FY14 is the final year with significant spending built over the FYDP, as FY15/16 see about $2.5 million each, and there’s nothing for FY17/18. This accelerates slightly the spending plan from the FY13 president budget. Cost to completion is now seen reaching $834.7 million.

In parallel the Navy is working on demonstrating “an automation control environment for carrier shipboard equipment,” in order to reduce manpower requirements and ongoing costs. They won’t elaborate, but EMALS System Development and Demonstration (SDD) continues to be scheduled for completion by Q2 2015. To get there, the Navy intends to conduct full system and risk mitigation testing at the System Functional Demonstration (SFD) site by completing repeated cycles with deadload testing and gap variation tests. They aim to reach 4,000 deadload launches to assess reliability. Sources: US Navy PE 0603512 external link [PDF].

[ramana]

Philip, The NDTV interview of the naval chief has quite few disturbing trends in it. SaiK posted it in the Sindhurakshak thread.

[vasu raya]

We need this technology be it Modi's rally or the Coast Guard linked up through the Naval sat

New Japanese security camera scans 36 million faces per second

Where before authorities would have spent hours trawling through CCTV footage, an individual can now be found in the blink of an eye.

For large audience meetings, we may need databases storing the pictures of all people of the nation (South Asia?) and more on servers in a mobile truck in the field. The suspect list update feed keeps coming in from 'MHA' in real time as well as new photo additions, any matches with people from the event will let the cops know. The identification requests would be phenomenal in these cases and data networks cannot cope with them needing mobile data centers, like on tractor trailers? as seen with the Agni series

For small groups of people to be identified they could send them to remote servers over 3G connections such as Police stations

With DRDO gaining on SoC, it should be able to create a 'google glass' equivalent useful to all the field personnel, or is it part of F-INSAS already?

[Austin]

Navy chief Admiral DK Joshi to NDTV: Full transcript

[Viv S]

I am posting this to enlighten those ardents of EMALS as the answer to all carrier launching ills.The issue is more complex than one ordinarily thinks,and involves major decisions regarding power plants,aircraft types,etc.

Its a system that's in development, so its bound to face obstacles. Unless you're the customer for the first Ford class carrier, its not a particularly big worry.


As for decisions, its not too complicated.

A ski-jump is suited for only lighter aircraft making a carrier-borne AEW&C and similar transport platforms, a non-starter.

A steam catapult is, to quote your article, a large, heavy, maintenance-intensive system that operates without feedback control; and its sudden shocks shorten airframe lifespans for carrier-based aircraft (the reference was to steam catapults not EMALS).

The EMALS has a higher acquisition cost but is cheaper over its lifetime. Plus it takes up less space, is more efficient, more powerful and places lower stress on the aircraft.

[pankajs]

MiG 29K squadron base at Vizag soon, says Navy chief Joshi

"The intention is to have air capabilities on both the Western and Eastern seaboards due to the growing security needs of the country. The first MiG 29K squadron has already been positioned on the Western seaboard at Goa and the next squadron will be based at INS Dega soon," the Naval chief told newspersons after the induction of the Hawk Mk 132 advanced jet trainer aircraft here on Wednesday, adding that some of the aircraft from the Goa squadron were last month sent to Vizag for training.

While the frontline fighter MiG 29K will be operated from the deck of INS Vikramaditya, which is to be commissioned on November 16 and will be based on the West Coast, the Naval chief pointed out that the vessel would operate on the Eastern seaboard as well as and when required.

However, the Navy plans to set up the base of aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, which is expected to be inducted into the Navy by 2017, at Visakhapatnam, he added.

According to Admiral Joshi, naval aviation is poised for a major leap thanks to the new carriers that the Navy inducting. "The high performance supersonic jets of the future would require a trainer that qualifies a trainee pilot suitably and therefore the Hawk AJT has been inducted here. The first four aircraft have been inducted and remaining will be joining the present lot soon. All the 17 Hawk Mk 132 fighters will be based at INS Dega," he said.

Elaborating on the Navy's acquisition of supersonic jets to cater to future needs, the Admiral said, the future generation trainer fleet would comprise high performance supersonic jets alongside MiG 29K. "We have urged HAL to expertise the productionization of light combat aircraft for Navy. The Navy is very anxiously and eagerly looking forward to operate indigenous fighters on the decks of our vessels," he said.

Admiral Joshi said that another significant air capability that has been added to the Navy is the Boeing P-8I, a long range multi-mission maritime reconnaissance aircraft, that has again been vested with ENC. "The first aircraft is here and the induction trials are in progress. Another two P-8I aircraft will hopefully be inducted by the end of this year. The remaining aircraft will join the fleet next year. The censor and weapon fit on the board is comparable to the best. The P-8I has been inducted concurrently in the Indian Navy and the US Navy. The country now has the most contemporary of weapons and equipment fits," he said.

Replying to a question about India's first nuclear submarine INS Arihant, the Navy chief said it was launched in 2010 and subsequent activities like outfitting, installation of various systems and sub systems were being presently carried out at the Port City.

"The most important is the installation of the nuclear reactor for its propulsion plant and the nuclear power plant of the submarine attained criticality on August 10 this year. That was a significant milestone in the country's naval history as for the first time ever a nuclear propelled submarine plant attained criticality. Between the time it attains criticality and commences operations, a set of activities are in progress. A majority of the submarine's harbor trials have been completed successfully and we hope to commence sea trials soon, after which it will be commissioned," Admiral Joshi explained.

While refusing to divulge the cause of the blaze at INS Sindhurakshak in Mumbai earlier this year, the Navy chief said that specific lessons to be learnt would only become apparent once the Navy has been able to complete the board of inquiry, which is still underway. He pointed out that subsequent to the tragedy, the Navy had put all its units through a thorough process of `safety standout' for a few days.

"None of the assets were operated and a very thorough safety audit was carried out in all the submarines. There are no outstanding issues. Once the Indian Navy comes to know what specifically went wrong with INS Sindhurakshak, it will decide on what measures to be taken specifically after the completion of the board of inquiry," he explained.

[Philip]

Viv,no grouse against EMALS,certainly superior to Cats,but it has to be perfected before we can think of acquiring the system which is also expensive.Once the Vikramaditya enters service and is put through her paces,the IN will have a good idea of her combat capability and decide upon the launch system for IAC-2.IAC-2 and the follow on carriers in the future should have nuclear propulsion and designed as such straight away.That gives the vessel heaps of options.

The only problem with ski-jumps is the AEW aircraft aboard.Right now we're using the KA-31s.One option is to also use carrier based UAVs.That's why I've wondered whether a carrier variant is being planned as well for our classified UCAV.The IN should ask for one.A series of dedicated maritime sats as was sent up earlier this year for the IN is another essential requirement.A larger number of our indigenous AEW EMB platform aircraft is also needed.They could operate out of the A&N and Lakshadweep islands .Once larger indigenous platforms are available like the MTA,variants with greater range and capability will support carrier borne AEW systems.

Several countries are also developing AEW helo drones from their stock of legacy helos.The IN was to have developed with the Israelis a version of the Chetak.Nothing has come out of that effort,but it should be revived.The best way to sanitise the IOR is a variety of surveillance assets,which will also be essential for targeting for our LR cruise missiles like BMos,Nirbhay and the K-15s.

[NRao]

EMALS' cost will be huge. However, what would be really attractive would be the variety of air crafts it can handle. Which should lead to a larger carrier. Much larger. EMALS is a tantalizing option to have for sure, but will require the IN to rethink in a back-to-the-drawing-board way.'

[Pratyush]

EMALS' cost will be huge. However, what would be really attractive would be the variety of air crafts it can handle. Which should lead to a larger carrier. Much larger. EMALS is a tantalizing option to have for sure, but will require the IN to rethink in a back-to-the-drawing-board way.'

IIRC, the IN is open to all options for the next carrier to be built at home. That includes the installation of the EMALS. Subject o its availability.

[nachiket]

Sweet
ps: picked up from militaryphotos.net

That is an awesome video.

Have a look at around 4:33. A Russian Mig-29 is buddy refueling an IAF upgraded Mig-29. I don't know how that got into a video of the Vik, but it looks cool nonetheless.

[srin]

Viv,no grouse against EMALS,certainly superior to Cats,but it has to be perfected before we can think of acquiring the system which is also expensive.Once the Vikramaditya enters service and is put through her paces,the IN will have a good idea of her combat capability and decide upon the launch system for IAC-2.IAC-2 and the follow on carriers in the future should have nuclear propulsion and designed as such straight away.That gives the vessel heaps of options.

The only problem with ski-jumps is the AEW aircraft aboard.Right now we're using the KA-31s.One option is to also use carrier based UAVs.That's why I've wondered whether a carrier variant is being planned as well for our classified UCAV.The IN should ask for one.A series of dedicated maritime sats as was sent up earlier this year for the IN is another essential requirement.A larger number of our indigenous AEW EMB platform aircraft is also needed.They could operate out of the A&N and Lakshadweep islands .Once larger indigenous platforms are available like the MTA,variants with greater range and capability will support carrier borne AEW systems.

Several countries are also developing AEW helo drones from their stock of legacy helos.The IN was to have developed with the Israelis a version of the Chetak.Nothing has come out of that effort,but it should be revived.The best way to sanitise the IOR is a variety of surveillance assets,which will also be essential for targeting for our LR cruise missiles like BMos,Nirbhay and the K-15s.

Any airframe for AEW needs to have a high endurance and also needs to be able to carry the heavy radar array. KA-31 itself isn't ideal - it is slower than plane and with limited service ceiling and the size of the array.

Not sure how UAVs are going to help. Chetak is a light helicopter - if it manages to carry the heavy radar antenna, what would its mission time be ? Why UCAV when you could use, say, a modified Mig-29K.

[Singha]

the global hawk based BAMS would have huge endurance and cover the maritime surface search surveillance mission effectively, leaving the limited P8I and Bears for targeted attacks or ASW hunting. I am sure they will automate air-to-air refueling and make it fly days, weeks...

why cant a air search radar be mounted on the BAMS and downlinked to ship through satellite like the KA31 does. not as versatile like hawkeye but surely more capable and long endurance than KA31/Sea king type solutions.

[Austin]

Have a look at around 4:33. A Russian Mig-29 is buddy refueling an IAF upgraded Mig-29. I don't know how that got into a video of the Vik, but it looks cool nonetheless.

Those are IN Mig-29K in Russian star buddy refueling IAF Mig-29

[PratikDas]

Four more P8I!

ToI: Antony defers decision on critical but controversial missile deals with Israel
Rajat Pandit, TNN | Nov 11, 2013, 08.48 PM IST

The DAC also approved the waiver of certain offset provisions for the Rs 4,381 crore order for four more American P-8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft. The Navy is already inducting eight P-8I aircraft under a $2.1 billion deal inked with aviation major Boeing in January 2009.

[Austin]

Sweet
ps: picked up from militaryphotos.net

The Night flying part was the most beautiful and scary part of flying , the Carrier looks all lit up and the video of cockpit while landing was awesome.

Saw a Ka-28 flying when 29 landed at night , Is it standard part of SOP to fly a chopper around when they land at night so just incase if the aircraft misses and ditches they can rescue the pilot quickly ?

[sum]

Is it standard part of SOP to fly a chopper around when they land at night so just incase if the aircraft misses and ditches they can rescue the pilot quickly ?

IIRC, it is SOP whether day or night.

Remember hearing that in a TV show on Viraat on NDTV Good Times.

[chackojoseph]

Indian Navy commissions 1st ALH Dhruv helicopter squadron at Southern Command



Its been relegated to SAR duties.

[Pratyush]

Four more P8I!

ToI: Antony defers decision on critical but controversial missile deals with Israel
Rajat Pandit, TNN | Nov 11, 2013, 08.48 PM IST

Reading the linked article, I came accross, the following,

The Navy's proposed acquisition of an additional 262 Barak-I missiles to arm the Israeli anti-missile defence ( AMD) systems fitted on 14 Indian frontline warships including aircraft carrier INS Viraat, in turn was referred to "an independent group" within the defence ministry for a thorough evaluation.

The "final decision" on the Barak deal will, however, be taken by the DAC within a month or so. "The law ministry and the attorney general has left it to the MoD to take a call on the matter on the ground of operational necessity despite the pending probe into the Barak kickbacks case since October 2006," said a source.

A follow up purchase of the same weapon ought to be a simple affair.

[srai]

Indian Navy commissions 1st ALH Dhruv helicopter squadron at Southern Command



Its been relegated to SAR duties.

Looks like it took the IN 10-years to commission the 1st ALH squadron since its induction in 2003.

Any ideas on how many ALH SAR squadrons are planned in total? My guess would be 4: one each for Southern, Eastern, Western and A&N Commands.

[Austin]

Not sure if this was posted Indian Naval Aviation Series by our own Maz

Indian Naval Aviation

[tsarkar]

Called Plane Guard duties. Before helicopters, destroyers would be on plane guard duty whenever aircraft launch or recovery happened.

[Skanda]

Moderator note: Corrected video link. Posters, when you add a video link from youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuExAt3gwBc in this case), only include the part after "v="(GuExAt3gwBc in this case) between the youtube tags.

[Austin]

^^ Reposting the above link , Seems like Nitin Gokhale from NDTV is covering the commissioning

INS Vikramaditya in its full glory

http://youtu.be/GuExAt3gwBc

[chaanakya]

Wait over: Aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya set to join Indian Navy on November 16

Defence Minister AK Antony will induct the long-delayed aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, designed to boost India's maritime capabilities, at a shipyard in Russia on Saturday.

Antony will leave for Russia on Friday with a high-level delegation, including Defence Secretary RK Mathur, on a four-day visit during which, apart from commissioning the aircraft carrier, he will also co-chair the India-Russia Inter -Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-MTC) with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Shoigu.

Contracted for in 2004, during the NDA regime, the vessel has been delayed by over five years and has seen several time and cost-overruns in the last nine years.

"The commissioning ceremony will take place at Sevmash Shipyard, Severodvinsk, on Saturday and the IRIGC-MTC meeting will take place in Moscow on Monday," a Defence Ministry release said.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin will be attending the commissioning along with Defence Minister Shoigu.

For the IRIGC-MTC, Antony's delegation includes Secretary (Defence Production) GC Pati, DG (Acquisition) SB Agnihotri, and senior officers of the armed forces.

At the meet, the two sides will discuss a broad spectrum of issues related to ongoing and proposed defence projects and defence cooperation between the two countries.

The two sides will also exchange views on bilateral concerns related to regional and global issues, the release said.

INS Vikramaditya is a Kiev class aircraft carrier which was commissioned by Russian Navy in 1987 under the name Baku. It was later renamed as Admiral Gorshkov and last sailed in 1995 in Russia, before being offered to India.

In Indian Navy, the 44,500 tonne warship with a length of 284m will have MiG-29K naval combat aircraft along with Kamov 31 and Kamov 28 anti-submarine warfare and maritime surveillance helicopters.

The MiG 29-Ks would provide a significant boost to Indian Navy with their range of over 700 nautical miles, extendable to over 1,900 n.m. with mid-air refuelling, and an array of weapons like anti-ship missiles, beyond visual range air-to-air missiles and guided bombs and rockets.

It will also have a complement of indigenously-built and developed ALH Dhruv choppers along with SeaKing helicopters.

With over 1,600 personnel on board, INS Vikramaditya would literally be a 'floating City' with a mammoth logistical requirement of nearly a lakh of eggs, 20,000 litres of milk and 16 tonnes of rice per month.

"With a complete stock of provisions, she (the vessel) is capable of sustaining herself at sea for a period of about 45 days.

"With a capacity of over 8,000 tonnes of load, she is capable of operations up to a range of over 7,000 nautical miles or 13,000km," a Navy release said.

The ship is powered by eight boilers and can achieve top speeds of 30 knots per hour.

[Philip]

More details from the Hindu.

Refurbiished after a 5 year "deep modernisation" at Sevmash shipyard in Russia,the carrier will undertake a 60 day voyage to India escorted by a Talwar class FFG and INS Deepak,joined later by more warships on way to homeport Karwar.Its life has been extended to 40 years with more if properly maintained.It is virtually a new ship as 2,500km of wiring and 3,000km of piping have been replaced with new material.

During its trials it achieved a top speed of 29.5 kts,sailed 8600 miles,1600 of which was with Capt.Berry in command.Flight trials were witnessed by V.Adm.Shekar Sinha,FOC-in-C Western Command.The carrier controlled 778 flights and 88 landings.3200 people were aboard including 1000 from the IN.1600 IN crew members will accompany the carrier to India.Camaraderie has been excellent and even though 80 translators were aboard,little help was needed from them.R.Adm.hari Kumar who was in command of INS Viraat headed the acceptance team.The trials demonstrated the strength of the ship's hull.The boilers were clad with asbestos ,original cladding,after the failure of the firebricks.

The carrier's jamming capability was demonstrated when SU-33s,MIG-29s and Kamovs ,including an A-50AEW aircraft couldn't pick up the carrier ,while the carrier could pick up incoming aircraft at a range of around 350-400km.However,there is no integral air defence capability on the vessel,SAMs or CIWS,which will be retrofitted later on.Fine tuning of all systems will be done during its voyage to India.This is perhaps the most important acquisition by the IN in its history,given the sheer scale of the asset,size of crew,air assets,etc.The next most important acquisitions have been the desi-built ATV,INS Arihant and the second N-sub from Russia,the Akula-2 Chakra.The Viraat and Vikrant also rank as the most important acquisitions ever.

[krishnan]

so no air defense system on INS Vik till it reaches india where baracks will be fitted. why not fit it in russia itself, they are sending warships to escort it back

[kmc_chacko]

Why IN is not going with additional 6-8 upgraded Scorpène class Subs which can be procured quickly and would have ordered Amur 1650 form Russia which would have quickly solved lot of IN submarine problems since we wouldn't gone for German or Spanian subs and would have saved lot time and money.

[NRao]

would have saved lot time and money

Kya fikir? We will reach when we reach. Sabh theekhi hai.

[Singha]

>> The carrier's jamming capability was demonstrated when SU-33s,MIG-29s and Kamovs ,including an A-50AEW aircraft couldn't pick up the carrier

must be a real badass jammer if it could jam the A50 radar.

[Pratyush]

The carrier's jamming capability was demonstrated when SU-33s,MIG-29s and Kamovs ,including an A-50AEW aircraft couldn't pick up the carrier ,while the carrier could pick up incoming aircraft at a range of around 350-400km.However,there is no integral air defence capability on the vessel,SAMs or CIWS,which will be retrofitted later on.Fine tuning of all systems will be done during its voyage to India.This is perhaps the most important acquisition by the IN in its history,given the sheer scale of the asset,size of crew,air assets,etc.The next most important acquisitions have been the desi-built ATV,INS Arihant and the second N-sub from Russia,the Akula-2 Chakra.The Viraat and Vikrant also rank as the most important acquisitions ever.

I think that the portion in bold is pure BS, for the following reasons.

1) Any airborne system with even a hint of ESM measures will pick up a radar's emissions from beyond the radars detection range.
2) A jammier is essentially a RF noise maker, to prevent prevent identification. So while the noise is being made, all the opposite side has to do is listen and probe the source of the noise for its nature. It will complicate the job, but to say that it prevented detection, is some thing that I find hard to accept.

JMT.