7 minute read
Indian Navy: Full steam ahead on modernisation, indigenisation
by Aeromag
As India celebrates Navy Day, the Indian Navy has transformed from a ‘Buyer’s Navy’ to a ‘Builder’s Navy’. Focusing on developing indigenous platforms, systems, sensors and weapons as part of the nation’s modernisation and expansion of its maritime forces, the Indian Navy has set the target of becoming completely self-reliant (Atmanirbhar) by 2047.
Every year, India celebrates Navy Day on December 4. This date, on which the achievements of the Indian Navy are recognized, was chosen for the celebrations as it was on that day in 1971, during Operation Trident, that the Navy sank four Pakistani vessels. On Navy Day, martyrs of the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971 are also remembered.
Advertisement
During Navy Week - when the Navy Day occurs - events such as open sea swimming competitions are conducted. Moreover, Indian Navy (IN) ships are open for visitors and school children and a veteran sailors’ lunch, performances by the Naval Symphonic Orchestra, an Indian Navy inter-school quiz, a Navy Half Marathon, air display for school children, beating the retreat and tattoo ceremonies are organised.
Navy Day in India originally coincided with the Royal Navy’s Trafalgar Day. On October 21, 1944, the Royal Indian Navy celebrated Navy Day for the first time. From 1945 onwards, after World War II, Navy Day was celebrated on December 1. On the night of November 30, 1945, on the eve of the Navy Day celebrations, Indian ratings painted the slogans such as Inqualab Zindabad. Until 1972, given the enthusiasm among the public, Navy Day was celebrated on December 15, and the week in which December 15 fell was observed as Navy Week. In 1972, it was decided that Navy Day would be celebrated on December 4 to commemorate the actions of the Indian Navy during the 1971 India-Pakistan War, and Navy Week would be observed from December 1 to 7.
The Navy Day theme for 2021 was ‘Swarnim Vijay Varsh’ signifying 50 years of India’s victory in the Indo-Pakistan war that took place in 1971. In 2020 it was, ‘Indian Navy Combat Ready, Credible & Cohesive.’ Meanwhile, the theme was ‘Indian Navy – Silent, Strong and Swift’ in 2019. At the same time, in 2018, ‘Indian Navy, Mission-deployed and Combatready’ was highlighted.
Rich heritage
India’s maritime activities could be traced back to the Vedic ages. In fact, ancient
trade routes connecting the middle-east as well as Europe existed for centuries. Later, during the Chola period in the mid-ninth Century AD, naval warfare was used to rule the East and South Seas. But after foreign invasions, India’s Maritime participation declined in the late 13th century. However, the rise of the Maratha Empire in the later 1600s under the leadership of Shivaji led to a revival of India’s naval fortunes. The Maratha Emperor Shivaji is considered as ‘Father of the Indian Navy’.
The Indian Navy has an important role in securing the marine borders of the country as well as enhancing the international relations of India through seaport visits, joint exercises and humanitarian calamity relief. The modern Indian Navy is currently undergoing a speedy modernization in order to improve its position in the Indian Ocean Region. The strength of the Indian Navy includes over 67,000 personnel and about 150 ships and submarines.
Modernisation programmes
Indian Navy has been focusing on developing indigenous platforms, systems, sensors and weapons as part of the nation’s modernisation and expansion of its maritime forces. Indian Navy has over 40 vessels of various types under construction, including destroyers, frigates, corvettes, and conventional-powered and nuclear-powered submarines and plans to build a strong navy of 200 vessels and 500 aircraft by 2050.
Now investing more in anti-submarine ships, such as the Kamorta-class corvette, long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft such as Boeing P-8 Poseidon and ships such as the Saryu-class patrol vessel and unmanned aerial vehicles such as the IAI Heron-1. After Chinese intrusions into Ladakh in 2020, IN plans to upgrade the military facilities in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on the eastern seaboard as well as Lakshadweep on the western seaboard, with the aim of having a network of island air bases in both the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal.
Exercises
Indian Navy conducts several exercises with navies of friendly countries to boost its capabilities and enhance interoperability. The major exercises include Malabar involving India, United States and Japan as
13 - 17 February, 2023 Bangalore
Advertise with AeromAg show dAilies for Aero indiA - 2023
for Publishing Advertisements, Articles and interviews Contact :
sunny@aeromag.in editor@aeromag.in +91 9449061925
www.aeromag.in / www.aeromagonline.com
permanent partners; IBSAMAR involving India, Brazil and South Africa which was conducted for the first time in 2018; INDRA with India and Russia starting in 2003; Milan, a multilateral exercise hosted by the Indian Navy; SIMBEX, conducted by Indian Navy and Republic of Singapore since 1994; SLINEX, or Sri Lanka India Naval Exercise, which began in 2005 and Varuna, in which Indian Navy joins hands with the French Navy.
‘Atmanirbhar’ programme
IN will be completely self-reliant (Atmanirbhar) by 2047, the Chief of Naval Staff said recently. This includes all capabilities from production of ships and submarines to spare parts and weapons, he said. “By 2047, we will have a complete indigenous Navy, whether it is ships, or submarines, aircraft, unmanned systems, weapons and the entire complex. We will be a completely ‘Atmanirbhar’ Navy,” the Admiral said. IN also plans to develop and induct around 75 new indigenous technologies and products into the service in the current year to celebrate 75 years of India’s independence.
In order to manufacture technologicallyadvanced equipment in the country, in pursuance of the Government of India’s vision of ‘Make in India’, IN has embarked on an initiative to evolve a guideline document, the ‘Indian Naval Indigenisation Plan (INIP) 2015-2030’, to enunciate the need for developing various advanced systems for its platforms. This document supersedes the Indigenisation Plan published in 2008 for the period 2008-2022.
The plan attempts to formulate the requirements of IN and lists out the equipment which can be taken up for indigenisation in the coming years. This plan is expected to further synergise IN’s relationship with the industry and encourage all sectors of industry to come forward and participate in indigenous development of weapons, sensors and other high-end equipment for the IN, thereby making the nation self-reliant in this vital domain of defence technology.
Meanwhile, the ‘Naval Innovation & Indigenisation Organisation’ (NIIO) was launched in 2020 under Defence Acquisition Policy (DAP 2020). The DAP 2020 envisages creation of ‘Innovation & Indigenisation Organisations (IIOs)’ within Service Headquarters. Similarly, the Naval Innovation & Indigenisation Organisation Working Group (NIIO WG) meets every two months to ensure seamless interactions between the Navy and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in line with DAP.
IN has embarked on developing indigenous capability and capacity across the complete spectrum of warship construction, right up to equipment and component level. Thus, during the last few decades, IN has transformed from a ‘Buyer’s Navy’ to a ‘Builder’s Navy’ with active participation of the Indian industry towards indigenisation of ship/ submarine design, construction material, machinery, equipment and systems integration.
INS Ajay was the first indigenously built ship, delivered by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, Kolkata in 1961, followed by construction of ‘Giri’ Class frigates. In the 1970s and 1980s, the learning curve rose, as India progressed with increasingly complex design and construction of Godavari, Brahmaputra and Khukri Class ships which was followed by the more advanced and potent Delhi Class Destroyers, Shivalik Class Stealth Frigates, Kolkata Class Destroyers, Kamorta Class and P-75 submarines (ToT with DCNS) at the country’s shipyards.
Till now, more than 132 warships have been constructed at Indian shipyards. Presently, 49 ships and submarines are under construction from public/ private Indian shipyards and only two ships are under construction at a foreign shipyard. India now also has an aircraft carrier built to its own design - a capability which only a handful of countries can boast of.
The Navy has also been utilizing the capabilities of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in developing appropriate technologies and products that go into making potent naval platforms. With the help of DRDO, Ordinance Factories and Indian Industry, IN has been able to indigenise major systems such as SONARS, Satellite Communication, EW Equipment, Torpedoes, Rocket Launchers and components of missiles. Further, IN is actively pursuing with DRDO for development of a large number of weapons and sensors - Medium Range Surface to Air Missiles, Anti-Submarine Warfare systems, Communication Suites and Electronic Warfare systems. In addition, IN has also progressed projects through CSIR labs.
Vision and Mission
The vision of IN is to counter the problems of spiraling import costs of equipment and spares, and embargoes/ technology denial by foreign countries on a long-term basis. IN aims to achieve self-reliance in maintaining and supporting its vital assets through Indigenous Development route within the ambit of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR).
Acquiring and evolving technical competence and processes required for indigenous development of equipment and systems for new ship/ submarine construction programmes and indigenisation of systems for sustenance of our ships/ submarines in service. This complex capability building hinges hugely on ‘Make in India’ initiatives of the Government of India and promotion of long-tern partnership with Indian defence industries. IN has formulated mechanisms to garner this capability for complete selfreliance.
