SidSoma wrote:Sir, I am not even sure why a follow on ship of Vikrant was not announced a couple of years back. It is an easy guess that Vikrant will surely be better than Adm Gorshkov in almost all spheres of operation. We could have built another vikrant, Installed a kill switch in Adm G and sold it to Bangladesh (pipe dream, just retire the Adm G). Current Navy thought process is perplexing
The 2000s and 2010s saw America's Asia Pivot policy take shape (to contain China's rise) and this subsequently gave birth to India's Look East policy. When the keel for the Vikrant was laid in 2009, the Malabar Exercises were progressing in full swing. Navy Admirals were amazed at the capability of how the US Navy's Nimitz Class carriers (and their battle groups) were able to influence a theatre of operations. They were fully sold on the idea of a nuclear powered, catapult take off, aircraft carrier and they desperately wanted one of their own.
The Navy Admirals went to the drawing board and churned out a utopian vessel i.e. a 65,000 ton, nuclear powered, state-of-the-art EMALS (catapult) system with a fleet of multi-role carrier borne fighters, ASW helicopters, airborne early warning aircraft, etc. But the Admirals made a cardinal mistake---> they announced it to the public
* and she was to be called INS Vishal.
For the Americans, India having such a vessel played into their interests i.e. the sustainment of Pax Americana's MIC. So they did all they could to wind up our Navy Admirals on the idea of such a vessel. They set up a joint working committee on aircraft carriers, they displayed the operational capabilities of the F-18 Super Hornet, gave presentations on the E-2D Airborne Early Warning, the MH-60R anti-submarine helicopter, etc. The official (public) reasoning was India operating the same platforms as the US Navy, would make interoperability seamless. Okay
But our myopic Admirals forget one key ingredient - sanction of funds. When they walked with pride to the MoD office with their proposal, the Babus laughed them out of the room. Now she pops up un-ceremoniously ever so rarely on Navy Day and other press occasions. She sails listlessly in the halls of Naval HQ and the MoD. Newer proposals have been announced ---> nuclear reactor has been dropped, tonnage has been reduced, EMALS has been dropped...but the Navy still wants a catapult. So no follow on Vikrant Class.
I-must-have-a-CATOBAR-vessel-and-I-will-hold-my-breath-till-I-turn-BLUE. That is the strategy the Navy has adopted. A follow on Vikrant Class is hara-kiri Sir. The Navy believes it would be better off committing Seppuku (a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment).
The armed forces are required to be subservient to her civilian master i.e. the government. But when it comes to issues of national importance, the shoe is on the other foot. This nonsensical behaviour only hurts the country. But the master is unaware of this, because carrier operations is not the master's domain expertise. So the circus continues.
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*This announcement whipped up a frenzy among the
India-Must-Look-To-America cabal on BRF. The gyaan and lectures were a sight to see. CATOBAR vessels are the ultimate tool of power. CATOBAR vessels are invincible. CATOBAR vessels are the solution to all of India's woes. INS Vishal will influence events from the South China Sea to Alaska (including the salmon that swim there). INS Vishal will sail alongside Nimitz Class aircraft carriers in the South China Sea and destroy the PLAN. The bedtime stories were out of this world Sirjee. Even Bollywood movies have yet to come up with such a plot line. These guys put even Rajnikanth to shame!
And heaven forbid, if you questioned this gyan
Tauba, Tauba! My Oh My!