Posted on 06/26/2005 5:22:19 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
US offers training on aircraft carrier and presence in Pacific
Defence Minister Mukherjee to meet Secy Rumsfeld at Pentagon on Tuesday
SHISHIR GUPTA
NEW DELHI, JUNE 25: From an offer to train Indian naval pilots to posting an Indian officer in the Pacific Command and possibly in the Florida-based Central Command as well, Washington is ready with a slew of proposals for Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee as he begins his US trip tonight.
Although a careful Mukherjee has called the visit ‘‘exploratory,’’ these proposals are expected to be discussed when he meets US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld at the Pentagon on Tuesday.
Sources said that Washington will offer to train Indian naval pilots in strategic aircraft-carrier operations. The proposal to have an Indian officer at the Hawaii-based Pacific Command is meant for improved coordination in the Indian Ocean.
Although Mukherjee and his Defence Secretary are studying the proposals, the Indian diplomatic establishment has already done its homework with a visit to the Pacific Command. That the US wants to upgrade the military relationship with India is clear from the fact that only Japan, South Korea and Australia have liaison officers based at the Hawaii command.
Incidentally, the NDA, too, led by its External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh had discussed the idea of an Indian presence in this command with Washington.
The aircraft-carrier pilot training will be done at the Naval Air Training Command at Pensacola in Florida. This school was established in 1914 and has given over 100,000 ‘‘wings of gold’’ to naval pilots using 16 squadrons for training aircraft. It offers year-long training in naval helicopter, propeller or multi-engine and strike warfare operations.
Though the Indian Navy trains its carrier pilots at INS Hansa at Goa and on-board its sole aircraft carrier Viraat, it needs help to train pilots using ‘‘catapult’’ operations. This is because Navy will be shifting from vertical take-off and landing aircraft Sea Harrier, deployed on Viraat, to MiG-29 K that will use a steam powered catapult on-board Admiral Gorshkov or INS Vikramaditya. The new aircraft carrier is likely to join the Navy in 2007.
US offers to train Indian Navy for Adm Gorshkov
MANOJ K. DAS
KOCHI, APRIL 12: The US has offered to train Indian naval pilots in complex carrier-based operations to ready them for operating from INS Vikramaditya — formerly Admiral Gorshkov — which will reach India by 2007-08.
The offer has come as a surprise as no US hardware is on the Navy’s radar. India has no plans to immediately acquire any US naval system as the country is planning a bouquet of Russian MiG-29Ks and Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) on all future floating platforms. In fact, the Air Defence Ship (ADS) being built in Kochi has been designed to operate MiG-29Ks and UK-made Sea Harriers along with the LCAs.
The US offer, sources said, was made during the recent visit of Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Arun Prakash. The Navy, however, has not fully finalised the module and pattern of deployment. Sources said future aviators who will operate on aircraft carriers have been shortlisted. ‘‘We have identified pilots who will fly from Gorshkov. Another generation will inherit this training by the time the ADS is ready by 2012. A training module in Russia will begin later this year or in early 2006,’’ sources said.
The pilots will be first trained from a shore-based Russian facility complete with advanced feature called ‘sea jump’. This mount, that gives any modern carrier its silhouette signature, adds to the thrust when an aircraft scrambles off. ‘‘The facility has landing strip fitted with arrestor wires. It will give our pilots real-time experience in meeting challenges posed by carrier-based operations,’’ the sources added.
The training will then shift to INS Vikramaditya by the time its refitting is done.
Confirming the US offer, Admiral Arun Prakash said the Navy was mulling over it. ‘‘We’re looking into it. But there is no talk about any aircraft procurement from US,’’ he said.
Ping!!
Sounds good.
Growing chinese power is threatening ASEAN nations. Japan , Taiwan, S Korea and Singapore already recognise this threat and have hence warmed upto America.
India fits in as a long-term countervailing presence in the Indian ocean area, methinks.
Well-same for me too!!Though I must add that a lot of Russian articles about the Gorshkov's refit keeping talking about a catapult .May probably be a mistake given that it would be a significant technical challenge.
Any navy would love to buy an American carrier(even if it's 40 years old),provided that they get a half a dozen escorts & auxillary ships along with the airgroup free of cost!!!!
yeah... give the Indians the JFK. I bet the mess could serve up some mean tandori chicken.
Thanks for the ping.
Does US training on Russian equipment make sense?
Again...surround China.
Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, India
Well the lines between Western & Eastern weaponry have been blurred since the end of the coldwar,with Russian systems being adapted to carry Western equipment.Besides,what matters is how you use the equipment.Most of the training will probably be on operational tactics than about the platforms themselves.
The F/A-18 would be too expensive & besides the Mig-29 is already in service with the Indian Airforce.Modifying the Mig-29K for a catapult take off or ski-jump from a 350 metre deck US carrier will be more economical.
I dunno. We are gonna need those bone yard aircraft ourselves when we go to war with China.
I agree. We are going to need that Indian Navy battlegroup to watch our six when China goes after Taiwan in a few years. So it makes sense to buddy up with them.
Um, that's (one of) the point(s) of selling the stuff to India. Geopolitical considerations make India a completely reliable ally against both the jihad and China. No need to refurbish the 'bone yard' stuff when war hits: it will already be up and running, in theater, in the hands of an ally.
Well Im not sure that I'll see Indian & Chinese carriers in each other's backyard atleast for the next 10 years.The resources for both are pretty stretched & any over ambition would be plain suicidal.
Your right about the flightdeck space.I think any non-American carrier will face that problem,esp with regard to a large number of defensive equipment or as with Russian carriers,anti-ship missiles.
The SKoreans aren't to be trusted in that alliance -- they WILL stay neutral (Korea's been in China's orbit for centuries). The ones to Trust are Japan, India, Vietnam, Russia -- all historic rivals of China. probably we could swing the Aussies too.
Hey, don't forget about New Zealand's naval might!
/sarcasm.
It should be required viewing for every school child (around 10 or 11 yo) and cerainly every member of the UN.
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