The Navy has currently given orders for 34 ships in three different shipyards but the rate of delivery is only one ship per year.
Upset over delays in warship building schedules of defence shipyards, Navy chief Admiral Nirmal Verma today said there was a need to "revisit" the shipbuilding strategies.
"We need to revisit the building strategies of the (defence) shipyards. There is a need to do much more. Construction schedule is where our shipyards lag. The reason for delays is the basic method of construction (adopted by the shipyards)," Verma told reporters here on the eve of Navy Day.
The Navy has currently given orders for 34 ships in three different shipyards but the rate of delivery is only one ship per year, he said. Verma said if the indigenous shipbuilding was not meeting its needs, the Navy would be forced to go in for imports.
The Navy has ordered ships with foreign shipyards in the case of Talwar class frigates — being built in Russia, the Gorshkov aircraft carrier also from Russia and two Fleet Tankers being built in Italy.
The Navy's fleet strength was set to increase by 40 ships, and 60 aircraft and an equal number of helicopters. The new orders would take the number of warships to 160 and aircraft to about 290 within the next decade. It currently has 130 ships and another 190 aircraft and helicopters in service. Verma favoured the adopting of the "modular" ship construction model followed by foreign shipbuilders and gave the example of two Fleet Tankers being built for the Navy in Italy.
The Fleet Tankers were being built in smaller blocks at two different yards before these sections would be brought to another shipyard, where it would be put together in the dry dock.
"This is found to be the most efficient means of ship construction by which time taken for delivery of the platform is minimised and the work at the dry dock is optimised," Verma said.
Supporting larger private participation in warship building, the Navy chief said it could only be a "win-win situation" for both the public and private shipyards, apart from being an advantage to the Navy.
Verma said the Navy would get delivery of two Shivalik Class frigates, six Water Jet-propelled Fast Attack Crafts, two Survey Vessels and a Fleet Tanker in 2010.
"The Navy's perspective-planning in terms of 'force levels' is now driven by a conceptual shift from number of platforms — that is from the old 'beam counting' philosophy — to one that concentrates upon 'capabilities'," he said.
Of the 40 ships on order, 34 ships and submarines are being built in Indian shipyards and six with foreign ship yards, he noted.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}