Indian Navy Takes Big Strides Toward Blue Water Capability

Ascent Marked by USS Trenton Handover, Impending Carrier Delivery and Rising Cooperation with U.S. Navy

The INS Jalashwa, the newest addition to the Indian Navy was commissioned at the Norfolk, Virginia naval station on June 22, 2007. Formerly the U.S. Navy’s amphibious transport dock USS Trenton (LPD-14), the Jalashwa will increase India’s power projection capabilities well into the Indian Ocean and beyond. The ship’s transfer marks an important step in U.S.-India relations, declared Indian Ambassador Ronen Sen, who attended the commissioning ceremony. “The commissioning of INS Jalashwa is…a reflection of the trust and long-term commitment that both sides bring to this relationship.” Sen said he was confident that the ship “will become part of this growing interaction and connection between the Indian and U.S. Armed Forces.”

The ship will dramatically enhance the Indian navy’s sealift and airlift capabilities, providing a platform for power projection and the ability to transport and deploy expeditionary forces. Crewed by 27 officers and 302 sailors, the Jalashwa will sail to India shortly after completing a series of trials and certifications.

The Indian government purchased the Trenton for $48.23 million, Indian Defense Minister Pranab Mukherjee announced in a 2006 speech to Parliament.

Along with carrying 968 fully-equipped combat troops and their assault vehicles, the ship can function as a command and control platform during mishaps at sea like offshore oil installation fires and maritime air accidents. It will also provide the Indian navy the ability to conduct large-scale relief operations and humanitarian missions, such as those required in the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami.

Indian Navy Captain Brinder Ahluwalia, Jalashwa’s commanding officer, spoke warmly about his experience with his American counterparts. “For two months, we’ve been working shoulder to shoulder with U.S. Naval personnel and staying with them to complete tasks and evolutions…I just want to thank [them]… the ship would not be what it is today without them,” a U.S. Navy news release quoted him as saying.

The U.S. Navy and the Indian Navy have seen increased cooperation in recent years, with joint projects such as the annual Malabar exercises, which began in 1993, were suspended in the wake of the 1998 nuclear tests, and resumed in 2002.

Since then, Malabar has developed from a set of basic maneuvers to one of the most sophisticated bilateral military exercises conducted by the U.S. Navy.

In 2002, the Malabar exercises consisted of basic passing maneuvers among naval vessels, as well as personnel exchanges, antisubmarine exercises and replenishment-at-sea maneuvers. By 2003 and 2004, however, Malabar participants included such advanced American platforms as the USS Alexandria (SSN-757), a Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine, and U.S. Navy P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft, enabling both sides to engage in submarine familiarization exercises, a key capability for antisubmarine warfare collaboration.

In 2005, Malabar featured the participation of two aircraft carriers, the USS Nimitz and India’s INS Viraat. During a month of operations, U.S. and Indian forces collaborated on a wide variety of tasks ranging from a joint diving salvage operation to a 24-hour “war at sea” scenario that saw mixed formations of U.S. and Indian forces face off in mock combat. In 2006, a U.S. Expeditionary Strike Group made up of amphibious ships, cruisers, destroyers, and submarines participated in and led the exercises for the first time, while Malabar 2007 focused on visit, boarding, search, and seizure (VBSS), surface exercises, formation steaming, coordinated surface fire support, air defense exercises and antisubmarine warfare training.

This growing cooperation should see long-term benefits for the United States. Exposure of the Indian Navy to U.S. technology, capabilities, and practices is the first step toward developing interoperability between the two forces. This cooperation is particularly important in light of India’s long-held goal of protecting its strategic interests throughout and even beyond the Indian Ocean. In April 2003, the military plan developed by India’s Directorate of Defense Policy and Planning for the army, air force, and navy advocated a rapid reaction capability for real-time troop deployment to countries around the rim of the Indian Ocean.

In January 2004, India signed a $1.6 billion contract to purchase the retired Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov. Roughly half of the money will be spent to modernize the ship. The rest will be used, it was reported, to acquire 12 Russian single-seat MiG-29K ‘Fulcrum-D’ and 4 dual-seat MiG-29KUB fighter aircraft, 6 Kamov Ka-31 ‘Helix’ attack and reconnaissance anti-submarine helicopters, torpedo tubes, missile systems and artillery units 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.

Plans for the Gorshkov include constructing a 14.3¼ bow ski-ramp for the launching of aircraft instead of the more complex steam catapult system used by the United States Navy. Two restraining stands will also be fitted, allowing aircraft to reach full power before making the ramp-assisted short take-off. Prior to this, the ship was only capable of launching Yak-38 Forger verticle take-off and landing (VTOL) fighters as well as helicopters.

Under the modernization plan, the 20-ton capacity elevator beside the ship’s island superstructure will remain unchanged, but the aft lift will be enlarged and its lift capacity increased to 30 tons. Three arresting gears would be fitted on the aft part of the angled deck. Navigation and carrier-landing aids would be refitted to support fixed-wing STOBAR (Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery) operations including an optical landing system.

The ship’s eight boilers are being overhauled and converted to take diesel fuel instead of furnace fuel oil, and modern oil-water separators as well as sewage treatment plant are being incorporated to meet international standards. The Gorshkov is also being fitted with six new Italian-made Wärtsilä 1.5 MW diesel generators, a Global Marine communications system, Sperry Bridgemaster navigation radar, a new telephone exchange, new data link, and an “Identification Friend or Foe” (IFF) Mk XI system.

It is scheduled to become operational in 2008, the same year the INS Viraat, India’s sole aircraft carrier, is scheduled for decommissioning.

Sharing a border and a history of tension and conflict with politically unpredictable Pakistan, a troubled history with China, India has also acquired and developed new and advanced weapons systems in an attempt to balance the South Asian strategic equation.

In 2004, the Indian government concluded a lease-purchase agreement for two Russian-built Akula-II attack submarines, the first nuclear-powered submarines to serve in the Indian Navy since a 1988-1992 trial of an obsolete Russian Charlie-class boat. The Akula-II is able to launch anti-ship missiles and advanced long-range, rocket-propelled torpedoes.

In addition, BrahMos Aerospace, the corporate joint venture between India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and NPOM, Russia’s state-supported cruise missile and space technology design bureau, developed an anti-ship missile capable of being launched from surface ships, submarines and aircraft and with a tactical land-attack capability. The BrahMos missile, believed to be the first supersonic anti-ship/land attack missile, was inducted into the Indian Defense forces in November 2006 after a series of successful flight trials. The Indian Navy is reported to be installing the missile on its ships, while the Army is scheduled to field initial systems in 2007.

Every former US ship, plane or other military hardware sold to another country needs to have a secret, remotely operated self destruct device installed, so if it is turned against us we only need to push the button...

I always considered the Indian Navy as blue-water capable and superior what the Chinese have now. A strong Indian Navy makes a good counterbalance to a strengthening Chinese fleet.

India could be our most important global ally, after the UK. They have the same interests, by and large, and could become a real military powerhouse.

If I had to take bets over who was going to be the next military superpower, my money is on the Indians over the Chinese.

By 2003 and 2004, however, Malabar participants included such advanced American platforms as the USS Alexandria (SSN-757), a Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine...

BTW, as a complete non-sequitur, did you know the official spelling of Alexandria in Egypt is now Al Iskandariyah? All these years we all thought it was named after Alexander the Great, and it turns out it was some dumb-ass Arabic name all along. Who knew?

I wonder how long it will be before the far-Lefty City Council of Alexandria, VA changes the spelling of their city's name to follow suit...

.....and also pray the country buying the hardware should be stupid enough not to be able to figure out the existance of such a system on board and its purpose.

You've been reading too many Tom Clancey novels.

With the demise of Britain as a major world power and limits to American capacity on the high seas, India should fulfill an important role in the ocean named after their nation, an ocean that links the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia. It looks like the United States and Russia are competing for influence in India, an extension of the two centuries old rivalry of Russia and Britain/America in southern Asia. For all our rhetoric about democracy and freedom and that of the Muslims against Crusaders and Zionists, the conflict in the Middle East and South Asia resembles the old struggles between the Russian Tsar and the British Raj, and later, Stalin and Churchill, over Persia and Afghanistan.

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Um, Britain has the third highest military budget in the world in absolute terms, and R&D and power projection capability second only to the United States. India has not yet entered the same league as the UK.....

http://www.mapsofworld.com/world-top-ten/world-top-ten-military-spending-countries-map.html

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