Posted on 01/04/2014 10:46:38 AM PST by sukhoi-30mki
It was a sight to behold. As India’s newest aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya entered the Indian Navy’s area of operation in north western Arabian Sea, accompanied by three other vessels, it was rendezvoused — in Naval parlance RVed — with the Western Fleet that had gone all the way from Mumbai to receive it.
INS Vikramaditya, which was accompanied by INS Trikand, which is a Talwar class frigate, INS Delhi which is a Delhi class destroyer and INS Deepak, the fleet tanker, fired ceremonial guns to salute the flag of the fleet commander Rear Admiral Anand Chawla, who was leading the flotilla of the Western Fleet, that also comprised aircraft carrier INS Viraat.
The other ships besides INS Viraat which had gone to receive INS Vikramaditya included two Delhi class destroyers, three Trishul class stealth frigates, a Godavari class frigate and a couple of offshore vessels.
All this happened about 1200 nautical miles from the country's shores on New Year’s eve and thereafter all the aircraft carriers, frigates and destroyers together set sail for India.
INS Vikramaditya, which was commissioned into the Indian Navy on November 16 last at the North Russian shipyard of Sevmash at Severodvinsk, is now headed for its home port at Karwar in Karnataka where it is scheduled to reach in a week’s time.
Commanded by Captain Suraj Berry, INS Vikramaditya -- which took eight years to refurbish at the Russian yard -- would reach Karwar on completing a near 8500 nautical mile journey.
On reaching Karwar, the aircraft carrier would re-equip and prepare and get ready for the next phase which would be its integration with the air wing, comprising about 30 Mig 29K aircraft and six Kamov Ka-31 “Helix” reconnaissance and anti-submarine helicopters.
It would take around four to six months for the full integration of the aircraft carrier after which it will become the spearhead of the carrier battle group. During this period, the aircraft carrier would also be equipped with surface-to-air missile (SAM) and close-in weapon system (CIWS) to safeguard it from aerial attack.
At the time of commissioning of INS Vikramaditya Indian Navy Chief Admiral D.K. Joshi had indicated that Indian naval fighter pilots would be certified to carry out flying operations from the carrier deck within weeks of the carrier’s arrival in India.
While a batch of combat fliers from ‘Black Panther’ squadron has undertaken simulator training in Moscow, before the flying operations from the carrier deck, they are also scheduled to perfect take-off and landing on the shore-based test facility (SBTF) at INS Hansa in Goa.
This is very good. Keeps China looking both ways.
Too bad America (including the current Admin) has a penchant for dissing off the Indians — our natural allies (along with Japan, Vietnam, and the Philippines) in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Except for the jump noses on the carriers, it could be a pic of Halsey’s fleet entering Tokyo bay..
ping...
What are they for? Our carriers don't have them, but the Brits and Indians and others do.
CC
They are for STOL aircraft like the Harrier or equivalent.
a few hulls missing:
Allied Ships Present in Tokyo Bay During the Surrender Ceremony, 2 September 1945. The ships in the list below are listed alphabetically within each type. US Navy ships have hull numbers and Allied ships have pendant numbers. The following abbreviations are used for military ships: HMS=British, HMAS=Australian, HMNZS=New Zealand, USS=American.
Source: Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet and Pacific Ocean Areas (CINCPAC/CINCPOA) A16-3/FF12 Serial 0395, 11 February 1946: Report of Surrender and Occupation of Japan. Additions and subtractions made based on war diary, deck log and other sources.
Battleships (BB)
USS Colorado (BB-45) USS Mississippi (BB-41)
HMS Duke of York (17) USS Missouri (BB-63)
USS Idaho (BB-42) USS New Mexico (BB-40)
USS Iowa (BB-61) USS South Dakota (BB-57)
HMS King George V (41) USS West Virginia (BB-48)
Small Aircraft Carriers (CVL)
USS Bataan (CVL-29) USS Cowpens (CVL-25)
Escort Carriers (CVE)
HMS Ruler (D.72) HMS Speaker (D.90)
Salamaua
Heavy Cruisers (CA)
USS Boston (CA-69) USS St. Paul (CA-73)
USS Chicago (CA-136) HMAS Shropshire (96)
USS Quincy (CA-71)
Light Cruisers (CL)
USS Detroit (CL-8) USS Pasadena (CL-65)
HMNZS Gambia (48) USS San Diego (CL-53)
HMAS Hobart (I.63) USS San Juan (CL-54)
HMS Newfoundland (59) USS Springfield (CL-66)
USS Oakland (CL-95) USS Wilkes-Barre (CL-103)
Destroyers (DD)
USS Ault (DD-698) USS Mayo (DD-422)
USS Benham (DD-796) HMAS Napier (G.97)
USS Blue (DD-744) HMAS Nizam (G.38)
USS Buchanon (DD-484) USS Nicholas (DD-449)
USS Caperton (DD-650) USS Perkins (DD-877)
USS Charles F. Hughes (DD-428)# HMS Quality (G.62)
USS Clarence K. Bronson (DD-668) USS Robert K. Huntington (DD-781)
USS Cogswell (DD-651) USS Southerland (DD-743)
USS Colahan (DD-658) USS Stockham (DD-683)
USS Cotten (DD-669) USS Taylor (DD-468)
USS Cushing (DD-797) HMS Teazer (R.23)
USS De Haven (DD-727) HMS Tenacious (R.45)
USS Dortch (DD-670) HMS Terpsichore (R.33)
USS Frank Knox (DD-742) USS Twining (DD-540)
USS Gatling (DD-671) USS Uhlmann (DD-687)
USS Halsey Powell (DD-686) USS Wadleigh (DD-689)
USS Healy (DD-672) HMS Wager (R.98)
USS Hilary P. Jones (DD-427) USS Wallace L. Lind (DD-703)
USS Ingersoll (DD-652) HMAS Warramunga (I.44)
USS Kalk (DD-611) USS Wedderburn (DD-684)
USS Knapp (DD-653) HMS Whelp (R.37)
USS Lansdowne (DD-486) HMS Wizard (R.72)
USS Lardner (DD-487) USS Wren (DD-568)
USS Madison (DD-425) USS Yarnall (DD-541)
Destroyer Escorts (DE)
USS Goss (DE-444) USS Ulvert M. Moore (DE-442)
USS Kendall C. Campbell (DE-443) USS Waterman (DE-740)
USS Lyman (DE-302) USS Weaver (DE-741)
USS Major (DE-796) USS William Seiverling (DE-441)
USS Roberts (DE-749)
Frigates
HMS Derg (K.257) HMAS Gascoyne (K.354)
Sloops
HMS Crane (U.23) HMS Whimbrel (U.29)
Light Mine layer (DM)
USS Gwin (DM-33) USS Thomas E. Fraser (DM-24)
Mine Sweeper, High Speed (DMS)
USS Ellyson (DMS-19) USS Hopkins (DMS-13)
USS Fitch (DMS-25) USS Jeffers (DMS-27)
USS Gherardi (DMS-30) USS Macomb (DMS-23)
USS Hambleton (DMS-20)
Submarines (SS)
USS Archer-Fish (SS-311) USS Pilotfish (SS-386)
USS Cavalla (SS-244) USS Razorback (SS-394)
USS Gato (SS-212) USS Runner (SS-476)
USS Haddo (SS-255) USS Sea Cat (SS-399)
USS Hake (SS-256) USS Segundo (SS-398)
USS Muskallunge (SS-262) USS Tigrone (SS-419)
Submarine Chasers (PC)
*Numbered ships given names in 1956.
PC-466 [USS Carmil]* PCE(R)-849 [USS Somersworth]*
PCE-877 [USS Havre]* PCE(R)-850 [USS Fairview]*
PCE(R)-848
Motor Gunboat (PGM)
PGM-16 PGM-32
PGM-26
Minesweeper (AM)
HMAS Ballarat (K.34) USS Pochard (AM-375)
HMAS Cessnock (J.175) USS Revenge (AM-110)
HMAS Ipswich (J.186) USS Token (AM-126)
USS Pheasant (AM-61) USS Tumult (AM-127)
HMAS Pirie (J.189)
Motor Mine Sweeper (YMS)
*Numbered ships named and reclassified in 1947
YMS-177 YMS-390
YMS-268 YMS-415
YMS-276 YMS-426
YMS-343 YMS-441 [USS Pelican (AMS-32)]*
YMS-362 [USS Hawk (AMS-17)]* YMS-461 [USS Swallow (AMS-36)]*
YMS-371 [USS Hornbill (AMS-19)]* YMS-467
Auxiliary Mine Layer (ACM)
USS Picket (ACM-8)
Amphibious Force Flagship (AGC)
USS Ancon (AGC-4) USS Teton (AGC-14)
USS Mount Olympus (AGC-8)
High Speed Transport (APD)
USS Barr (APD-39) USS Pavlic (APD-70)
USS Begor (APD-127) USS Reeves (APD-52)
USS Burke (APD-65) USS Runels (APD-85)
USS Gosselin APD-126) USS Sims (APD-50)
USS Hollis APD-86) USS Wantuck (APD-125)
USS Horace A. Bass APD-124) USS William M. Pattison (APD-104)
USS John Q. Roberts(APD-94)
Tank Landing Ship (LST)
*Numbered ships named in 1955.
LST-567 LST-789
LST-648 LST-846 [USS Jennings County]*
LST-717 LST-1083 [USS Plumas County]*
LST-718 LST-1139
Landing Ship, Dock (LSD)
USS Catamount (LSD-17) USS Shadwell (LSD-15)
Landing Craft, Infantry (LCI)
LCI(L)-438 LCI(L)-469
LCI(L)-441 LCI(L)-726
LCI(L)-450 LCI(L)-752
LCI(L)-457 LCI(L)-798
LCI(L)-458
Medium Landing Ship (LSM)
LSM-13 LSM-290
LSM-15 LSM-362
LSM-71 LSM-368
LSM-101 LSM-371
LSM-208 LSM-419
LSM-252 LSM-488
LSM-284
Landing Ship, Vehicle (LSV)
USS Monitor (LSV-5) USS Ozark (LSV-2)
Attack Transport (APA)
USS Bosque (APA-135) USS Highlands (APA-119)
USS Botetourt (APA-136) USS Lavaca (APA 180)
USS Briscoe (APA-65) USS Lenawee (APA-195)
USS Cecil (APA-96) USS Mellette (APA-156)
USS Clearfield (APA-142) USS Missoula (APA-211)
USS Cullman (APA-78) USS Rutland (APA-192)
USS Darke (APA-159) USS St. Mary’s (APA-126)
USS Dauphin (APA-97) USS Sherburne (APA-205)
USS Deuel (APA-160) USS Sheridan (APA-51)
USS Dickens (APA-161) USS Talladega (APA-208)
USS Hansford (APA-106)
Transport (AP)
USS General Sturgis (AP-137)
Attack Cargo Ship (AKA)
USS Libra (AKA-12) USS Todd (AKA-71)
USS Medea (AKA-31) USS Tolland (AKA-64)
USS Pamina (AKA-34) USS Whiteside (AKA-90)
USS Sirona (AKA-43) USS Yancy (AKA-93)
USS Skagit (AKA-105)
Cargo Ship (AK)
USS Lesuth (AK-125)
Civilian Cargo Ships
St. Lawrence Victory (US) Winthrop Victory (US)
Stores Issue Ship (AKS)
USS Cybele (AKS-10)
Repair Ship (AR)
USS Delta (AR-9)
Landing Craft Repair Ship (ARL)
USS Patroclus (ARL-19)
Oiler (AO)
USS Chiwawa (AO-68) USS Niobrara (AO-72)
USS Mascoma (AO-83) USS Tamalpais (AO-96)
USS Neches (AO-47)
Civilian Oilers
Carelia (British) Fort Wrangell (British)
City of Dieppe (British) Wave King (British)
Dingledale (British)
Gasoline Tanker (AOG)
USS Genesee (AOG-8)
Destroyer Tender (AD)
USS Piedmont (AD-17)
Hospital Ship (AH)
USS Benevolence (AH-13) HMHS Tjitjalengka (Dutch)
Marigold (U.S. Army)
Seaplane Tender (AV)
USS Cumberland Sound (AV-17) USS Hamlin (AV-15)
Small Seaplane Tender (AVP)
USS Gardiners Bay (AVP-39) USS Suisun (AVP-53)
USS Mackinac (AVP-13)
Submarine Tender (AS)
USS Proteus (AS-19)
Submarine Rescue Ship (ASR)
USS Greenlet (ASR-10)
Fleet Ocean Tug (ATF)
USS Moctobi (ATF-105) USS Wenatchee (ATF-118)
Auxiliary Ocean Tug (ATA)
*Numbered ship named in 1955
ATA-205 [USS Sciota]*
Ocean Tug, Old (ATO)
USS Woodcock (ATO-145)
If I can find it, there are several incredible pictures of several hundred USN ships at anchor in Tokyo Bay..they're moored to each other 6-10 abreast in some cases..
I asked that question once, and several other posters here explained that the catapult system used by U.S. carriers requires so much power and expertise to operate that almost every other navy concludes that it isn’t worth it.
PCE-877 [USS Havre]
Served as a Reserve Naval Training Ship on the Great Lakes in the 1970’s.
When I was in the Naval Reserve, my 1967 two week summer training cruise was from Great Lakes NTC to Wakegan, achhored of Big Beaver Island, to Mackinac and then down to her home berth at Brodhead Naval Armory at the foot of Jefferson in Detroit. What a Blast.
Next year to the Tonkin Gulf.
VAW-116 aboard USS Coral Sea CVA-43
Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club 1968-69
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