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New Delhi, 14 January 2003
The
Indian Navy has a friend in Defence Minister George Fernandes. His
socialist leanings have a working relationship with the Russians and
things move fast when he puts his mind to it. A report in ET
suggests that there is a cushion of Rs 3000 crores to spare in the
Defence Budget. We suggest that FM Jaswant Singh must not use it to
control the fiscal deficit and George Fernandes must not fall into
such a trap.
There
is a big Economic Conference at Neemrana and they are all going to
ask India to control the deficit but we hope not at the expense of
the Defence Plans. The Nation must remember 04 December 1971, for
well was it said –– 'God and Soldiers are remembered only in
times of trouble.' Once trouble is over the soldier is slighted and God
forgotten. That was the day when the Indian Navy's killer Missile
Boats sank three ships and the oil depots at Kamari off
Karachi, with IAF support, who also attacked but did not take the
credit as ACM Lal wanted it to be kept secret. This action and those
off what is now Bangla Desh saw a quick end to the 1971 war.
It
was the Soviet supplied equipment that made the day for the Navy's
brilliant performance in the war. Ranjit Rai’s book "A Nation
and Its Navy at War " (Lancers) is dedicated to the Sailors of
the Indian Navy and Admiral of the
Fleet Sergei Gorshkov the greatest builder of any Navy. He was kind
to the Indian Navy and saw to it that the best possible hardware was
supplied even if there was disagreement amongst the Soviet General
Staff.
Things
have changed and the defence sales are now more commercial to be
paid for in dollars but the underpinning of time tested friendship
and cooperation remain vital. Defence News had a report that Indian
Navy was offered second hand Spruance Class destroyers by USA.
It may be so but we feel this to be kite flying and the section of
opinion that looks at these old ships must be curbed. We
can and must do with better ships. Hence this analysis.
It
is bitterly cold in Russia and a piece
in Pioneer tells you the water pipes froze in Moscow. Defence
Minister George Fernandes is proceeding to Moscow on 14th
January for 8 days with a large team of senior officers, which
includes Admirals, Generals and Air Marshals, for the Inter
Ministerial Meet.
The
Air Force programmes including SU-30 MKI are running well and the
Refuellers IL-78 are due to join soon giving the IAF longer
reaches. The accident rate has come down marginally. The Army
is in good shape with the troops back to peace stations. It needs
the Smerch and is proudly displaying T-90S tanks on the ARMY DAY
Parade on 15th Jan with ALH, LANCERS and
the TANGUSKA. The T-90s can fire the Refleck Anti Tank Missile from
the 125 mm smooth bore barrel and results are good. The T-72 Tanks
are being upgraded with Polish fire control.
Navy’s
Requirements
It
is the Navy’s needs that the nation should support and not
procrastinate. In view of the time taken to build warships, the
Navy's programmes take time hence the needs should be catered for
well in time. The GORSHKOV deal, nuclear submarine acquisition,
INS TALWAR’s commissioning and assistance for spares are Navy’s
critical needs. Media indicates that all this is now a package and
George should accept as such, now that the row in Samata party
that kept him in Patna has cooled.
Join
the Navy and see the world, is a well known cliche but now it is
beginning to come true in a larger measure for the tars of
the fine Indian Navy. The current year saw the Navy's budget
jump from 13 to 15% of the total Defence cake and the Navy rode
new waves of achievements both in the operational and administrative
spheres. It successfully patrolled the Straits of Malacca and waters
off Indonesia with the Indonesian Navy, and with the Sri Lankan
Navy. The International Fleet Review at Mumbai in 2001 had
opened the eyes of 42 Navies of the World that came to the event and
evinced great interest when they realised how much the Indian Navy
had achieved by helping itself in ship construction. The Type 17
Frigate being built at Mazdocks will be a potent ship and another
programme is now on the drawing board with the Russians. The Navy
will fire the BRAHMOS soon and induct this singing dancing
missile by the year end.
The only
blip was ill fated accident to two IL 38 aircraft’s on 01 October
2002 when the Squadron was celebrating its record of 30,000 accident
free flying –– but such are the risks which a fighting force
must take.
Yet
there were smiles on Naval faces on the just gone by
Navy Day on 04 Dec 02 when in high spirits they met the VIPs at Navy
House though the PM was conspicious by his absence at the
elegant reception.
In
2002 the Indian Navy set records in its operational
deployments. 26 ships visited 24 foreign ports in its traditional
silent way and opened its ships to school children and visitors at
all ports and establishments, even though the security requirements
were tight. 55 Foreign Naval ships visited India in 2002.
Great
Navies have always held core values as their strength and so it
was no surprise the CNS Admiral Madhavendra Singh, son of a
distinguished Major General has set goals within the sanctioned
15 year ship building programme and the 30 year Submarine building
programme to go from a 136 ship to 185 ship Navy in the next 20
years. India will need it, because by then the Nuclear deterrent at
sea will be a fact of life. We hope Inter Service rivalry which
slowed India's Aircraft carrier programme does not derail matters.
The
Navy also has opportunities to export its expertise and cooperate
with other nations. One such is tabled below.
USA
does not build diesel electric submarines and Indian Navy and MDL
have the expertise. A firm in USA is keen to tap Indian manpower and
expertise. The Naval Sea Systems Command, which designs, builds, and
acquires ships for the US Navy, began the potential competition for
the supply of eight diesel-electric subs for Taiwan. The competition
will be limited to General Dynamics Corp, Northrop Grumman Corp,
Raytheon Co, and Lockheed Martin Corp. The US Navy hopes to have the
design picked out by 2004 or 2005 with construction beginning in
2006. Sources estimate that the eight subs could cost Taiwan US$ 4.5
billion. US and Taiwanese officials are expected to discuss the
submarine project at the US-Taiwan defence conference which is
scheduled to be held in San Antonio in February 2003. This is
a shot in the dark and India should offer to share the pie but
certainly not look at Spruances.
On
environment, the Navy has not been lacking and the Coast Guard too
who are protecting the sea turtles and such. The then Western Naval
Command Chief, Vice Admiral Madhavendra Singh has been awarded the
prestigious “World Ship Trust Award “ for the restoration of the
British built Castle Fort near the Horniman Circle on the shore in
Mumbai and as he says the award is a tribute to the dedication of so
many including civilians of Mumbai who supported the project. The
world therefore evinces great interest in what ever the Indian
Navy executes. Indians must support the Navy, the smallest but agile
force of India.
The
Indian Navy will ultimately need three aircraft carriers and the IAF
must acknowledge that Jointness gives strength. At the moment,
Gorshkov is the only one available or else Indian Naval Air Arm will wither,
an exceptional expertise that took decades to build. Let us hope the
Government moves ahead and settles the Gorshkov deal so that future
Indians do have a World Class Navy.
The
Navy brass is preparing the software and with a new Academy at
Ezhimala, a spanking new base at Karwar and the best service
hospital INHS Asvini at Mumbai. The decision for the hardware, rests
in the hands of the Bureaucrats and Ministers. That is our system
and one hopes they too understand.
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