SP's Naval Forces Oct-Nov 2010

16
n COMMODORE (RETD) C.P. SRIVASTAVA A ssume A scenArIo whereIn the so called tech whiz kids ask the submarine drivers, “what do you want us to de- velop which will transform the way submarines do business at sea?” can this aspect then drive the development trends without going overboard in the wish list and yet inject sufficient stretch to keep the technology pundits busy and cajole them to deliver beyond the routine? The aim of this article is to challenge the current frontiers of submarine technologies and de- mand submarine capabilities which will transform submarine warfare as currently known. In this article, only two facets of submarine development are being dis- cussed in detail-propulsion and payload. The other aspects are mentioned in passing. Submarine Propulsion The deployment envelope of conventional submarines has always been governed by the capability of its propulsion system, as it dictates speed and underwater en- durance. Therefore, unlike most current air independent propulsion (AIP) systems which generally deliver in the ‘4 knots-14 days’ format, the next generation AIP sys- tems needs to deliver speeds in the region of 14-16 knots and endurances of 2-3 weeks. For this, AIP systems need to move from the current ‘add on’ status to the ‘pri- mary mode of propulsion’. The air depend- ent diesel engine-storage batteries combine can then be relegated to ‘a bring back home’ propulsion system. For this, it is imperative that the submarine be designed around such a high performance AIP system rather than the current philosophy of treating AIP as a mere add on to an existing design. The power train would be complete with a Per- masyn motor and glass reinforced plastic shrouded propeller. such an AIP system will provide the submarine the ability to integrate with the fleet, be deployed quicker, and keep much larger areas under surveillance. so let us revisit the submarine propulsion and de- mand from emerging AIP technologies, submerged speeds and endurances of such magnitudes that revolutionise submarine deployment and not merely make existing submarines less indiscreet. Submarine Payloads The aim of submarines is to detonate ord- PaGe 4 Delay No More With the second refit and modernisation of the existing submarine fleet around the corner, the naval as well as the non-uni- formed decision-makers need to orchestrate their act and deliver to this nation a well- conceived and timely-implemented submarine modernisation programme Commodore (Retd) C.P. Srivastava PaGe 6 No Go Countering of a2/ad is not merely a sea- denial threat to be tackled by the Us Navy. It is to be seen as an area denial threat which has to be defeated for successful power projection in any area of the Us interest. Lt General (Retd) Naresh Chand PaGe 9 Strengthening Naval Ties India may sign CIsMoa to enable import of equipment. It appears that long-term Indo-Us strategic partnership will develop gradually, depending on mutual trust and convergence of concerns Lt General (Retd) Naresh Chand PaGe 12 Ransom on the High Seas From 22 in 2006 to 217 in 2009, the number of incidents of attacks on ships by somali pirates has doubled with each passing year. the scourge of piracy can only be addressed collaborative efforts by the shipping industry, security agencies and the international maritime organisations. Commander Shishir Upadhyaya PLUS INS Kalpeni Commissioned 13 First 14 TecKnow 14 News in Brief 15 lead story SP’s AN SP GUIDE PUBLICATION ROUNDUP october-November l 2010 Volume 5 No 5 `100.00 (India-based Buyer only) www.spsnavalforces.net 5/2010 1 Business at Sea The two capabilities that can transform the way submarines do trade at sea are revolutionary developments in AIP systems and torpedo technologies Howaldts-werke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) have a long experience in the construction of submarines PhotograPh: hDW SP’s DO YOU THINK INDIA SHOULD AGREE TO SIGN CISMOA DURING OBAMA VISIT TO INDIA? Yes No Don’t Know Join the poll & comment

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SP's Naval Forces Oct-Nov 2010

Transcript of SP's Naval Forces Oct-Nov 2010

Page 1: SP's Naval Forces Oct-Nov 2010

n COMMODORE (RETD) C.P. SRIVASTAVA

Assume A scenArIo whereIn

the so called tech whiz kids

ask the submarine drivers,

“what do you want us to de-

velop which will transform the

way submarines do business at sea?” can

this aspect then drive the development

trends without going overboard in the wish

list and yet inject sufficient stretch to keep

the technology pundits busy and cajole

them to deliver beyond the routine? The

aim of this article is to challenge the current

frontiers of submarine technologies and de-

mand submarine capabilities which will

transform submarine warfare as currently

known. In this article, only two facets of

submarine development are being dis-

cussed in detail-propulsion and payload.

The other aspects are mentioned in passing.

Submarine PropulsionThe deployment envelope of conventional

submarines has always been governed by

the capability of its propulsion system, as

it dictates speed and underwater en-

durance. Therefore, unlike most current air

independent propulsion (AIP) systems

which generally deliver in the ‘4 knots-14

days’ format, the next generation AIP sys-

tems needs to deliver speeds in the region

of 14-16 knots and endurances of 2-3

weeks. For this, AIP systems need to move

from the current ‘add on’ status to the ‘pri-

mary mode of propulsion’. The air depend-

ent diesel engine-storage batteries combine

can then be relegated to ‘a bring back home’

propulsion system. For this, it is imperative

that the submarine be designed around

such a high performance AIP system rather

than the current philosophy of treating AIP

as a mere add on to an existing design. The

power train would be complete with a Per-

masyn motor and glass reinforced plastic

shrouded propeller.

such an AIP system will provide the

submarine the ability to integrate with the

fleet, be deployed quicker, and keep much

larger areas under surveillance. so let us

revisit the submarine propulsion and de-

mand from emerging AIP technologies,

submerged speeds and endurances of such

magnitudes that revolutionise submarine

deployment and not merely make existing

submarines less indiscreet.

Submarine PayloadsThe aim of submarines is to detonate ord-

PaGe 4

Delay No More

With the second refit and modernisation of

the existing submarine fleet around the

corner, the naval as well as the non-uni-

formed decision-makers need to orchestrate

their act and deliver to this nation a well-

conceived and timely-implemented

submarine modernisation programme

Commodore (Retd) C.P. Srivastava

PaGe 6

No GoCountering of a2/ad is not merely a sea-

denial threat to be tackled by the Us Navy.

It is to be seen as an area denial threat which

has to be defeated for successful power

projection in any area of the Us interest.

Lt General (Retd) Naresh Chand

PaGe 9

Strengthening Naval TiesIndia may sign CIsMoa to enable import of

equipment. It appears that long-term Indo-Us

strategic partnership will develop gradually,

depending on mutual trust and convergence

of concerns

Lt General (Retd) Naresh Chand

PaGe 12

Ransom on the High SeasFrom 22 in 2006 to 217 in 2009, the number

of incidents of attacks on ships by somali

pirates has doubled with each passing year.

the scourge of piracy can only be addressed

collaborative efforts by the shipping industry,

security agencies and the international

maritime organisations.

Commander Shishir Upadhyaya

PLUS

INS Kalpeni Commissioned 13First 14TecKnow 14News in Brief 15

l e a d s t o ry

SP’s A N S P G U I D E P U B L I C A T I O N

R O U N D U P

october-November l 2010 Volume 5 No 5 `100.00 (India-based Buyer only)

www.spsnavalforces.net

5/2010 1

Business at SeaThe two capabilities that can transform the way submarines do trade at sea are

revolutionary developments in AIP systems and torpedo technologies

Howaldts-werke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) have a long experience in the construction of submarines

PhotograPh: hDW

SP’s

DO YOU THINK INDIASHOULD AGREE TO SIGNCISMOA DURING OBAMA

VISIT TO INDIA?Yes No Don’t Know

Join the poll & comment

Page 2: SP's Naval Forces Oct-Nov 2010

nance in the vicinity of enemy assets at sea

and ashore. The ordnance could be in any

form, from a sea mine or an underwater

saboteur with a range of influence of a few

hundreds of yards to torpedoes or missiles.

As a submarine commander all these pay-

loads are relevant, but the growth potential

of torpedoes is the most significant followed

by the underwater launched missiles.

Anti-Ship Missiles: submarine launched

anti-ship missiles were developed primarily

to cater to the sensor-torpedo range mis-

match. however, as the range and endurance

of torpedoes increased, wire-guided torpe-

does once again became the weapon of

choice of submarine commanders. The

lethality and stealth of the torpedo always

outweighed the advantages of an anti-ship

torpedo. It may therefore be prudent to steer

torpedo development to a threshold which

makes it the weapon of choice for all

seaborne targets. once this is assured, the

anti-ship missile may be considered for dele-

tion from the submarines payload.

Land-Attack Missiles: submarine laun-

ched land-attack missiles have the poten-

tial to become weapons of deterrence, if

they are accurate and capable of precision

strike with reasonable target discrimina-

tion. In fact, it may be possible to pre-pro-

gramme them for specific targets of

strategic significance. some of our existing

missile inventory has the potential to being

encapsulated for underwater launch from

the standard 533mm torpedo tubes. This is

an area of development which can change

the way submarines are currently deployed

and tasked.

Wire Guided Heavy Weight Torpedoes:

Developments in the arena of wire guided

torpedoes have not only been path breaking

but also have significant latent potential,

which is yet to be exploited. It is well within

the realms of emerging technology and not

outrageous to expect wire-guided torpedoes

with combat ranges of 100 km and en-

durance in the region of two hours. coupled

with very advanced onboard signal process-

ing and acoustic tell back, these would have

the potential to be deployed either as ‘under-

water drones’ with a warhead or as extended

acoustic surveillance vehicles transferring

real time data to the submarine. replacing

the warhead with enhanced fuel or payload

will make them truly formidable assets on-

board submarines. one could then consider

deploying them for extended durations, of

the order of a couple of days, in standby, loi-

ter or conserve modes, in areas of tactical

significance, fairly remote and distant from

the operating area of the ‘mother subma-

rine’. The submarine would have constant

control on the operation of its onboard

sensor suite and its mobility through the

guidance wire.

Light Weight Torpedoes, Rocket Torpe-

does and Anti-Submarine Rocket: Long-

range wire-guided torpedoes could be aug-

mented by light weight torpedoes, 200

knots high speed rocket torpedoes (VA-111

shkval) or submarine fired anti-submarine

rockets (rPK-7 Vetar). This combination of

heavy weight, lightweight and rocket torpe-

does will provide the submarine a spectrum

of ordnance against all targets. The issue of

carrying sufficient reloads can be resolved

by a spacious storage compartment with an

automated quick reloading system.

Mine Saddle and Swimmer Delivery

Vehicles: The ability to carry mines and

swimmer delivery vehicles is a capability all

submarines of the future must possess.

These payloads must ideally be carried ex-

ternally and not replace or impinge on the

regular payload carrying capability. Further,

the submarine must have the ability to con-

tinue on its primary mission once these

tasks are accomplished. such a capability is

available even currently and may require

only certain refinement.

Miscellaneous IssuesCombat Systems, Sensors, Communication

and Navigation Suite: Developments in the

spheres of integrated combat systems,

acoustic and non-acoustic sensors, commu-

nications suite and navigation complex have

more or less reached a plateau and no ‘game

changing advantage’ is likely to accrue by

vigorously perusing development efforts in

these spheres. It may therefore be prudent

to acquire the contemporary and thereafter

upgrade these during the modernisation

programmes of the submarines.

Silencing Techniques: submarines of

the same vintage have reasonably similar

noise characteristics and silencing tech-

niques. The guiding principle should be to

ensure that only those machinery and

equipment are fitted onboard which meet

very stringent specifications related to their

radiated noise and vibration levels. This ap-

proach is far better than permitting their

fitment on board and then investing in con-

taining the generated noise levels.

Automation: Another sphere which

merits development is automation. It may

be prudent to reduce the crew to about 20,

which is dictated by the minimum damage

control and fire fighting requirements

rather than watch keeping alone.

Revolutionary DevelopmentsAs practicing submariners, it may be pru-

dent to clearly differentiate between devel-

opment efforts and technology trends

which have incremental payoffs and others

that may have transformational payoffs.

Two capabilities that can in fact change the

way submarines do business at sea are rev-

olutionary developments in AIP systems

and torpedo technologies.

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l e a d s t o ry

n LT GENERAL (RETD) NARESH CHAND

Building a submarine is a highly spe-

cialised task involving complex tech-

nology. marine companies in the us,

europe and the russian Federation are

leading manufacturers of submarines in

the world.

United States

Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding: For

more than a century, northrop Grumman

shipbuilding (nGsB) has been designing,

building, overhauling and repairing a wide

variety of ships for the us navy, the us

coast Guard and world navies. newport

news is constructing the nation’s latest at-

tack submarines-the Virginia class, as part

of a team with General Dynamics electric

Boat and has already delivered the first five

boats.

General DynamicsIt was formed in 1952 with the combina-

tion of electric Boat company and other

companies. In the early 1990s, it sold of all

its divisions except electric Boat and Land

systems. subsequently, it has been grow-

ing by acquiring new businesses and has

formed four business groups of which ma-

rine systems is one. The marine business

includes:

l National Steel and Ship Building Com-

pany (NASSCO) has been designing

and building ships since 1959.

l American Overseas Marine (AMSEA)

is the ship operating segment of Gen-

eral Dynamics marine systems.

l Bath Iron Works is a full service ship-

yard specialising in the design, building

and support of complex surface com-

batants.

l Electric Boat is more than 100 years

old and has established standards of

excellence in the design, construction

and life cycle support of submarines

for the us navy. electric Boat has deliv-

ered the lead ship of the Virginia class,

uss Virginia (ssn774), and the final

ship of the seawolf class, uss Jimmy

carter (ssn23), to the us navy in 2004.

Europe

France

DCNS: France has a long history of ship-

building since the first naval dockyard

came up in 1631. In 2008, Le Terrible is the

latest in the line of nuclear-powered ballis-

tic-missile submarines. Dcns is one of the

leading groups which has more than 350

years of history and as early as 1926, it al-

ready had all the facilities now owned by

the Group. In 2007, Dcn and Thales joined

forces within the convergence project and

it became Dcns which now acts as prime

contractor for naval shipbuilding and sup-

port. It has great expertise in building con-

ventional and nuclear powered

submarines. The examples of nuclear-pow-

ered submarines are the Barracuda attack

submarines and the latest ballistic-missile

submarine Le Terrible. conventional sub-

marines are the scorpene class, which have

been supplied to chilean, malaysian and

Indian navies. The Andrasta class of sub-

marines are specifically optimised to oper-

ate in coastal waters which is considered

the future area of operations. It can also

operate effectively in deep waters.

GermanyThyssenKrupp Marine Systems: German

naval shipbuilding industry comprises nu-

merous yards. however, only howaldts-

werke-Deutsche werft (hDw) and Thyssen-

nordseewerke (Tnsw) have experience in

the construction of submarines. In late

2004, hDw was acquired by ThyssenKrupp,

forming the new group ThyssenKrupp ma-

rine systems. ThyssenKrupp marine sys-

tems includes hDw, sweden’s Kockums and

hellenic shipyards in Greece. German naval

shipyards have exported submarines to

countries all over the world. ThyssenKrupp

offers three types of submarines:

l Type 209 is diesel-electric patrol sub-

marines.

l Type 212A is hybrid diesel-electric/AIP

submarines, with an AIP system based

on fuel cell technology.

l Type 214 is hybrid diesel-electric/AIP

for long-range submarines.

ItalyFincantieri Navali Italiani: It was founded

in December 1959 and is today one of the

largest groups in the world in the design

and construction of merchant and naval ves-

sels. It is also the reference builder for pro-

viding a wide range of ship including

surface vessels (frigates, corvettes, patrol

vessels, etc) and submarines. Fincantieri is

also partner to some of the main companies

in the defence sector for submarine pro-

grammes. The cooperation between Fin-

cantieri naval Vessel Business unit and

russian Partner state-owned enterprise cen-

tral Design Bureau for marine engineering

rubin (under the aegis of russian Federal

state unitary enterprise rosoboronoexport),

resulted in the s1000 submarine. The u212

submarine is the result of an agreement

signed on April 1996 between German and

Italian moD. Two submarines i.e. Todaro

and scire have already been realised for the

Italian programme.

SpainNavantia: navantia’s activities include naval

construction, propulsion and energy, ship

repairs, military and civil platform control

systems as well as weapons. It is also in-

volved in submarines and has built four s-

80 submarines for the spanish navy.

navantia is also involved in the engineer-

ing/technology transfer of scorpene sub-

marines for India.

Russian Federationrussia has had a record of designing and

building the largest number of conventional

and nuclear powered submarines. It is esti-

mated that as of January 1, 1989, the soviet

navy held 317 submarines, including 207

ssns, apart from specialised submarines. In

case of sub surface platforms, the central

Design Bureau for marine engineering

(ruBIn) located at st Petersburg is the nodal

agency which specialises in submarines and

other underwater technologies. shipbuild-

ing (GrTsAs) in severodvinsk is made up of

two shipyards-the northern machine-Build-

ing enterprise and the Zvezdochka state

machine-Building enterprise. Indian sub-

marines of russian origin have been under-

going midlife upgrade at Zvezdochka.

severnoye mashinostroitelnoye Predpriy-

atiye (severnoye machine- Building enter-

prise) is another major shipyard both in

russia and europe.

Submarines Manufactured Globallymarine companies in the us, europe and the russian Federation are leading manufacturers of submarines in the world

Ph

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The Class 214 submarine. Powered by Fuel Cells.

For extended submerged operations.

Robust and reliable. Stealthy.

Deep diving capabilities. State-of-the-Art.

Multi-mission/ISR roles.

Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft GmbHWerftstr. 112 - 11424143 Kiel · Germany

Tel.: +49 - 431 - 700 - 0Fax: +49 - 431 - 700 - 2312

www.hdw.de · email: [email protected]

I n c o o p e r a t i o n w i t h

Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft

Reporting for Duty

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M o d e r N I s at I o N

The season of happenings in India has begun

with a promise of cool weather, festivals, busi-

ness delegations and defence seminars. The first

seminar on the horizon is on naval armament to

be held from November 24 to 25.There has been

a lot of focus on China’s growing naval power

which is a concern for India. The US is equally

concerned, as its influence is being challenged

in the Pacific. Simultaneously, Iran is challenging

the US in the Persian Gulf. The joint orchestra-

tion of anti-access/ area-denial (A2/AD) strategy

to counter the US by China and Iran is not merely

an attempt at sea denial but denial of crucial

areas to it. The US Navy has thus come up with

an Air Sea Battle strategy, jointly with the US Air

Force to counter A2/AD. Read through the lead

article to know more about the Air Sea Battle

strategy. India is planning to acquire additional

conventional submarines to make up for its dwin-

dling force levels as well as fighting obsoles-

cence. Accordingly, there are three articles which

include analyses of India’s submarine arm,

trends in submarine design and a brief survey of

the global submarine industry. In view of the

ongoing strategic dialogue with the US and the

importance of President Barack Obama’s forth-

coming visit to India in November, an insight into

the Indo-US defence cooperation has been

included. Then there is an article on maritime

piracy, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Nirmal

Verma’s visit to the US, report of Indian Navy’s

joint exercises with Brazil and South Africa, and

the usual News Digest.

Wish all readers an enjoyable reading.

Happy Dussehra and a prosperous Diwali.

Jayant BaranwaL

Publisher & Editor-in-ChiefED

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n COMMODORE (RETD) C.P. SRIVASTAVA

suBmArInes TAKe A DecADe to be

designed and manufactured, have

an operating life span of three to

four decades and require at least

two mid-life upgrades to remain

operationally relevant. It is therefore imper-

ative that modernisation of submarines are

conceived with an unambiguous under-

standing of what is required and to be exe-

cuted on time. This becomes all the more

relevant when viewed in the backdrop of the

prevalent decision-making mindset and ac-

quisition process. considering the highly re-

stricted indigenous submarine building

capability and commensurate infrastruc-

ture, our modernisation processes would

have to be made enterprising along with

proficient decision-making. Greater empha-

sis should be placed on cooperative mecha-

nism, joint ventures, transfer of technology

arrangements, etc, in consonance with

emerging trends in shipbuilding practices to

drastically reduce the prevailing gestation

periods of modernisation.

surprisingly, the Indian submarine arm

has delivered both—a relatively successful

modernisation project as well as the shishu-

mar class refit-cum-modernisation pro-

gramme and the eKm modernisation

programme. some consider the later a re-

gression in operational capability and plat-

form availability. The aim of this article is

not only to discuss the material aspects of

the modernisation projects, but to evaluate

in hindsight the approach followed and its

operational outcome. These insights should

drive the forthcoming second refit-cum-

modernisation of the submarine fleet.

Shishumar Class ModernisationThe schedule and scope for the ‘major refit

and modernisation package’ for the shishu-

mar class was conceived with the two broad

realities and one firm operational resolve.

The first reality being that since mazagon

Docks Limited (mDL) had constructed these

boats; they would be able to carry out the

refit and modernisation. however, the origi-

nal equipment manufacturer (oem) of the

new/upgraded equipment would provide

necessary inputs which would help the naval

Design team and mDL undertake the struc-

tural changes, where required. The second

reality was all that was required as part of

the modernisation package, was available in

the open market. It was only a question of

identifying and thereafter procuring it at a

realistic price and within an appropriate

time frame. These realities were rather

straightforward and well understood.

however, the firm operational resolve

was the tough one and finally turned out to

be the differentiator.

The shishumar class submarines were

into their fourth/fifth operations cycle and

their combat potential was established.

Therefore, even the remotest risk of diluting

the platform’s operational capability was not

acceptable to the operational directorates.

Thus, a crucial and overriding decision was

taken that only sea proven systems/equip-

ment will replace the existing ones. This

translated into two assurances-firstly, the

operational capabilities and performance

of the upgraded/modified submarines was

predictable and enhancement of combat

effectiveness was assured, secondly, the

submarine refit schedule was insulated from

the uncertainties and delays in the develop-

ment and availability of the new system/

equipment.

This operationally significant resolve

was challenged repeatedly by various profes-

sional directorates, Defence research and

Development organisation (DrDo) labs and

defence public sector undertakings (Psus) by

way of offering a number of ‘nearly ready’ or

‘promise to make it ready’ category of in-

digenous/indigenously assembled systems.

The cliché that ‘this decision does not en-

courage indigenous development’ was used

time and again. however, this stigma was

countered by the assurance that the moment

a system is ready, a submarine platform

would be provided for trials. Its acceptance

as a replacement was, however, subject to

the system meeting the design/performance

criteria promised by the developing/manu-

facturing agency.

once the requirement for the replace-

ment system/equipment to be sea proven

was accepted, the process of short listing,

ordering and receiving the system at refit-

ting yard was a matter of procedure. The

subsequent delays in starting and complet-

ing the refit and modification in time were

due to inordinate delays in the procurement

of hardware, coupled with the tardy prac-

tices and non-adherence to the principles of

project management at the yard.

The outcome of this has been the fact

that the modernisation programme of the

shishumar class submarines has been a suc-

cess story and especially in enhancing the

combat effectiveness of the platform. The

fact that the required scale and speed of

modernising these submarines have not been

achieved is a reflection of the existing ‘crisis

of action and capability’ in the current pro-

curement and refitting process rather than a

‘crisis of ideas and decision-making’.

Modernisation of Sindhughosh Class SubmarinesThe approach, challenges, scope and out-

come of the modernisation programme of

the sindhughosh class submarines were en-

tirely different, despite the fact that it was

conceived nearly at the same time and under

the same leadership/decision-makers.

Ground realities: The on ground realities

that differentiated the two modernisation

approaches were stark. Firstly, the sub-

marines were acquired from russia and like

most such acquisitions, documentation was

rudimentary and transfer of technology non-

existent. secondly, none of the Indian ship-

yards had the expertise or infrastructure to

undertake major refits and modernisation.

Finally, there were very serious hygiene and

housekeeping issues, coupled with certain

technical and operational limitations, which

severely restricted the deployability and

combat exploitation of the platform in our

environment. All these merited immediate

mitigation. enhancing combat effectiveness

through improved weapons and sensors was

unfortunately second in the list of priorities.

under the circumstances, the most logi-

cal decision was taken and the initial sub-

marines were sent to the russian yard and

were refitted and modernised with a very

limited indigenous package. however, the

fault lines and decision cross roads, ap-

peared when the logical decision to build in-

digenous refit capability was taken.

Problems of simultaneous induction of

multiple uncertainties: It is a sound and

proven strategic management concept not

to introduce multiple variables into a situa-

tion or system simultaneously. unfortu-

nately, this was precisely done while

conceiving and scheduling the refits and

modernisation of the second lot of sind-

hughosh class submarines.

Firstly, the guiding principle of replacing

any existing system only with a sea proven

system, as practised in shishumar moderni-

sation, was sacrificed at the altar of promot-

ing indigenisation. The primary acoustic

sensor of the submarine was replaced with

a non-proven system simultaneously in two

or three platforms. unlike a ship in which

the sonar is one of many sensors, non-oper-

ational sonar in a submarine is tied along-

side. Thus, design deficiencies and delays

in operationalising the sonar on board

rendered the two otherwise operational

submarines undeployable.

secondly, the first indigenous refit-cum-

modernisation was undertaken in one of the

naval dockyards, primarily geared for

repairs and not major refits. Thereafter, the

second refit cum modernisation was out-

sourced to a public sector shipyard, which

initiates the process of acquiring the expert-

ise of refitting submarines from an overseas

yard only after the submarine landed in its

premises. It would not be unrealistic to as-

sume that the submarine will be available to

the Indian navy only after a decade.

Moving ForwardThe submarine fleet will soon be due for its

second modernisation. with new inductions

nowhere in sight, it would not only be es-

sential to upgrade the combat effectiveness

of these frontline assets but also ensure

that it is done within a realistic time frame.

repeating mistakes of the past would be

Delay No Morewith the second refit and modernisation of the existing submarine fleet around the corner, the naval as well as the

non-uniformed decision-makers need to orchestrate their act and deliver to this nation a well-conceived and

timely-implemented submarine modernisation programme

Crisis of Ideas and Decision-Making

–When an organisation does not know what it wants to do.

Crisis of Action and Capability

–When an organisation is unable to do what it wants to do.

This time around, neither a

crisis of ideas and decision-

making, nor a crisis of action

and capability is acceptable

Page 5: SP's Naval Forces Oct-Nov 2010

criminal. so the approach should be to

firstly identify the capabilities which these

submarines can absorb and thereafter artic-

ulate the strategy to implement the refit-

cum-modernisation programme.

Upgrading combat effectiveness: Iden-

tifying appropriate upgrades is a function

best done by the current users. however, it

has to be forward integrated with what is

planned for the newer submarines being in-

ducted and backward integrated with what

is available in our existing inventory. It also

needs to be driven by the axiom ‘let best not

be the enemy of good’. some contemporary

trends which may be considered for the ap-

propriate class of submarine are as follows:

l Payload upgradation in the form of tube

launched missiles, contemporary univer-

sal torpedo with extended range/speed,

wire guidance and no depth limitation,

external mine carrying capability and

swimmer delivery vehicle.

l non-acoustic sensors in the form of op-

tronic periscopes, esm including

comInT capability, etc.

l Acoustic sensors such as PTAs in the

form of clip on or thin line towed

array, etc.

l communication suite covering the entire

spectrum from satellite to VLF, which is

compatible with other platforms and

supports net-centricity

l Integrated weapon control and sensor

display.

l noise reducing concepts such as per-

masyn motor, glass reinforced plastic-

shrouded propellers, polymer injection

technique, etc.

l emergency and safety systems such as

emergency blowing system (akin to hy-

drazine), more capable and safer escape

suite, nATo compliant uwT, etc.

l navigation upgradation in the form of

electronic chart display and information

system, doppler log, ring laser gyros and

accurate Ins, etc.

Strategies to implement refit-cum-

modernisation programme: If modernisa-

tion is to proceed as per a realistic time

frame, there needs to be a predefined im-

plementation strategy in place. Based on

our not so good past record and the lessons

learnt, some of the critical aspects have

been enumerated below:

l Keeping in mind the excessively long lead

time, initiate the process of identifying,

finalising and procuring the necessary

equipment immediately. The existing

process cannot be wished away. There-

fore, probably starting yesterday would

have been more appropriate.

l ruthlessly follow the principle of not

permitting any equipment, indigenous or

otherwise, on board, unless it is sea

proven.

l off load refits only to yards with proven

track record of undertaking such work.

Accept the fact that sindhughosh class

being a russian design, with no transfer

of technology, may have to be refitted in

their yards, as in the past. however, do

not forget to factor this while short list-

ing and acquiring the next generation

submarines.

l Put in place a programme management

team. The team members should be pro-

gramme/project managers by qualifica-

tion and certification and not by virtue

of their assignment.

l Do not forget the core purpose of the ex-

ercise-upgrading the combat effective-

ness of the submarine fleet in a time

bound manner. All other requirements

such as developing indigenous industry,

enhancing indigenous content and en-

couraging research and development,

etc, are subservient and cannot be at the

cost of the primary purpose.

What needs to be done?no nation can afford a gap of 30 years in the

induction of submarines, the weapon plat-

forms which have an optimum operation life

span of the same period. The situation can-

not be further compounded by not keeping

the available assets combat worthy. The only

way to do so is to conceive and execute refits

and modernisation of submarines in a time

bound manner. reflecting on the past pro-

vides us with a clear understanding, albeit in

hindsight of what was correct the first time,

what may or may not work again, and what

was downright disastrous. with the second

refit and modernisation of the existing sub-

marine fleet around the corner, the naval as

well as the non-uniformed decision-makers

need to orchestrate their act and deliver to

this nation a well-conceived and timely-im-

plemented submarine modernisation pro-

gramme. This time around, neither a crisis

of ideas and decision-making, nor a crisis of

action and capability is acceptable.

5/2010 5

M o d e r N I s at I o N

The Scorpene submarine developed by DCNS incorporates the verylatest naval technology. At the heart of the submarine is the SUBTICSintegrated combat system, a highly computerised central management system, which oversees all of the submarine’s sensorsand its seapons. Scorpene will enhance Indian Navy’s potential

Our modernisation processes

will have to be made enter-

prising along with proficient

decision-making

PhotograPh: SP guide Pubns

Page 6: SP's Naval Forces Oct-Nov 2010

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n LT GENERAL (RETD) NARESH CHAND

The us hAs Been a global power for

more than half a century and has se-

cure access to resources, commerce

and trade. It has tried to defend and

restore democratic rule but has

been supporting authoritative regimes in

self-interest. The us interventions, twice in

Iraq and current operations in Afghanistan,

are examples of projection of power. 9/11

has further given an impetus for projection

of power to safeguard the us homeland and

economic interests. It also extends the um-

brella of power projection to its allies and

partners who cooperate with it. The most

important ingredient of acquiring global

power is the ability to project and maintain

military power to substantially influence the

areas of interest.

During the cold war period, ussr chal-

lenged the us’ global status. But us could

still have its way in Korea, Persian Gulf and

other sub-regions. After the collapse of

ussr, the us took the mantle of being the

sole superpower. however, this status is now

being challenged by china in the western Pa-

cific region and Iran in the Persian Gulf.

Although china is way ahead of Iran

both militarily and economically, both are

authoritarian regimes and want to curtail

us’ reach in their own way.

currently, china and Iran are trying to

create ‘no-go’ zones in their maritime

areas. Thus, the us has no choice but to

find ways and means to maintain access to

these zones. The anti-access/area-denial

(A2/AD) strategy is not merely a sea denial

scenario but denial of crucial areas to the

us. A2/AD strategy includes naval power

coupled with air power integrated with air

defences to maintain air parity or superi-

ority over its territory and forces. The us

navy naturally plays a major role in mar-

itime affairs and it has come out with the

concept of Air sea Battle along with the

usAF to examine the possibility of main-

taining the us power projection capability

despite the threat from china and Iran. In

a way it is analogous to the Air Land battle

concept against the soviet union during

the cold war period. however, during this

period, the us was able to operate its car-

rier-borne force successfully. This could be

achieved due to its strong submarine force

and long-range bombers although the cost

must have been prohibitive. After the col-

lapse of the soviet union, the us had a free

run as seen from the examples of the us

navy operations in the two Gulf wars,

Balkans conflict of 1999 and off the Pak-

istan coast after 9/11.

China and Western Pacific RegionThe Pacific ocean is the largest of the earth’s

oceanic divisions and extends from the Arc-

tic in the north to the southern ocean in the

south. It is bounded by Asia and Australia in

the west, and the Americas in the east. It

covers about 46 per cent of the earth’s water

surface and about 30 per cent of its total

surface area. Japan controlled most of the

western Pacific by 1914 and occupied many

other islands during world war II. however,

by the end of the war, Japan was defeated

and the us Pacific Fleet was the virtual mas-

ter of the ocean. many important ports are

located on the Pacific like shenzhen and

shanghai (china); Los Angeles and san Fran-

cisco (us); sydney (Australia); Tokyo (Japan);

Vancouver (canada), etc. china’s major area

of concern is Taiwan, which is in the Pacific

ocean and so are us’ closest allies Japan,

south Korea and the Philippines.

China’s ThreatThe chinese threat manifested through

the1996 Taiwan strait crisis due to a series

of missile tests conducted by the People’s

republic of china is in the coastal areas

around Taiwan and the Taiwan strait. The

intention was to send a strong signal to the

Taiwan Government to adhere to the one-

china policy. The us responded strongly by

sending uss nimitz into the Taiwan strait

in December 1995 which was a clear signal

by the us that it was willing to defend Tai-

wan with military action. since the 1996

Taiwan crisis, the chinese have focused on

developing A2/AD capabilities to destroy

us naval fleet or any hostile navy within the

second island chain which extends from the

Japanese island of honshu, through the

marianas and down to the western tip of

new Guinea. china has acquired from rus-

sia anti-carrier weapons technology which

would disable or destroy the us carriers if

they came close enough for their aircraft to

be within range. In case they operate from

a distance to avoid chinese attacks then the

effectiveness of their air power will be im-

paired. This implies acquiring the state-of-

the-art submarines, anti-ship cruise

missiles (Ascm) and strike aircraft. china’s

missile development especially in the field

of anti-ship ballistic missile (AsBm) and sur-

face-to-surface ballistic missile is a cause of

concern to the us and its allies. The prob-

lem is further compounded due to the In-

termediate range nuclear Forces (InF)

Treaty of 1987 which prohibits its signato-

ries i.e. the us and russia from producing

or deploying ballistic missiles with ranges

between 500 and 5,500 km. As china is not

a party to this treaty, it has no such restric-

tion and is exploiting this loophole to its

advantage. The us allies in the region do

not have such a capability. china’s problem

of developing these missiles are not simple

as it needs a superior Isr system to detect

and target us ships. For this, china has de-

veloped and deployed over-the-horizon

backscatter (oTh-B) radars, land-based

over-the-horizon surface wave (oTh-sw)

radars, electro-optical satellites and radar

satellites. It is reported that china is work-

ing on many types of satellites for imagery,

electronic and signal intelligence, naviga-

tion, communications, and meteor. some

examples are Yaogan 1 to 5, the haiyang-

1B, and the cBers-2 and -2B. It has also ac-

quired/acquiring satellites capable of

visible, infrared, multi-spectral, and syn-

thetic aperture radar imaging. The combi-

nation of space and terrestrial based

systems will make it increasingly risky for

aircraft carriers to operate within the sec-

ond Island chain. china is also using the

conventional method of using maritime pa-

trol aircraft and submarines to shadow

naval forces in international waters.

Anti-Satellite and Cyber Weaponschina is determined to acquire anti-satel-

lite (AsAT) and cyber weapons. on January

11, 2007, after three failed attempts, PLA

rocket forces destroyed an inoperative chi-

nese weather satellite, although the us

intelligent estimates were that this capabil-

ity would be acquired only by 2010. china’s

progress in this exclusive technology is

really impressive. china has also developed

ground-based AsAT laser systems that

have reportedly been employed to “dazzle”

the us military satellites as the us uses

them extensively for Isr, navigation, com-

mand and control, and communications for

power projection. In Afghanistan, all Pred-

ator strikes are satellite based and so are

all GPs based navigation systems and thus

can be severely interfered with. chinese

cyber warfare capabilities are highly classi-

fied and much is not known except that it

is formidable. India has been at the receiv-

ing end of chinese hackers which made

India’s Defence minister to direct the

three chiefs to develop counter cyber war-

fare capabilities.

Air and Anti-ship missileschina has a large variety of Dongfeng series

of missiles which can be land, sea and air

launched and can be equipped with nuclear

warheads. DF-21 medium-range ballistic

missile is one example and its improve-

ments continue. The air-based maritime

platform is the h-6K naval aircraft which

can carry about six Ascms. It can carry the

russian Kh-31A mod 2, Acsm which has a

speed of mach 2+, is a sea-skimming active

radar missile and has a range just over 50

nm (about 90 km). The h-6K can also be

armed with the Kh-31Pm/PmK missile, a

100 nm (about180 km) range anti-radiation

missile with a multi-band passive seeker de-

signed specifically to attack the us radar

systems like the us navy’s sPY-1 radar, the

e-2 hawkeye carrier Aew radar, the us Air

Force’s AwAcs, and the Army’s Patriot fire

control radar. Thus the h-6K is just tailor

made for the second Island chain. support-

ing the h-6Ks in the maritime strike role are

land-based strike fighters, like the russian-

built su-30mKK2. Thus the combination of

fighter and bomber attacks would be lethal

for us aircraft carriers.

Submarines china’s submarine force is a key compo-

nent of the PLAn’s A2/AD force as they be-

lieve that stealth warships and modern

submarines represent the future sea battle

platforms. The earlier submarines held by

china were diesel-electric with limited

capability. At best they could challenge the

us carriers within the second Island chain.

however, china is striving hard to improve

their submarine based anti-surface warfare

in order to react quickly to any carrier

strike Group operating in the western

Pacific region. They have acquired many

Kilo class submarines from russia which

are equipped with advance wake-homing

and wire-guided torpedoes which are very

lethal for surface ships. Later version of

Kilo class and song class submarines are re-

ported to be equipped with Klub Ascm, also

known as the ss-n-27B sizzler which is

specifically designed to penetrate us Aegis

ballistic missile defence system. The Yuan

class ssG, which may be the first chinese

diesel-electric submarine equipped with an

auxiliary air-independent propulsion plant.

western analysts suggest that china has

more than 30 advanced submarines and

dozens of older submarines, and the

strength is still growing.

Likely Chinese strategychina’s strategy would be to deny us the

Ph

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countering of A2/AD is not merely a sea-denial threat to be tackled by the us navy.

It is to be seen as an area denial threat which has to be defeated for successful power

projection in any area of the us interest.

No Go

China’s Kilo class and Song class submarines are reported to be equipped

with Klub ASCM, also known as the SS-N-27B Sizzler which is specifically

designed to penetrate US Aegis ballisticmissile defence system

Page 7: SP's Naval Forces Oct-Nov 2010

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s t r at e G y

use of its bases like Kadena (okinawa), as

early as possible. This could be achieved by

a combined attack of surface-to-surface bal-

listic missiles and strike aircraft on aircraft

on the ground, fuel and munitions dumps,

etc. simultaneously, chinese AsBms and

Ascms would attack us surface combatants

located in the south Pacific. chinese Air De-

fence aircraft and sAm batteries would pro-

vide air superiority over its area of interest.

The chinese aim appears to be to develop

such an A2/AD capability which would

raise the us cost of power-projection to

prohibitive levels, thereby preventing it to

interfere. china then becomes the sole

power in its area of influence.

Iran and Persian GulfThe Persian Gulf is an extension of the In-

dian ocean, located between Iran and the

Arabian Peninsula. The Persian Gulf is 600

miles (960 km) long and between 40 miles

(64 km) and 210 miles (336 km) wide. The

strait of hormuz is a bottleneck, which is

only 33 miles (54 km) at its narrowest point.

The Persian Gulf and its coastal areas are the

world’s largest single source of crude oil and

related industries. Al-safaniya, the world’s

largest offshore oilfield, is located in the Per-

sian Gulf. Large gas finds have also been

made with Qatar and Iran sharing a giant

field across the territorial median line. The

Persian Gulf was a focus of the 1980-88 Iraq-

Iran war and again during Persian Gulf war

of 1991 when Iraq invaded Kuwait. A major

portion of the world’s oil transits through

the strait of hormuz to the open seas. Iran’s

coastline runs nearly the entire length of the

Gulf’s northern edge and has over 10 large

and 60 small ports and harbours. The area

is also dotted with many fishing villages

which can offer excellent places for hiding

small ships.

Iran’s A2/AD StrategyThe relations between the us and Iran have

been historically strained since the down-

fall of the shah and there seems no hope in

the near future for its improvement. The

situation also gets more complicated as

Iran is predominantly shia while most of

the Arab states are sunni. It is also the orig-

inal star of the Axis of evil along with north

Korea and Iraq. President obama’s cosmetic

gestures to improve the relations have not

borne any fruit and the recent threats of

sanctions have also not helped. meanwhile,

Iran is single-minded in its pursuit of ac-

quiring A2/AD and nuclear ballistic missile

capability at any cost.

The Iranian navy has a very strong

presence in the Persian Gulf with its naval

bases strung all along the coast including

a large naval air station and operational

headquarters at Bandar Abbas. The Iranian

navy is reinforced by the Islamic revolu-

tionary Guard corps navy (IrGcn) which

has constructed outposts on islands close

to the strait. The IrGc has also built an

elaborate network of tunnels and under-

ground missile bunkers on these islands.

Iran continues striving to improve its

A2/AD capability with the support of

china, north Korea and russia. This capa-

bility includes ballistic and cruise missiles,

mobile Ascms, both ship as well as land

based, submarines, high-speed boats which

can operate along the coast and advanced

anti-ship mines. The scenario in the imme-

diate future does not seem very threaten-

ing for the us as Iran has a long way to go

before it can be taken seriously. But seeing

Iran’s doggedness in the pursuit of improv-

ing its A2/AD capability to target shipping

in the Persian Gulf and endanger oil and

natural production in the region, immedi-

ate prophylactic action by all the affected

countries led by the us is required.

Iran cannot be compared to china but it

has a geographical advantage over china

which will allow it to achieve its aim of

A2/AD with lesser resources. whereas china

has to handle a much larger area up to the

second Island chain which may be over a

1,000 miles (1,600 km), Iran has to handle

much lesser area of the Persian Gulf which

is just 600 by 210 miles (960 by 335 km) at

its maximum dimension. The strait of hor-

muz also is a formidable bottleneck. Iran’s

strategy is to use multiple resources from

land, sea and air. The use of anti-ship mines

will slow down and disrupt movement of

ships with little room to manoeuver thus

making them easy targets for torpedoes,

Ascms, small craft on suicide attacks with

ballistic missiles threatening the forward us

bases. with the further development of wmD

by Iran, there is likelihood of these being

dove-tailed into their military planning.

Iran’s A2/AD strategy could be on the

following lines:

Use of small craft and mines Iranian navy and IrGsn have high mine-lay-

ing capability and more are being acquired.

Iran also plans to augment its limited num-

ber of specialised mine vessels with small

craft, submarines, helicopters and even

commercial vessels if required. The only

way is to attack Iran’s mine laying resources

before they become effective. Iran has a

small surface fleet and it will find it impos-

sible to operate against us navy’s formida-

ble power. Thus its only hope for survival

is to attack first. some improvisation has

been carried out by embarking small craft

with missiles makes them a formidable

weapon platforms especially in the small

area of the Persian Gulf. There are reports

that IrGcn operates Iran’s entire fleet of

missile craft which include chinese-built

Thondor (hudong)-class fast attack craft

equipped with I-band search and navigation

radars, and armed with the c-801 and c-

802 anti-ship cruise missiles. supporting

these are small patrol boats equipped with

heavy machine guns, grenade launchers,

anti-tank-guided weapons and manportable

sAms or just small arms. These small boats

are difficult to detect except in very calm

waters. The possibility of suicide attacks

also cannot be ruled out.

ASCMIran’s Ascm inventory includes a mix of old

western and russian missiles, and missiles

of chinese origin like the silkworm series.

It is reported that Bandar Abbas is fortified

by hundreds of Ascms. Another chinese

example is the sardine and its upgrade the

saccade (cs-802). The sardine is the equiv-

alent of French exocet. During the Israeli

attack on Lebanon, hezbollah used a ver-

sion of saccade, probably with Iranian help

to attack the Israeli sa’ar 5-class hanit. The

noor (light) is Iran’s indigenously produced

improved version of the c-802. These mis-

siles are capable of being launched from a

variety of platforms including aircraft and

trucks. when mounted on trucks, they can

easily be used from the coast to launch

anti-shipping attacks. The naval platforms

are either of chinese or French origin. Iran

has an air-launched version of the c-801,

installed on up to six old us-built F-4e air-

craft. In the recent war games, Iran fired

noor and another Ascm called nasr (vic-

tory). It was also reported that Iran also

fired an unnamed missile which has a

range of 300 km. These missiles were fired

by IrGcn. Iran continues to improve its

Ascm weaponry.

SubmarinesIran has also tried to improve its submarine

capability and it has added three soviet era

kilo submarines (Type 877 eKm) from rus-

sia. each submarine can operate up to six

weeks and carries 18 torpedoes/24 mines.

These submarines are likely to be located

outside the Persian Gulf, and once in the

open sea, they can be used optimally for

their capability. These submarines can eas-

ily threaten any ship leaving the Persian

Gulf or provide a perimeter A2/AD perime-

ter defence as Iran did in 1987 by laying

mines in the Gulf of oman. These sub-

marines are supported by Yono-class

midget and nahang-class coastal sub-

marines. They are likely to be used in the

shallow waters in the strait of hormuz.

It is clear that Iran is striving hard to im-

prove its military power and A2/AD capa-

bility to become the dominant power in the

Persian Gulf and if not in the middle east.

Armed with such a capability, Iran then can

successfully coerce its neighbours and

force concessions from major powers as it

could easily threaten global economy’s ac-

cess to energy.

The Naval cluster of Laboratories of DRDO consisting of Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL), Naval Physical &Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL) & Naval Materials Research

Laboratory (NMRL) are primarily dedicated to R&D activities in the fieldof Naval technologies especially, underwater technologies. They have a very strong relationship with Indian Navy and through constant inter-action at all levels, provide continuous scientific and technological sup-port ranging from routine analysis/advanced failure analysis of materialsto development of complex systems such as underwater SONAR Sys-tems and underwater weapons.

The indigenous capability in designing sensors for underwater sur-veillance being a strategic requirement for Indian Navy, DRDO had com-menced development of SONAR (Sound Navigation and Ranging)systems almost four decades ago at NPOL. As a result of the meticulousdevelopment work ranging from transducer technologies, digital signalprocessing to oceanographic models, this complex technology has notonly been made available in India but also several Sonar systems developed for surface ship and underwater vessels have been inductedby Indian Navy in their platforms.

After the successful development of APSOH Sonar systems at NPOL,the lab has developed HUMSA & HUMSA (NG) Sonars that have beenproductionised and fitted on naval ships. Similarly, after successful de-velopment of Sonar System Panchendriya, the lab developed USHUSSonar for underwater vessels which have been productionised and fittedin the naval vessels.

Though the majority of the Sonars have the hull-mounted and bowmounted transducers, the Variable Depth Sonars and Towed ArraySonars (VDS & TAS) help in detection of targets and torpedoes in theacoustic channel below the layers to offset the adverse effects of bathymetric profile of the ocean as well as self-noise of the platform toimprove detection/ surveillance substantially. The technology for TowedArray Sonars has been developed at NPOL to global standards. The labhas also developed Sonobuoy for airborne application (TADPOLE) anddelivered to Indian Navy. Currently Development of a helicopter baseddunking Sonar System is being pursued at the lab. In a dunking Sonar,the transducers and associated electronics are dipped into the sea from

a helicopter for detection of sub-surface targets. Due to stringent re-quirement of weight and platform safety, optimisation in design ofwinches and towed bodies are being pursued vigorously at NPOL alongwith development and characterization of advanced materials for sonarsystems in various areas like composite materials nanomaterials, baf-fles, encapsulants, etc. that are important for improved reliability and

enhanced life of transducers and interconnect materials. India’s pre-eminent geographical position in the IOR not only

provides the nation with opportunities for sea borne trade but alsoseaborne security challenges. The 7,600 km long coastline with 12major ports and 184 minor ports requires comprehensive security fromunderwater threats. Coastal Surveillance Systems are essential tocounter the asymmetric threats posed by hostile submarines, boats anddivers. Systems based on Sonar technology such as Seabed Arrays andDiver Deterrence System are being developed and for integrating into asuitable coastal surveillance system. Seabed arrays are passive Sonars,which can be deployed on the seabed for surveillance of designated underwater space on a continuous basis near strategic assets to assessthe threat from submarines and submersibles. The system consists ofmultiple linear hydrophone arrays with a data acquisition system. Thedata can be transferred to a processing station at the coast. Multiple-arrays deployed with appropriate spatial separation will facilitate thepassive range estimation of the target. A seabed system with capabilityto detect multiple targets without any left/right ambiguity and end fireanomaly has been developed at NPOL and proven for performance. TheDiver deterrence system envisages detection of divers intruding our vitalinstallation through underwater route.

DRDO has been working very closely with PSUs, private sector in-dustries, and academic institutions for the design, development, pro-duction and induction of Sonar systems. With the increasing requirementfor Sonar systems for the new platforms being acquired by the IndianNavy, the industry have evinced keen interest in absorbing the complexsonar technologies. Moreover, the Sonar systems have undergone evolutionary changes from unitary systems to composite systems wherefusion of data from multiple sensors makes Sonar displays highly user-friendly. Riding on the revolutionary changes offered by the computation and communication technologies, and the indigenously developed models for prediction and interpretation of Sonar perform-ance in Indian waters, user has gained more confidence in exploitation of these sonar systems. The large number of uniquetesting facilities established under DRDO for evaluation of Sonars havebeen gainfully utilised by both navy and industry.

Sonar Technologies by DRDO

Sonobuoy system

Page 9: SP's Naval Forces Oct-Nov 2010

n LT GENERAL (RETD) NARESH CHAND

The creDIT For The Indo-us

military collaboration goes to

the narasimha rao government

in 1992 when an Indo-us Army

executive steering committee

was set up. This was followed by setting up

of similar committees for the navy and the

Air Force. A joint naval exercise was also

conducted way back in 1992. The Indo-us

military cooperation Agreement was signed

in 1995 which enabled Indian defence

forces officers to go to the us for training,

staff exchanges and joint exercises. The ties

were further strengthened when India en-

dorsed President Bush’s national missile

Defence programme and the unconditional

support to the global war on terror post-

september 11, 2001. removal of sanctions

against India in september 2001 further

gave a push to the Indo-us defence ties. The

us-India Defence Policy Group had short-

listed some areas of cooperation which in-

cluded joint operations to protect the sea

lines of communication in the Indian ocean

and maintain strategic stability in the Asia

Pacific region. Indian navy will play a major

role in such a scenario.

India and the us signed a historic docu-

ment called the new Framework for us-

India Defence relationship (nFDr) on June

28, 2005, which will be applicable for 10

years and includes the following:

l cooperate in fighting terrorism

l curbing the proliferation of weapons of

mass destruction

l strengthening their respective militaries

l enhancing defence related research and

development

l collaboration in multinational opera-

tions

The nFDr was a forward step in the

strategic partnership between the two

countries and conveyed to the world that

India has arrived on the world stage. The

us’ compulsions to strengthen defence ties

with India could be for the following

reasons:

Indian Ocean: India’s strategic location

in the Indian ocean is of great importance

as it dominates the sea lines of communi-

cation from west Asia to east Asia. The us

already has very close allies in Asia like

Japan, south Korea and saudi Arabia, but

its hands will be further strengthened with

India coming on board. This also provides

the us other options if due to some reasons

their traditional allies back out. India with

its democracy, large english-speaking pop-

ulation, growing economic might and very

large and battle proven defence forces, will

prove a very valuable ally. china is the sec-

ond largest user of oil and the third largest

importer of it, most of which passes

through the Indian ocean. Thus India’s

location in the Indian ocean makes it a very

attractive ally for the us. The us may also

be looking for naval and air bases for repair

and replenishment but at present India may

not be too inclined for this.

Naval cooperation: The us needs coop-

eration in the Indian ocean to provide its

navy with secure and neutral bases to sup-

port operations. Indian navy is a blue water

force which can provide the necessary in-

frastructure and force levels for such a sup-

port. It has already proven this during

operation enduring Freedom when Indian

naval ships escorted merchant vessels from

the north Arabian sea to the straits of

malacca, providing active support to the us

navy. It also carried out rescue operations

in the region during tsunami. Indian navy

is capable of supporting all us naval mis-

sions including escorting and responding to

regional crisis. The us feels that there is an

immediate future to the Indo-us military re-

lations in naval cooperation. Towards this

end, an India-usA Framework for maritime

security cooperation was signed in 2006,

which covers bilateral cooperation between

the navies in a very comprehensive manner.

Other areas: Indian defence forces op-

erate in all types of terrain including desert,

urban, jungle and high altitude. It has thus

created excellent training facilities which

the us may like to use individually or

jointly. It already has commando training

facilities and jungle warfare training centre.

Joint training is being regularly carried out

by the army, navy and the air force of both

the countries. The aim of joint training is to

improve interoperability so that it will come

handy during joint missions.

Interoperability: This spells out a vision

for the future where both countries could

share their strategic and operational doc-

trines to handle new challenges. The aim in

promoting defence ties is to develop joint

capabilities and confidence to confront se-

curity issues like protection of energy sup-

plies and sea lines, conduct peacekeeping

exercises and combat terrorism. Joint train-

ing will lead to developing confidence

building and firming up of interoperability

procedures, communications and doctrines.

Training: The India-usA Framework for

maritime security cooperation, amongst

other aspects suggests that both navies

should periodically ‘exercise’ at sea/in har-

bour, so as to build interoperability as also

share best practices. Towards meeting this

end, the malabar series of joint exercises

was started in 1992, and till date, 14 such

exercises have been held including the one

Salient aspectsl India and the us committed themselves to comprehensive cooperation in ensuring

a secure maritime domain, to work together with other regional partners, protect

the free flow of commerce and to counter threats that could undermine maritime

security.

l support existing multilateral efforts to enhance maritime security, including initia-

tives undertaken by the International maritime organisation and other relevant un

programmes.

l India and the us will jointly address maritime threats, including piracy and armed

robbery at sea; threats to safety of ships, crew and property, as well as safety of

navigation; transnational organised crimes in all dimensions; illicit trafficking in

weapons of mass destruction, their delivery systems and related materials; environ-

mental degradation; and natural disasters.

l hold regular maritime security policy and implementation discussions in the De-

fense Policy Group, the naval executive steering Group, and military cooperation

Group.

l enhancement of their cooperative capabilities in the maritime domain through

technology cooperation and defence trade, as well as an appropriate agreement

on logistic support.

Indo-US Framework for Maritime Security Cooperation

India may sign cIsmoA to enable import of equipment. It appears that long-term Indo-us strategic partnership will

develop gradually, depending on mutual trust and convergence of concerns

5/2010 9

d I l P l o M a C y

Strengthening Naval Ties

Commissioning ceremony of INSJalashwa at Naval Station Norfolk. The

amphibious transport ship, formerlyknown as USS Trenton, was transferred

from the US Navy to the Indian Navy

The Indian ship Rajput class destroyer INS Rana follows behind the Nimitz-class

aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan during Malabar exercise 2008

PhotograPhS: US Navy

Page 10: SP's Naval Forces Oct-Nov 2010

n SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

DeFence mInIsTer A.K.

Antony was on a visit to the

us from september 26 to 28,

most likely to set the defence

related agenda for President

obama’s visit during november. Antony

was accompanied by Defence secretary

Pradeep Kumar, Defence minister’s adviser

sundaram Krishna, eastern Army com-

mander Lt General Bikram singh, An-

daman and nicobar tri-services command

Admiral D.K. Joshi and IAF’s Director Gen-

eral (Air/operations) Air marshal A.K.

Gogoi. The important issues on the agenda

included supply of American arms to Pak-

istan as a portion of them is being diverted

against India, seeking an early solution to

export control restrictions, moving from a

buyer-seller relationship to that of transfer

of technology and co-production, etc.

Antony held detailed discussions with

his us counterpart and reviewed the entire

gamut of bilateral defence cooperation, in-

cluding the progressively increasing trade

in military-technical equipment, service to

service exchanges, joint military exercises

and collaboration in defence technologies.

Antony also had separate meetings with

the secretary of state hillary clinton and

national security Advisor General James

Jones. Antony said that such high level in-

teractions had successfully served to de-

velop deeper mutual understanding on

defence and security issues and played an

important role in the process of unlocking

the full potential of defence cooperation

between India and the us.

The importance of Indo-us defence

ties was highlighted by the fact that the us

Defence secretary robert Gates and chair-

man of the us Joint chiefs of staff Admiral

mike mullen held a joint conference in the

Pentagon. Gates said that he wants to

strengthen and expand America’s military-

to-military ties with India. he elaborated,

“we are looking to expand this relation-

ship in ways that are mutually beneficial.

They have a big competition going on for

a new modern fighter. we will probably

have some conversations about that.”

on India’s concerns about restrictions

on export of high-technology items, Gates

acknowledged that this was high on the

agenda and he would like to see those re-

strictions removed. mullen said that the

military-to-military relationship with India

is exceptionally strong and growing. "The

Indian ocean is an incredibly important

body of water. we recognise the importance

of keeping that relationship as strong as it

is and also make it grow," he said.

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n LT GENERAL (RETD) NARESH CHAND

PrePArATIons Are on For President Barack

obama’s visit to India in november. Besides sen-

ior us officials visiting India, many Indian offi-

cials including external Affairs minister m.s.

Krishna and Foreign secretary nirupama rao,

chief of naval staff Admiral nirmal Verma and Defence

minister A.K. Antony have also visited the us. Indian navy

has been at the forefront of formulating the Indo-us de-

fence ties. In order to boost further military ties, Admiral

Verma went on a visit to the us from september 16-26. his

visit was in response to chief of the us naval operations

Admiral Gary roughead’s visit to India in April this year

and the recent visit of the us Pacific commander robert F

willard. Admiral Verma started with a trip to hawaii, the

headquarters of the us Pacific command and oversees the

entire Asia-Pacific region, where he had talks with Admiral

robert willard. The cns then visited washington, seattle

and norfolk, including some of the naval establishments

and bases before returning to India on september 26. In

washington he met top Pentagon officials.

The us has special interest in the Indian ocean region.

And with china getting more and more assertive in the re-

gion, the us would be inclined to have India as an ally apart

from its traditional partners like Japan and south Korea. In-

dian navy would be especially attractive because of its blue

water capability and ambition to be a regional power, and

thereby the convergence of interest of both the countries.

The relations started with the conduct of the first joint naval

exercises in 1992 called malabar exercise. The malabar se-

ries has continued ever since with the 14th exercise held

this year. These exercises have contributed immensely in

the strengthening of ties, better understanding of each

other’s navies and inculcating interoperability. Indo-usA

Framework for maritime security cooperation’ was signed

in 2006, which covers bilateral cooperation between the

navies in a very comprehensive manner. This document has

further strengthened and formalised the naval ties.

India would also be looking towards the us for supply

of hardware to modernise its navy. The ice was broken

with the first naval procurement of Ins Jalashwa (ex-uss

Trenton), an amphibious transport dock along with six uh

3h sea King helicopters. In 2006, the Indian navy had

expressed an interest in Boeing’s maritime Patrol Aircraft

P8-I as a replacement for its existing fleet of Tu-142m air-

craft. An agreement was signed in January 2009 for eight

aircraft with the first to be delivered in 48 months at an

appropriate cost of $2.1 billion (`10,000 crore). The as-

sembly of the first aircraft is due to begin in the last quar-

ter of this year after the Indian navy completed the final

design review in July. Incidentally, India is the first over-

seas buyer. Admiral Verma is visiting seattle to see the

progress on P8-I. There were reports that India is inter-

ested in another four aircraft at an additional cost of $1

billion (`5,000 crore). There are other minor issues like

spares which should fructify in the normal manner.

The Indian ministry of Defence (moD) is tight-lipped

about the result of the visit, but it can be inferred that dis-

cussions on a wide range of issues including joint opera-

tions against terrorism, anti-piracy operations which are

already on, cyber warfare, network-centric operations, and

coastal security including homeland security, disaster re-

lief and joint training must have been held. India would

also be looking for naval uAVs, submarine communica-

tions, sensors and undersea remotely operated vehicles.

There are two impediments which come in the way of

smooth Indo-us naval ties and which India is at present

reluctant to sign i.e. the Logistic support Agreement and

the communication Interoperability and security memo-

randum of Agreement.

Logistic Support Agreement (LSA): The LsA for India

enables Indian and us ships and aircraft access to each

others’ facilities for refuelling and refurbishment through

a barter system or an equal value exchange basis.

Communication Interoperability and Security Memo-

randum of Agreement (CISMOA): This agreement is a must

for all countries that purchase sophisticated command and

control equipment from the us as it allows interoperability

with the us equipment. It would permit us cryptologic in-

formation to be provided along with the c-130Js and the

same would be applicable for the high-tech us equipment

likely to be on board P-8I multi-mission maritime aircraft.

Discussions on these issues could have been done with

Admiral Verma but the final call is with the Government

of India. These issues would have also come up during the

visit of Defence minister A.K. Antony, but the outcome is

not known. however, for smoother defence ties, a way has

to be found around these agreements if India is sensitive

to signing these documents as it does not want to be seen

as a formal ally of the us. The us had managed to push

through the end-use monitoring Agreement during the

visit of secretary of state hillary clinton last year.

Antony held detailed discussions with his us

counterpart and reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral

defence cooperation, including the progressively

increasing trade in military-technical equipment, service

to service exchanges, joint military exercises and

collaboration in defence technologies

Looking Forward to Obama VisitThe us has special interest in the Indian ocean region. And with china getting more and more assertive in the region,

the us would be inclined to have India as an ally apart from its traditional partners like Japan and south Korea

Defence Minister on

US Visit

PhotograPh: PIBheld in 2010. malabar series of exercises

have contributed immensely towards all

facets of operations like anti-submarine

warfare; maritime interdiction operations;

visit, board, search and seizure; submarine

operations; anti-piracy operations; and hu-

manitarian assistance and disaster relief.

The exercises are primarily aimed at deriv-

ing mutual benefit from each other’s expe-

riences. The interoperability achieved over

the years as a result of such exercises has

proved to be operationally beneficial and

particularly in the disaster relief opera-

tions during the 2004 tsunami and ongo-

ing anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of

Aden. The other exercises, like the recently

concluded exercise spitting cobra, covers

aspects of explosive ordnance disposal

through demolition exercises, helicopter

operations and hostage threat simulations.

seven such exercises have been held in

these series.

Naval equipment acquisitions: so far

Indian navy has been depending upon all

its major acquisitions from soviet union

and now the russian Federation. But this is

a key area where India would like to diver-

sify its source of supply from a technically

advanced country like the us. India’s wish

list would cover key technologies, major

platforms and weapon systems which

would provide force capability enhance-

ment to safeguard its economic and secu-

rity interests. The us would like to have a

powerful ally in the Indian ocean region to

counter china’s growing power and safe-

guard its security concerns including the

ones in the west Pacific region. This

process was started with the purchase of

Ins Jalashwa (ex-uss Trenton) an amphibi-

ous transport dock along with six uh 3h

sea King helicopters. The next big item is

multi-mission maritime patrol aircraft P-8I,

which is being customised for the Indian

navy and is based on the highly successful

Boeing-737 commercial airliner. The navy

PhotograPh: US government

Page 11: SP's Naval Forces Oct-Nov 2010

I NDUSTRY /OEM

5/2010 11

ON THE SURFACE OR above, at the

bottom of the seas, or in the air,

Sagem, a company of the Safran

Group, is involved in several criti-

cal technologies necessary for the

efficiency of a naval combat system of a sub-

marine. This is the feeling we can retain after

visiting its new research & development cen-

tre, the “François Hussenot” facility in the

south-suburbs of Paris, The company is fo-

cused on the development of high perform-

ing solutions in navigation systems,

optronics, intelligence, self-protection and

UAVs systems. The Sagem familly of prod-

ucts and systems covers all the spectrum of

naval scenarios, from homeland security,

protection of shores, search and rescue,

guerrilla warfare, to high intensity engage-

ments and deterrence missions in the harsh-

est environments.

This involvement of the company in the

military naval sector is particularly high on

submarines programmes, for which Sagem

develops and produces the optronics and

surveillance masts and its navigation sys-

tems. The Sagem family of submarines

mast includes Series 30 Search Mast Sys-

tem, Series 20 Attack Periscope System and

Series 10 Compact Submarine Radar mast.

In all cases, the Sagem “Series” submarines

masts are integrated to the combat system

of the ship. Their modularity allows several

configurations of sensors, along with the

integration of electronic support measures

sensors. The innovation here is notably the

technology of non-penetrating masts, com-

pactness, multisensor capabilities, and a

user-friendly MMI running on from multi-

function workstations in the operation &

navigation centre of the ship. The other ad-

vantage of the concept of non-penetrating

masts, as illustrated with Series 20 and Se-

ries 30, relies on an easy integration and

easy installation in the submarine, either

for a totally new design, a modernisation

programme or a new programme. The intel-

ligence process is also enhanced by image

processing software and services developed

by Sagem. The other dimension of this con-

tribution to the efficiency of a combat sys-

tem is the reliance on the navigation

system. Currently, an application of laser-

gyro technology, the Sagem Sigma 40 XP, a

version of Sigma 40 navigation system de-

veloped to satisfy the needs of submarines,

has been adopted in France to modernise

its fleet of nuclear attack submarines. On

the international market, Sigma 40 XP has

been adopted for several modernisation

programs of submarines, notably the Aus-

tralian Collins submarines, the U209 of

Denmark. In addition, Sigma 40 XP is part

of new programmes, such as the Indian

Scorpene submarines. At last, this year, the

optronic, intelligence and combat masts of

Sagem have been ordered to equip the new

four DCNS submarines of Brasil.

How can we explain the credibility of

the Sagem solutions? It is mainly a legacy

of the R&D works conducted years after

years, since the 1960s, to build-up the

French deterrence, especially the develop-

ment of the SSBN submarines of the Tri-

omphant family and the nuclear attacks

submarines. This colossal background en-

ables the company to propose high per-

formance solutions. This strategy is at the

core of the company policy. New high tech-

nology programmes, like the Scorpene and

Andrasta SSK of DCNS are also other op-

portunities for Sagem to improve the per-

formances and services of its systems.

These new solutions for masts and naviga-

tion are designed for new-generation pro-

grammes of submarines or ships in need

of modernization. Shaping the future, in

these critical components of a submarine

combat system, the company has been se-

lected to develop and produce the above-

the-surface detection systems of the

future Barracuda French nuclear attack

submarines.

had in November 2006 expressed an inter-

est in the aircraft as a replacement for its

existing fleet of TU-142M aircraft that are

nearing the end of their service life. The

high point of P-8I is that it will be simulta-

neously introduced in service with the In-

dian as well as the US Navy. At least eight

P8-I were contracted for $2.1 billion

(`10,000 crore) and it is now understood

that an order for additional four aircraft is

on the anvil. Finally, with Indian Navy

growing, there may be a requirement of 30

aicraft by 2020. It is understood that a large

number of items like helicopter spares, un-

dersea remotely operating vehicles and sub-

marine combat systems, have been asked

for and are in various stages of clearance.

Naval UAVs, network-centric operating sys-

tems, sensors and submarine communica-

tions are other areas where the US Navy

retains a global edge which can be of great

use to the Indian Navy. Major US companies

like Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon,

Northrop Grumman, etc are already in India

and pushing their products.

Impediments in the relationshipThere are three key pacts the US has been

pushing India to sign in order to meet the

constitutional requirements of the US so

that the relationship becomes mutually

binding and smooth. But there are reserva-

tions at the Indian end. The pacts are the

logistics support agreement (LSA), the com-

munication inter-operability agreement (CIS-

MOA) and the basic change and cooperation

agreement for geo-spatial cooperation.

Logistic Support Agreement: The LSA

for India is designed to give Indian and US

ships and aircraft access to each others’ fa-

cilities for refuelling and refurbishment

through a barter system or an equal value

exchange basis. It is based on acquisition

and cross-servicing agreements the US has

inked with many other countries.

Communication Interoperability and

Security Memorandum of Agreement

(CISMOA): This agreement is a must for all

countries that purchase sophisticated com-

mand and control equipment from the US,

and allows interoperability with the US

equipment. It would permit top level US

cryptologic information to be provided

along with the C-130Js that India has

bought and the same is applicable for the

high-tech US equipment likely to be on

board P-8I multi-mission maritime aircraft.

Basic Change and Cooperation Agree-

ment (BECA) for geospatial cooperation:

The agreement calls for basic exchange co-

operation in the geospatial area which will

provide India with the highest technology

possible in terms of navigational capability

and targeting.

The US had managed to push through

the End-Use Monitoring Agreement during

the visit of Secretary of State Hillary Clin-

ton last year. But India seems not very

keen to seal the above pacts. The US feels

that India should at least sign the CISMOA

and the BECA, as it will remove sanctions,

or else it will not be possible to transfer

high-tech avionics to India. On the other

hand, India feels that export restrictions

against DRDO, ISRO and BEL, should be re-

moved on their own merit and should not

be linked with the above pacts. As far as

LSA is concerned, it is too premature at

this stage. However, to start with, India

may sign CISMOA to enable import of

equipment. It appears that long-term Indo-

US strategic partnership will develop grad-

ually, depending on mutual trust and

convergence of concerns.

Submarine ForcesThe Sagem components for intelligence, attack and navigation

PhotograPh: Daniel Linares/Sagem

Series 30 Optronics Mast

for submarines

Multi-mission maritime patrol aircraft P-8I,

is being customised for the Indian Navy

is based on the highly successful Boeing-737

PhotograPh: Boeing

Page 12: SP's Naval Forces Oct-Nov 2010

n COMMANDER SHISHIR UPADHYAYA

PIrAcY In The GuLF of Aden is the

manifestation of a greater problem

being faced by somalia, which

does not have a central and effec-

tive government since the over-

throw of the authoritarian regime of

mohamed siad Barre in January 1991. The

un mission withdrew in 1995 leaving soma-

lia a classic failed state with factional vio-

lence, lawlessness, poverty and famine.

Today, somalia carries the dubious distinc-

tion of being the longest-running instance of

a failed state in the post-colonial history.

The lack of security ashore has spilled into

the maritime domain where there is lack of

regional maritime capacity and no credible

indigenous maritime forces. As a result, the

decade following the collapse of the somali

Government saw extensive poaching activi-

ties by Asian and european fishing fleets in

the somali exclusive economic zone (eeZ).

There were also reports of toxic waste being

dumped in the somali waters, which subse-

quently washed ashore. According to a

lesser-known study by the uno, somalia was

losing $ 300 million (`1,330 crore) annually

due to poaching in its eeZ. All this led to the

emergence of self-styled armed protection

groups such as the somali national Volun-

teer coast Guard and the Puntland coast

Guard, aimed at combating poaching and

dumping of toxic waste.

The self-styled coast guard groups took

it upon them to attack illegal poachers.

soon, they moved on to attacking private

yachts transiting the somali eeZ. however,

the somali pirates made global headlines for

the first time when on november 5, 2005,

they attempted to hijack the American

cruise liner seabourn spirit approximately

75 nautical miles off the coast of somalia.

This unsuccessful attack triggered a wave of

piracy attacks along the somali coast. sub-

sequently, somali pirates made headlines in

India when in February 2006, they hijacked

an Indian dhow named Bhakti sagar (regis-

tered in Porbandar) whilst on passage to

Kisamayu. Twenty-five Indian crew members

were held hostage till a large undisclosed

amount was paid as ransom by the owners.

According to ImB reports, in 2006, there

were 22 incidents of attacks on ships by so-

mali pirates. The number has since in-

creased rapidly. From 51 in 2007 to 111 in

2008 and 217 in 2009, the number has dou-

bled with each passing year. For the first

time since 2006, the ImB has reported that

the total number of attacks on ships re-

ported globally declined significantly during

the first quarter of 2010 to 67 from 102 in

the same period last year. During this pe-

riod, somali pirates were responsible for 35

out of the 67 attacks (a drop from 42 attacks

in the first quarter of 2008) reported glob-

ally. Twenty-four ships were boarded and 11

others hijacked in the Gulf of Aden. The

drop in the number of piracy incidents;

though a welcome development, should not

be considered as a sign of success of the

naval patrols in the Gulf of Aden. while the

number of attacks has reduced, the range of

attacks by somali pirates has increased sig-

nificantly in recent months. on march 23,

2010, a Turkish-owned vessel, mV Frigia, a

bulk carrier with a 21-member crew was hi-

jacked at 1,350 nautical miles from mo-

gadishu, somalia. At the time of its capture,

the ship was closer to India than somalia.

Security Initiatives in the Gulf of AdenThe various ongoing security initiatives

aimed at combating piracy are enumerated

in the following paragraphs.

CTF 151: The coalition Task Force 151

under the us Fifth Fleet headquarters in

manama, Bahrain, was established in Janu-

ary 2009 with a clear mandate to combat

piracy in the Gulf of Aden. It comprises

countries engaged in the coalition maritime

Force (cmF) in the north Arabian sea region

and includes Germany, uK, Turkey, Pak-

istan and others.

International Recommended Transit

Corridor (IRTC): The us navy central com-

mand (cenTcom) established the IrTc, a

560 nm long security corridor formerly

known as the maritime security Patrol Area

(msPA) in the Gulf of Aden on August 22,

2008. This area is currently patrolled by the

coalition forces, north Atlantic Treaty or-

ganisation (nATo) and european union (eu).

Operation Ocean Shield by NATO: A

standing nATo maritime Group (snmG) has

been deployed in the region to allow world

Food organisation fulfill its mission of pro-

viding humanitarian aid to somalia under

the un world Food Programme. The opera-

tion has been code-named ‘ocean shield’.

The snmG comprises of about seven ships

from Italy, Germany, Greece, Turkey, uK,

usA and spain.

EU Naval Force (EUNAVFOR); Opera-

tion Atlanta: A convoy escort system

codenamed operation Atlanta is being

maintained by six ships of the 27 nation

european union. About three to five mar-

itime patrol aircraft are also employed for

surveillance in the region. The eu has now

decided to extend the ongoing operation

Atlanta up to December 2010.

Independent Anti-piracy Patrols: sev-

eral counties have deployed their navies on

independent patrols for safety of their mer-

chant ships. These include china, russia,

India, Iran, Japan, south Korea, etc.

Djibouti Code of Conduct: The Djibouti

code of conduct inspired by the 2004 re-

gional cooperation Agreement on combat-

ing Piracy and Armed robbery against

ships (recAAP) in Asia, concerning the re-

pression of piracy and armed robbery

against ships in the western Indian ocean

and Gulf of Aden came into force from Jan-

uary 29, 2009. on the occasion of the meet-

ing in Djibouti, nine countries in the region

signed the code of conduct which included

Djibouti, ethiopia, Kenya, somalia (TFG),

Yemen, madagascar, maldives, seychelles

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From 22 in 2006 to 217 in 2009, the number of incidents of attacks on ships by somali pirates has doubled with each

passing year. The scourge of piracy can only be addressed with collaborative efforts by the shipping industry, security

agencies and the international maritime organisations

Ransom on the High Seas

Rescued persons are transported in a securityboat to the amphibious dock landing ship USS

Pearl Harbor. They were rescued by sailors assigned to the guided-missile destroyer USS

Winston S. Churchill after their small boat capsized in the Gulf of Aden.

Page 13: SP's Naval Forces Oct-Nov 2010

The latest fast attack craft of the

Indian navy, Ins Kalpeni was com-

missioned into the Indian navy re-

cently by Jasti chelameswar, chief Justice,

high court of Kerala at naval Base Kochi.

The ship propelled by three powerful

water jets can achieve speed in excess of

35 knots. Ins Kalpeni would operate under

the Flag officer commanding in chief

southern naval command and based at

Kochi. The ship would bolster the capabil-

ities of southern naval command in

coastal surveillance and search and

destruction of fast moving targets. The

ship commanded by Lieutenant com-

mander subhal nathan has a crew of three

officers and 38 sailors onboard.

The formal and solemn ceremony com-

menced with the Inspection of a Guard of

honour by the chief Justice. Thereafter the

commanding officer of Ins Kalpeni intro-

duced the crew of the ship to the chief

guest. The commissioning warrant signed

by the chief of naval staff was read out by

the commanding officer then. The formal

ceremony was completed when the naval

ensign and the national flag was hoisted

onboard the ship for the first time along

with the traditional breaking of the com-

missioning pennant. This ceremony was

carried out with the parading of the colour

guard and to the accompaniment of the

national anthem.

Ins Kalpeni, an improved version of the

Bangaram class fast attack craft, is con-

ceived, designed and built indigenously.

The commissioning of the ship is another

milestone in the continuing saga of indi-

genisation in the field of warship design

and construction. Ins Kalpeni is the seventh

of a batch of 10 ships being built at Garden

reach shipyard, Kolkata. The main arma-

ment of the ship is 30mm crn 91 Gun with

an optronic Pedestal sight as its Director.

In addition the ship has been fitted with 11

machine guns of various types and shoul-

der launched IGLA surface to air missiles to

neutralise aerial threats.

and Tanzania. The code of conduct is open

for signature by 21 countries in the region.

The signatories of the Djibouti code of

conduct have agreed to the establishment

of piracy information exchange centres at

Kenya, Tanzania and Yemen, and a regional

training centre in Djibouti.

Role of the Indian NavyFollowing the hijacking on september 15,

2008, of mV stolt Valor (Japanese owned

chemical Tanker sailing under the hong

Kong flag) in the Designated safety corridor,

the Government of India decided to deploy

Indian naval ships on anti-piracy patrols in

the Gulf of Aden region. The Indian navy has

been deployed in the International maritime

Transit corridor off the horn of Africa and

the coast of somalia since october 2008,

making it the navy’s longest continuous out-

of-area deployment ever.

In June 2010, the Indian navy crossed a

milestone in out-of-area operations when it

safely escorted its thousandth ship; the mV

Bornza, through the Gulf of Aden. As on

september 17, 2010, the Indian naval ships

had safely escorted 1,200 merchant

vessels–including both Indian and foreign

flagged ships-from over 50 different nations

and prevented 18 pirate attacks. In septem-

ber this year, Ins Delhi put down three pi-

rate attacks in four days. The anti-piracy

patrols are in addition to the regular eeZ pa-

trols conducted by the navy in the waters off

the maldives and the seychelles.

Factor Impacting Naval PatrolsThe ImB report for the first quarter of 2010

indicates a significant drop in piracy inci-

dents off somali. This can be attributed to

the fact that naval patrols have succeeded

in destroying several of the ‘mother boats’

used by the somali pirates and also cap-

tured a large quantity of arms and equip-

ment used by the pirates. however, the fact

that the range of attacks by somali pirates

has increased in recent weeks and the num-

ber of attacks continues to remain at an un-

acceptable high level despite naval patrols

is a cause for concern. The main factors

that hamper warship efforts at countering

piracy in the Gulf of Aden are as follows:

Lack of investments in ship security:

Lack of propensity of the shipping sector to

invest in security stems from the fact that

most ships involve multiple stakeholders.

Thus, there is a tendency of passing the

buck. several usA and British Private secu-

rity companies (Psc) offer security solu-

tions for ships transiting the Gulf of Aden.

however, these services are expensive; a

three- man armed detail typically costs

about $21,000 (`9.45 lakh) per day. The

Yemini navy also provides security in asso-

ciation with a uK Psc for $55,000 (`24.75

lakh) per trip through the Gulf of Aden.

consequently, a majority of the shipping

companies are reluctant to invest in expen-

sive security solutions. Analyses of various

incidents reveal several attempts of hijack-

ing been successfully thwarted due to

timely alarm being raised by the target ship.

Lack of such system reduces the effective-

ness of naval patrols. Perhaps, a certain

basic security system could be considered

as a mandatory suite for ships.

Lack of regulations dealing with

armed protection of merchant ships: The

extant Imo and ImB regulations do not en-

courage armed protection of ships since it

is expected to lead to increased violence at

sea. It is likely that confrontation between

armed guards and pirates could lead to sec-

ondary/collateral damage. At present, the

authorisation to carry firearms onboard

ships is a decision of the flag state. how-

ever, this would be subject to the laws of

the country being visited when in port or in

territorial waters. In the absence of clearly

defined rules of engagement, the use of

firearms can pose a serious challenge.

Following the capture of the us flagged

vessel m.V. maersk Albama, the us govern-

ment has advised all us flagged vessels to

carry armed security. The mV maersk Al-

bama successfully fired and defended itself

from pirates when attacked for the second

time in november 2009. It is believed that a

few of the flag of convenience states are also

actively considering following suit, since

under Article 94 of the united nations con-

vention on the Law of the sea, the flag states

are responsible for security of the ship.

The use of private security for trans-

portation systems on land is not a new

practice. consider the example for moving

cash (say a few million dollars) from a bank

to another location in the city. Today, the

use of an armoured vehicle with a GPs

tracking system and well-trained and armed

guards is the norm rather than an excep-

tion. In stark comparison, a typical mer-

chant ship loaded with billions of dollars

worth of cargo would be manned by a skele-

ton crew of 10-15 unarmed people. security

for shipping hitherto was not considered

important since the high seas were once

upon a time desolate areas. This is no

longer true as the somali pirates equipped

with medium sized trawlers (mother boats),

a global positioning system (GPs) and radio

sets have demonstrated. The hijacking of

the Turkish owned vessel, mV Frigia, in

march 2010 with 21 crew members at 1,350

nautical miles from mogadishu, somalia, is

a recent example. At the time of its capture,

the ship was closer to India than somalia.

Inadequacy of extant international laws

for prosecution of pirates: The most diffi-

cult challenge faced by warships on anti-

piracy is that of prosecution of pirates

arrested at sea. Pirates once detained become

‘persons under control’. International law re-

quires that the pirates be tried by the courts

of the flag state of the warship, which appre-

hended the pirates or carried out the seizure.

This poses a serious logistics challenge of

transporting the captured pirates to the flag

state to stand trial. In 2006, these difficulties

caused the us to provide temporary custody

for somali pirates on board usn warships for

months at a time. even in 2009, it was

reported that over 60 per cent of the pirates

captured during operation Atlanta were

released for want of proper detention and

trial facilities. Thus the lack of proper judi-

cial mechanism is hugely counterproductive

to the efforts of the warships in the region.

Apprehended pirates go scot free only to re-

turn to piracy, with more experience.

Trends in PiracyRansom: According to reports, the ransom

collected by somali pirates in 2009 exceeds

$48.4 million (`214 crore). evidently, a large

part of this amount has been ploughed back

into business to procure better equipment

and weapons. The somali pirates are now

equipped with GPs, automatic rifles, rocket

propelled grenade launchers and high speed

boats. The increased range and audacity of

attacks clearly indicates improved tactics

and better equipment in the hands of the pi-

rates. The average ransoms demanded by so-

mali pirates have increased from $1,00,000

(`45 lakh) to $2,00,000 (`90 lakh) in 2005 to

$3-5 million (`13- 22 crore) this year.

Insurance: The rise in ransom demands

has been accompanied by an increase in in-

surance premiums. The insurance sur-

charge for ships transiting the Gulf of Aden

currently stands at $25/Teu (twenty foot

equivalent unit used in container trans-

portation) or $5/tonne. Accordingly, the

shipping companies have increased their

freight charges to include the insurance

surcharge and also additional risk pay for

crew. The shipping corporation of India

has recently introduced a piracy risk sur-

charge of $40/Teu on all shipments thor-

ough the Gulf of Aden. This increased

freight is passed on to the exporter by the

shipping agent. eventually, the sum is

passed on to the final consumers.

over 24,000 ships transit the Gulf of

Aden annually. In 2009, 47 ships were hi-

jacked and released on payment of ransom.

The ransom is paid by the insurance com-

panies through their agents in cash and the

sum is generally undisclosed. considering

an average of $4 million (`18 crore) ransom

for each ship hijacked; the total ransom

paid would be about $188 million (`834

crore). clearly, the total ransom paid is

much lower than the insurance surcharge

(at $25/Teu or $5/ tonne) paid by the ship-

ping companies. Thus, the system of ran-

som has emerged as a lucrative business

model with both insurance companies and

the pirates making a neat sum at the ex-

pense of the end consumer.

Terrorism: The gravest risk of piracy is

the threat of terrorist groups linking up with

the somali pirates. There is a clear danger of

the Al shabbab (a somali origin terror outfit)

and/or the Al Qaeda operating out of Yemen

linking up with somali pirates. while there is

no evidence to suggest any linkages between

pirates and terrorist groups, the possibility

cannot be ruled out in the near future.

Need for collaborative effortsPiracy in the Gulf of Aden, which first made

headlines in 2005, is now a well-established

industry. The fact that the system of ransom

is turning out to be a lucrative business for

pirates and insurance companies, sets a dan-

gerous precedence. clearly, in such a sce-

nario, the interest of the crew is not being

addressed. The additional insurance sur-

charge is passed on to the end consumer of

the goods with no dues to the ship-owners.

warship patrols in the Gulf of Aden have

reached a record number with a majority of

the G20 navies operating in the region. Yet,

piracy continues to flourish, albeit at re-

duced intensity. warships cannot be om-

nipresent and therefore there is a need for

ships to invest in security. however, this

calls for a new regulation to be drafted. The

scourge of piracy can only be addressed with

collaborative efforts on part of the three

main stakeholders i.e. the shipping industry,

the security agencies and the international

maritime organisations such as the Imo and

ITwF. India as the largest provider of skilled

manpower to the maritime sector could play

an important role ensuring participation by

all the stakeholders.

The author is serving in the Indian Navy

and is at present a Research Fellow in the

National Maritime Foundations

5/2010 13

P I r a C y

Piracy in the Gulf of Aden,

which first made headlines

in 2005, is now a well-

established industry

INS Kalpeni Commissioned into the Indian NavyThe National Flag and the NavalEnsign being hoisted on board INS Kalpeni the first time

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F I r s t / t e C k N o W

Small and EconomicalThe use of morphing flight surfaces has enabled the development of an unmanned plane that can operate in extreme weather conditions

The eureKA e! 3931 AsArP project

has developed a small and cheap-

to-build unmanned aerial vehicle

(uAV) intended to cut the cost of mar-

itime search-and-rescue missions and re-

duce risks to material and human lives.

The seaplane uses shape-changing tech-

nology to improve flight stability, en-

abling the plane to fly in severe weather

conditions. The resulting craft has an en-

durance of 4.5 hours with a payload of

up to 40 kg. It is equipped with state-of-

the-art avionics and onboard cameras

and it is linked wirelessly to the com-

mand centre from where the pilot can

control the uAV. A prototype is currently

undergoing final trials in cyprus and the

design is already attracting interest from

governmental and civil rescue and sur-

veillance organisations.

According to the company, effort has

been made to ensure maximum stability

by use of special aerofoil profile opti-

mised for high lift at low speeds. The en-

tire configuration contributes to stability

in severe weather.

The trial aircraft weighed 50 kg with

no fuel and 270 to 275 kg mission ready,

when fully fuelled and equipped. It was

flown initially with a conventional remote

control operating joystick and throttle.

The uAV base station has now been mod-

ified with two screens to exploit the

plane’s avionics—one screen shows the

instruments and the other the image

from the on-board camera. The control

base unit is self-supporting with an elec-

tric generator to provide power and dual-

computer system communicating with

the on-board computer. The AsArP uAV

can take off from and land on the sea as

well as land.

The Sea BreacherA unique dolphin-inspired submersible watercraft

Innerspace Productions, a watercraft design and fabri-

cation company based in california, has developed

custom-built seabreachers, a unique dolphin-inspired

submersible watercraft that can jump, dive and roll like

real dolphins. The seabreacher has a cruising speed of

40 mph (64 kph) and underwater speeds of 20mph

(32 kph)—all within the safety and security of a dry,

sealed cockpit.

According to Innerspace, the seabreacher X is the lat-

est and most advanced submersible watercraft that has

been built till date and is based on the dolphin-inspired

seabreacher J. however, it has a more aggressive shark-

style body. The X model also steps up the performance

envelope with a 260 hp supercharged engine, propelling

the vessel to a top speed of 50 mph (80 kph) on the sur-

face and 25mph (40 kph) below.

The seabreacher X can sustain high speed dives and

then breach the surface, launching the entire vessel

clearly out of the water. some of its high tech features in-

clude a snorkel mounted video camera which transmits

live video to LcD screens for the pilot and passengers

during dives, GPs navigation, etc.

some characteristics of this submarine are:

Engine/drive: roTAX 1500cc, 4 stroke engine; 260 hp

supercharged, intercooled; high output, low emission;

axial flow jet pump; fully vectored thrust (up/ down,

left/right); forward, neutral, reverse; closed cooling sys-

tem, reliable in fresh or salt water.

Features: redesigned shark style body; mouth-

shaped viewports for enhanced underwater visibility:

double snorkel intakes for engine’s increased air require-

ments; high performance, low profile wings and elevators;

powder-coated stainless steel and aluminium hardware;

custom exhaust outlet; fully upholstered interior, cus-

tomised; front and rear LcD screens, displaying live video

from snorkel-mounted camera; onboard stereo system

with ipod dock; removable lifting eyes for launching from

a yacht mounted davit.

Safety measures: Positively buoyant, self-righting

hull design; 1/2 inch, impact-resistant, acrylic canopy;

inflatable aircraft seal keeps cockpit and engine bay water

tight; three automatic bilge pumps; collapsible nose

section; hand-laid composite, monologue structure;

Break-away wing tips; all marine approved engine

components and hardware; onboard fire extinguisher and

carbon monoxide detector.

For related video log on to www.spsnavalforces.net

n REAR ADMIRAL (RETD) SUSHIL RAMSAY

The seconD rounD oF India-Brazil-

south Africa maritime exercise (IB-

sAmAr) 2010 was held from

september 13 to 27, 2010, off the

south African coast from simon’s

Town to Durban. The multi-dimensional ex-

ercise was structured to include the best

practices in various aspects of naval opera-

tions focusing on the likely scenarios partic-

ipating nations may encounter. The Indian

navy fielded Indian navy ships mysore,

Tabar, Ganga and Aditya; south African (sA)

navy nominated ships Amatola, spioenkop,

Drakensburg, charlotte maxeke, Queen

modjadji-I and Galeshewe, while the lone

Brazilian naval ship niteroi joined the

other participating units. The integral air

element was provided by Lynx and sea King

helicopters.

The Initial Planning conference (IPc) for

IBsAmAr 2010 was held from october 12 to

16, 2009, at mumbai, under the aegis of

western naval command. The final session

of IPc was held in August in south Africa.

IBsAmAr series of joint exercises are held

under the instrument of trilateral govern-

mental cooperation initiative between the

three-member states and steered by one of

the 16 Joint working Groups for Defence.

The inaugural round of IBsAmAr was held

in south Africa from may 7 to 14, 2008.

Gurpreet s. Khurana defines IBsAmAr

as a manifestation of the transformed

global geopolitical and security landscape

since the end of cold war. “The first

IBsAmAr was conducted off south Africa’s

south-western coast, adjoining the cape of

Good hope. For the exercise, Indian and

Brazilian naval units were required not only

to transit a substantial distance to the exer-

cise area (over 4,000 and 3,000 nautical

miles respectively), but also to endure the

exercise-duration. This is a seminal devel-

opment on two counts. Firstly, it signals the

increasing reach and sustainability of

navies of developing countries. secondly, it

is indicative of an increasing realisation

among policy makers of the imperative

need of safeguarding their geographically

expanding interests and meeting their inter-

national obligations,” he said.

missions defined for the very first round

of trilateral IBsAmAr 2008 were maritime se-

curity issues such as safety of shipping traf-

fic, anti-piracy, search and rescue, and

casualty evacuation in the region. Although

suez canal has for several decades provided

the shortest route for Persian Gulf oil to tran-

sit to europe, technology advances in marine

engineering has offered greater incentive to

a larger number of vessels of higher tonnage

to transit at much higher economical speeds

to circumnavigating Africa. This develop-

ment has resulted in nearly 30 per cent of the

Persian Gulf oil bound for europe and Amer-

ica to be routed around the cape of Good

hope and thus the threefold increase in traf-

fic density on this route.

Gurpreet Khurana further articulates,

“For India, IBsAmAr was an effective in-

strument to showcase its foreign policy. It

served to dispel the apprehensions of

India’s growing strategic relationship with

the united states and its allies, which arose

in some quarters following the high-level

malabar and TrILATeX naval exercises of

2007.” IBsAmAr followed the Indian ocean

naval symposium (Ions) launched in Feb-

ruary 2008, which was also devoid of the

us participation. As an Indian initiative,

Ions has itself contributed to India’s image

as a stabilising factor. Together with Ions,

IBsAmAr reinforces the point that India’s

geopolitical engagement is multi-vectored

and not directed against any country,

including china.

Multi-dimensional ExerciseIBsAmAr is a manifestation of the transformed global geopolitical and security landscape since the end of cold war

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ICG INTERCEPTOR BOAT COMMISSIONED

At a ceremony held at Veraval, Indian coast

Guard (IcG) Interceptor Boat, c-148 was

commissioned by Vice Admiral Anil

chopra, Director General IcG. It is the sixth

in the series of 11 boats, designed and built

indigenously by ABG shipyard, surat.

NAVy TO ACqUIRE FLOATING DOCKThe Indian navy plans to acquire its second

floating dock, at an estimated cost of rs

300 crore, which will be stationed at the

strategically significant Andaman and nico-

bar Islands. The Floating Dock navy-1

(FDn1) is currently put into optimum use

and with the number of warships stationed

on the coast set to increase significantly in

the next decade; the need was felt for the

second one.

ADDITIONAL P8-I The Indian navy is likely to order four ad-

ditional Boeing’s P8-I maritime reconnais-

sance aircraft at an approximate cost of $1

billion (about `4,500 crore). It may be rec-

ollected that India has already ordered

eight P8-I at a cost of $2.1 billion (about

`10,000 crore). At present, for this role,

India has eight Tu-142m which have

reached the end of their life and five IL-38.

India has also decided to go for additional

four LPDs at a cost of approximately $3 bil-

lion plus (`13,500 crore). These LPDs will be

on the same lines as Ins Jalashwa which

was acquired from the us in 2007.

SySTEMS RESEARCH LABORATORyThe naval research Laboratory (nrL) has es-

tablished the Autonomous systems research

Laboratory (AsrL) to support highly innova-

tive, interdisciplinary research in au-

tonomous systems. The laboratory will capi-

talise on the broad multidisciplinary charac-

ter of nrL, bringing together scientists and

engineers with disparate training and back-

grounds to attack common goals at the inter-

section of their respective fields in

autonomous systems.

ITALIAN NAVy TRIALS FOR AW139The Italian navy ships—sirio, orione and

Bettica—have been designated for the eval-

uation trials of the Agustawestalnd Aw139

helicopter. The first ship on which the trials

were carried out was sirio which included

deck landings, take-offs, deck lashing and

possible interference between the ship’s on-

board radio and radar systems with the he-

licopter’s avionics.

MINE NEUTRALISATION SySTEM raytheon Integrated Defense systems has

been awarded a $14,696,495 firm-fixed-

price contract for seven airborne mine neu-

tralisation low rate initial production

systems and associated engineering serv-

ices. The airborne mine neutralisation sys-

tem will explosively neutralise bottom and

moored mines using an expendable mine

neutralise device. The system will be de-

ployed from the mh-60 helicopter as part

of the Littoral combat ship mine counter-

measures mission module.

BAE SySTEMS AN/Sqq-32(V)4 BAe systems’ Information and electronic

systems Integration has been awarded a

$14,599,366 firm-fixed-price contract for

four high frequency wide band An/sQQ-

32(v)4 systems and associated engineering

services and support that will detect and

classify bottom and moored sea mines. The

An/sQQ-32(v)4 will be deployed from carri-

ers for self-protection. high frequency wide

band An/sQQ-32(v)4 will replace the in-ser-

vice An/sQQ-32(v)3 detection sonar and will

improve detection performance and target

resolution in high clutter environments in-

cluding littoral zones and confined straits.

ATLAS PRODUCES 2000TH SEAFOx

The 2000th seaFox mine disposal un-

manned underwater vehicles (uuV) will be

joining the German navy, which was also

the recipient of the first seaFox 10 years

ago. At present, about 10 of these uuVs

leave the production facility in Bremen

every week. with the seaFox, Atlas elek-

tronik blazed a new trail in mine counter-

measures more than a decade ago,

deploying uuV’s for the first time. The

reusable seaFox I (Intelligence) is used to

identify the sea mine, whereas the expend-

able seaFox c (combat) with its integrated

warhead serves as intelligent ammunition

for mine neutralisation. To complement the

seaFox I and c, a training version has also

been developed and marketed.

US NAVy’S FIRST JHSVFabrication of the future usns Vigilant

(JhsV 2), the first joint high speed vessel

(JhsV) to be operated by the navy, began on

september 13 at the Austal usA shipyard.

The JhsV will be used for fast intra-theatre

transportation of troops, military vehicles

and equipment. The navy’s strategic and

theatre sealift programme is procuring the

vessels for both the Army and the navy.

Vigilant is the second vessel in the class.

The first, the future us Army vessel usAV

spearhead (JhsV 1), is scheduled for deliv-

ery to the Army in 2012. The JhsV pro-

gramme merges the previous Army theatre

support vessel and the navy high speed

connector to decrease costs by taking ad-

vantage of the inherent commonality be-

tween the existing programmes.

NAVANTIA COMMISSIONS LHD “JUANCARLOS I” TO THE SPANISH NAVy

navantia commissioned the LhD “Juan car-

los I” to the spanish navy at the Ferrol Arse-

nal on september 30. This amphibious ship,

the biggest ever built by navantia, and the

biggest ship of the spanish navy. other au-

thorities have attended the ceremony, as the

minister of Defence, carmen chacón and the

President of navantia, Aurelio martínez.

The LhD Juan carlos I has been de-

signed to carry out amphibious missions,

force deployment, humanitarian assistance

and act as an auxiliary aircraft carrier. The

ship also has a large hospital capacity,

which in addition to her cargo capacity

make her ideal for deployment in disaster

areas. with a length overall of 230.82 me-

tres (flight deck 202.3 m.), 32 m. beam and

full load displacement of more than 27,500

tonnes, this will be the biggest ship ever

made available to the spanish navy. she will

also be the first of such a size with podded

electrical propulsion. highly automated, the

crew will consist of just 247 persons.

RAyTHEON APPOINTS BILL BLAIR VICEPRESIDENT & SENIOR ExECUTIVE, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, INDIAraytheon company has appointed Bill Blair

vice president and senior executive for

raytheon’s business development efforts in

India, effective immediately.

In this capacity, Blair will be responsible

for managing raytheon’s strategic relation-

ships with customers

and trading partners

to ensure the continu-

ation of the company’s

long standing relation-

ship with India. As the

company’s senior exec-

utive in India, Blair will

serve as the primary

interface with ray-

theon’s customers. In addition, Blair will

serve as the senior voice of the customer

within raytheon to ensure that the company

identifies key pursuits and fulfills its com-

mitment to India.

RAyTHEON MISSILE SySTEMS NAMES BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR FOR INDIAraytheon company’s missile systems busi-

ness has named Peter wray as its new Busi-

ness Development director for India. In this

position, wray will continue to develop and

implement the rms business strategy for

India, and build on the company’s growing

partnership with the Indian armed forces

and industry. wray has been employed by

raytheon since 1987.

5/2010 15

Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

Jayant Baranwal

Assistant group Editor r. Chandrakanth

Senior Editorial Adviser r. adm (retd) S.K. ramsay

Senior Technical Group Editor Lt general (retd) Naresh Chand

Contributing EditorsLt general (retd) V.K. Kapoorair Marshal (retd) V.K. Bhatia

Copy EditorSucheta Das Mohapatra

Assistant Correspondentabhay Singh thapa

Assistant Photo Editorabhishek Singh

ContributorsIndia

admiral (retd) arun PrakashVice adm (retd) r.N. ganeshVice adm (retd) P.J. Jacobr. adm (retd) raja Menon

Cmde rajeev Sawhney

Europealan Peaford, Doug richardson,

andrew Brookes (UK)

USA & CanadaLon Nordeen (USa)

anil r. Pustam (West Indies)

West Asia/Africah.r. heitman (S. africa)

Chairman & Managing DirectorJayant Baranwal

Administration & CoordinationBharti Sharma, Survi Massey

Senior Art Directoranoop Kamath

DesignVimlesh Kumar Yadav, Sonu Singh Bisht

Sales & MarketingDirector Sales & Marketing: Neetu Dhulia

head Vertical Sales: rajeev Chugh

SP’s WebsiteSr. Web Developer: Shailendra P. ashishWeb Developer: Ugrashen Vishwakarma

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rNI Number: DELENg/2008/25836

21-22 october49th Congress of Naval Architecture

and the Maritime Industry

hotel carlton, Bilbao, spainwww.ingenierosnavales.com/SESIONES2010/index2_i.asp

25-29 octoberEuronaval

Paris-Le-Bourget exhibition center, Francewww.euronaval.fr/en

2-3 novemberCoastal Surveillance 2010

Amara sanctuary hotel, singaporewww.coastalsurveillancemda.com

9-11 novemberMAST

Palazzo dei congressi, rome, Italywww.mastconfex.com

15-17 novemberMaritime Homeland Security Summit

renaissance seattle hotel, seattle, wA, usAwww.maritimehssummit.com

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News in Brief

Page 16: SP's Naval Forces Oct-Nov 2010

MASTER IN STRATEGY

Design and product ion of e lectron ic defence systems by ELETTRONICA S.p.A.

Sp’s NAVAL FORCES 276 X 418 SCACCHI:Layout 1 13/01/2010 9.36 Pagina 1