INDIAN NAVY
THE NEED OF AIRCRAFT CARRIERS
INDIA is a big country and has a very big coastline and oil reserves in the INDIAN OCEAN. INDIA's EEZ is set to grow by 2010 and INDIAN NAVY has the daunting task to protect the maritime interest of INDIAN GOV. INDIAN NAVY has a present fleet of 134 ships that is set to grow. INDIAN NAVY has a projected estimate of 180 ships and this will revolve around its requirement of three aircraft carriers. INDIA has to acquire three aircraft carriers to project its strength in the near future in the INDIAN OCEAN region. The INDIAN OCEAN region in the near future will be the hot bed for commerce and by the opening of the SETUSAMUDRAM project ( the sea canal between INDIA and SRI LANKA ) INDIAN OCEAN region will gain more importance as the growing clout of ASIAN market specially CHINA and INDIA will dominate the future WORLD market. Now lets learn about the INDAIN OCEAN region. INDIAN OCEAN region as the name signifies is around INDIA and some part of ASIA and northern AFRICA. As the economies of the ASIAN giants grow as it is projected that by 2050 INDIAN and CHINESE economy will be among the top three in the world, already from the sea lane 40 present of world oil passes through. And according to strategists this place will be the hot bed for future conflicts. So INDIA has to protect and guard its sea lane because more than 90 percent of INDIAN trade is done through the sea lane and to do so it has to project and maintain true blue water navy that can defend its interest in the golden future ahead. INDIAN NAVY is now in a transformational phase where it is moving from a coastal navy to realizing its dream to become a truly blue water navy, projecting its strength from the gulf of Persia to Indian Ocean. So the need of the day is to have a right mix of modern combat vessels and upgrading the existing vessels. Any navy in the world does not have the capabilities to maintain all new vessels in its fleet and especially in context to the INDIA NAVY where there was no new combat vessel ordered in the nineties; it was a lost decade for the INDIAN NAVY. The need of the day is INDIAN NAVY orders new combat vessel to replace the vessels that are in the end of their life cycle. In the mid sixties defence researchers rightly pointed out that INDIA will need three aircraft carriers. Due to resource crunch the navy could settle for just two aircraft carriers although the procurement of the aircraft carriers heralded INDIA into a select club of nations which possessed and operates these mighty vessels .These two vessels were procured from BRITAIN and were in the mid cycle of their life so these cannot be operated for a long time. VIKRANT which joined the navy first shaped the 1971 war and all the laurels goes to the strategist and the seamen who used the carrier in the best way possible to turn the war into a win and eventually was able to free BANGLADESH from PAKISTAN. Eventually VIRAAT was commissioned in the services in the eighties. In the end of the century INDAIN NAVY has to decommission VIKRANT and INDIA was left with the solitary aircraft carrier VIRAAT. The obvious choice for the INDIAN NAVY was to procure an aircraft carrier and the only option after a long search in the world market was the ADMIRAL GORSHKOV. ADMIRAL GORSHKOV was an aircraft carrier of the RUSSIAN NAVY. Originally named BAKU, she was the fourth of the Project 1143 aircraft carrying cruisers, known as the KIEV class. The ship was laid down in 1978, launched in 1982, and commissioned in 1987. In terms of her armament, the BAKU was built with a modified design relative to the other three KIEV class vessels; however, she carried an identical air wing, consisting of a squadron of twelve YAK-38 'Forger' V/STOL aircraft, twelve Ka-27 'Helix-A' ASW/SAR helicopters and two Ka-31 'Helix' AEW helicopters.In the collapse of the SOVIET UNION, the city of BAKU (which the ship was named after) became part of independent AZERBAIJAN, and afterwards the ship was renamed ADMIRAL GORSHKOV, in honor of SERGEY GORSHKOV commander in chief of the SOVIET NAVY during the Cold War. In 1994, following a boiler room explosion, the ship was docked for a year of repairs. Although she returned to service in 1995, she was finally withdrawn in 1996 and offered for sale.After years of negotiations, on Jan 20,2004, RUSSIA and INDIA signed a deal to buy aircraft-carrier ADMIRAL GORSHKOV, along with 12 single-seat MiG-29K 'Fulcrum-D' and 4 dual-seat MiG-29KUB, as well as facilities and procedures for training of pilots and technical staff, delivery of simulators, spare parts, and establishment maintenance on INDIAN NAVY facilities. Upgrade plans involve stripping all the weaponry from the ship's foredeck to make way for Short Take-Off But Assisted Recovery configuration, with a 14.3 degree ski-jump on the bow and three arrestor wires on the angled deck, allowing her to operate the MiG-29K 'Fulcrum' and SEA HARRIER aircraft. It is estimated that the ship will enter service in the INDIAN NAVY in 2008 as INS VIKRAMADITYA.
In 1989 a plan was announced to build two new aircraft carriers, with the first vessel to replace the VIKRANT, which was set to decommission in early 1997. A contract for a design study then was signed in 1989 with DCN (Direction des Constructions Navales) International (currently known as DCNS) of France for a vessel of about 25,000 tons and with a speed of 30 knots. Construction was to start at the Cochin Shipyard (CSL) in 1993 after the Indian Naval Design Organization had translated this design study into a production model. However, in 1991, the Committee on Defence Expenditure informed the INDIAN NAVY to abandon plans for large aircraft carriers and shift the design effort to the ITALIAN GARIBALDI Class due to budgetary constraints. In September 1993, the Chief of Naval Staff 'ADMIRAL L. RAMDAS' - restated the commitment to have a large aircraft carrier ready for trials by 2000, yet no firm decision had been made to provide funds or begin construction. The then Chief of Naval Staff - ADMIRAL SUSHIL KUMAR stated the vessel will be built at an estimated cost of Rs.20 billion at CSL. Another Rs.50 million will be spent on expanding CSL's shipyards warehousing space, extending its marshalling yard and acquiring new equipment as the vessel is the largest and broadest ship ever to built in India. In 2001, CSL released an image illustrating the 32,000-ton STOBAR (Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery) design with a pronounced ski jump. The design of the superstructure and sensor suite was considerably different from the model displayed at Def Expo 1999. In February 2002, the then Chief of Naval Staff ADMIRAL MADHVENDRA SINGH - stated that the commissioning of the ADS will take 8 to 10 years since CSL had not yet been modernized. On 20 March 2002, the then Defence Minister GEORGE FERNANDES stated that the Navy had reassessed their requirement and proposed building a larger vessel displacing 37,500 tons, measuring 252 meters by 58 meters and with a top speed of 28 knots. In August 2006, the then Chief of Naval Staff - ADMIRAL ARUN PRAKASH stated that the designation for the vessel has been changed from Air Defence Ship (ADS) to Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC). He also stated that delivery to the Indian Navy will be within 7 to 8 years and that would suggest a commissioning date of 2014.
THE NEED OF AIRCRAFT CARRIERS
INDIA is a big country and has a very big coastline and oil reserves in the INDIAN OCEAN. INDIA's EEZ is set to grow by 2010 and INDIAN NAVY has the daunting task to protect the maritime interest of INDIAN GOV. INDIAN NAVY has a present fleet of 134 ships that is set to grow. INDIAN NAVY has a projected estimate of 180 ships and this will revolve around its requirement of three aircraft carriers. INDIA has to acquire three aircraft carriers to project its strength in the near future in the INDIAN OCEAN region. The INDIAN OCEAN region in the near future will be the hot bed for commerce and by the opening of the SETUSAMUDRAM project ( the sea canal between INDIA and SRI LANKA ) INDIAN OCEAN region will gain more importance as the growing clout of ASIAN market specially CHINA and INDIA will dominate the future WORLD market. Now lets learn about the INDAIN OCEAN region. INDIAN OCEAN region as the name signifies is around INDIA and some part of ASIA and northern AFRICA. As the economies of the ASIAN giants grow as it is projected that by 2050 INDIAN and CHINESE economy will be among the top three in the world, already from the sea lane 40 present of world oil passes through. And according to strategists this place will be the hot bed for future conflicts. So INDIA has to protect and guard its sea lane because more than 90 percent of INDIAN trade is done through the sea lane and to do so it has to project and maintain true blue water navy that can defend its interest in the golden future ahead. INDIAN NAVY is now in a transformational phase where it is moving from a coastal navy to realizing its dream to become a truly blue water navy, projecting its strength from the gulf of Persia to Indian Ocean. So the need of the day is to have a right mix of modern combat vessels and upgrading the existing vessels. Any navy in the world does not have the capabilities to maintain all new vessels in its fleet and especially in context to the INDIA NAVY where there was no new combat vessel ordered in the nineties; it was a lost decade for the INDIAN NAVY. The need of the day is INDIAN NAVY orders new combat vessel to replace the vessels that are in the end of their life cycle. In the mid sixties defence researchers rightly pointed out that INDIA will need three aircraft carriers. Due to resource crunch the navy could settle for just two aircraft carriers although the procurement of the aircraft carriers heralded INDIA into a select club of nations which possessed and operates these mighty vessels .These two vessels were procured from BRITAIN and were in the mid cycle of their life so these cannot be operated for a long time. VIKRANT which joined the navy first shaped the 1971 war and all the laurels goes to the strategist and the seamen who used the carrier in the best way possible to turn the war into a win and eventually was able to free BANGLADESH from PAKISTAN. Eventually VIRAAT was commissioned in the services in the eighties. In the end of the century INDAIN NAVY has to decommission VIKRANT and INDIA was left with the solitary aircraft carrier VIRAAT. The obvious choice for the INDIAN NAVY was to procure an aircraft carrier and the only option after a long search in the world market was the ADMIRAL GORSHKOV. ADMIRAL GORSHKOV was an aircraft carrier of the RUSSIAN NAVY. Originally named BAKU, she was the fourth of the Project 1143 aircraft carrying cruisers, known as the KIEV class. The ship was laid down in 1978, launched in 1982, and commissioned in 1987. In terms of her armament, the BAKU was built with a modified design relative to the other three KIEV class vessels; however, she carried an identical air wing, consisting of a squadron of twelve YAK-38 'Forger' V/STOL aircraft, twelve Ka-27 'Helix-A' ASW/SAR helicopters and two Ka-31 'Helix' AEW helicopters.In the collapse of the SOVIET UNION, the city of BAKU (which the ship was named after) became part of independent AZERBAIJAN, and afterwards the ship was renamed ADMIRAL GORSHKOV, in honor of SERGEY GORSHKOV commander in chief of the SOVIET NAVY during the Cold War. In 1994, following a boiler room explosion, the ship was docked for a year of repairs. Although she returned to service in 1995, she was finally withdrawn in 1996 and offered for sale.After years of negotiations, on Jan 20,2004, RUSSIA and INDIA signed a deal to buy aircraft-carrier ADMIRAL GORSHKOV, along with 12 single-seat MiG-29K 'Fulcrum-D' and 4 dual-seat MiG-29KUB, as well as facilities and procedures for training of pilots and technical staff, delivery of simulators, spare parts, and establishment maintenance on INDIAN NAVY facilities. Upgrade plans involve stripping all the weaponry from the ship's foredeck to make way for Short Take-Off But Assisted Recovery configuration, with a 14.3 degree ski-jump on the bow and three arrestor wires on the angled deck, allowing her to operate the MiG-29K 'Fulcrum' and SEA HARRIER aircraft. It is estimated that the ship will enter service in the INDIAN NAVY in 2008 as INS VIKRAMADITYA.
In 1989 a plan was announced to build two new aircraft carriers, with the first vessel to replace the VIKRANT, which was set to decommission in early 1997. A contract for a design study then was signed in 1989 with DCN (Direction des Constructions Navales) International (currently known as DCNS) of France for a vessel of about 25,000 tons and with a speed of 30 knots. Construction was to start at the Cochin Shipyard (CSL) in 1993 after the Indian Naval Design Organization had translated this design study into a production model. However, in 1991, the Committee on Defence Expenditure informed the INDIAN NAVY to abandon plans for large aircraft carriers and shift the design effort to the ITALIAN GARIBALDI Class due to budgetary constraints. In September 1993, the Chief of Naval Staff 'ADMIRAL L. RAMDAS' - restated the commitment to have a large aircraft carrier ready for trials by 2000, yet no firm decision had been made to provide funds or begin construction. The then Chief of Naval Staff - ADMIRAL SUSHIL KUMAR stated the vessel will be built at an estimated cost of Rs.20 billion at CSL. Another Rs.50 million will be spent on expanding CSL's shipyards warehousing space, extending its marshalling yard and acquiring new equipment as the vessel is the largest and broadest ship ever to built in India. In 2001, CSL released an image illustrating the 32,000-ton STOBAR (Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery) design with a pronounced ski jump. The design of the superstructure and sensor suite was considerably different from the model displayed at Def Expo 1999. In February 2002, the then Chief of Naval Staff ADMIRAL MADHVENDRA SINGH - stated that the commissioning of the ADS will take 8 to 10 years since CSL had not yet been modernized. On 20 March 2002, the then Defence Minister GEORGE FERNANDES stated that the Navy had reassessed their requirement and proposed building a larger vessel displacing 37,500 tons, measuring 252 meters by 58 meters and with a top speed of 28 knots. In August 2006, the then Chief of Naval Staff - ADMIRAL ARUN PRAKASH stated that the designation for the vessel has been changed from Air Defence Ship (ADS) to Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC). He also stated that delivery to the Indian Navy will be within 7 to 8 years and that would suggest a commissioning date of 2014.
Now according to the earlier envisaged plan now INDIAN NAVY is planning to start production of the second aircraft carrier as soon the first IAC is commissioned that means INDAIN NAVY may operate 3 aircraft carriers by 2020. If the above plan goes as planned then INDIA can call itself true blue water navy and project its strength in the whole of INDIAN OCEAN and can change political decisions.
