The top brass of Indian Navy has begun a crucial meeting in Mumbai this week to work out ways to see through an unprecedented technological leap in the Navy.
High-profile meet of commanders is on to discuss Navy’s future
NEW DELHI: The top brass of Indian Navy has begun a crucial meeting in Mumbai this week to work out ways to see through an unprecedented technological leap in the Navy over the next few years, which will include induction of about 50 ships.
But with the growing Chinese naval capabilities in their mind, what may come out most emphatically from the highest decision making body of Navy could be a demand for strengthening India’s submarine fleet, especially the stealth nuclear submarines.
Indications are emerging that the Navy commanders’ conference, chaired by chief of naval staff Admiral Sureesh Mehta and attended by its senior officials, could push for further strengthening of India’s submarine capabilities. The Navy could demand an increase in the number of proposed nuclear submarines to match up in the power games of the region, sources indicate.
As of now, Indian Navy do not have a nuclear submarine - they can stay underwater much longer than conventional diesels submarines and can safely launch nuclear missiles. The country’s first indigenously developed nuclear submarine, the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV), is set for sea trials next year and induction sometime in 2010. For now, India has plans to build a total of three ATVs, but sources indicate that the Navy could push for more of them, given the significant increase in the number of nuclear submarines in China’s fleet in the recent years.
Sometime this year, Navy is also hoping to get an Akula-II nuclear powered submarine on lease from Russia, in which the naval personnel for manning future ATVs would be trained. Now indications are that the Navy may push for further beefing up of this most reliable part of the defence triad – capability to launch nuclear weapons from land, air and sea.
For the past few years, Navy has been watching China’s growing submarine fleet closely. It has known since 2003 about the extensive submarine base in Hainan housing Jin class submarines, but Navy chief admiral Mehta says it is not the base but “the number of nuclear submarines that are being built in our neighbourhood” which concerns them. Chinese navy presently has some 30 modern submarines and a few dozen older ones. By around 2010, China could have the world’s largest submarine fleet, even more than that of the US.
In comparison, India has just 16 submarines, with a few of them set to retire. The commanders are also set to discuss ways and means to overcome their anxiety over the huge technological leap as they induct 42 modern war ships into service over the next 3-4 years. From technologies that are archaically a few decades old, Navy is moving into induction of a series of ships, submarines, aircraft and UAVs that are integrated into an atmosphere of network-centric warfare.
The highest decision making body would also deliberate upon major operational issues with regard to the defence of the nation’s maritime interests, coastal security, defence of national assets at sea, and naval strategy, a Navy statement said.
j_josy@dnaindia.net
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