Ships & Of the INS Vikramaditya

The Indian Navy is the 4th largest navy in the world. The Indian Peninsula is one of the busiest trading routes in the 21st Century.

India is surrounded by difficult neighbors. To counter such, the Indian Navy occupies a very strategic location in the by which it can block important access to countries such as .

To compete toe to toe, the Indian Navy acquired INS Vikramaditya which was commissioned in November 2013. Let’s read about the which is at western command.

INS Vikramaditya: Indian Naval Aircraft Carrier

INS Vikramaditya is the largest aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy. It is a STOBAR (Short Take off but Assisted Recovery) carrier. The STOBAR is a system of launching and recovering the aircraft by combining the technology of SVTOL (Short Takeoff Vertical Landing) and CATOBAR (Catapult Assisted Takeoff but Arrested Recovery).

INS Vikramaditya was converted from ’s aircraft carrier Gorshkov which was originally built from Ukrainian Warship, Baku. Baku served till 1991. Admiral Gorshkov served till 1996.

Ukrainian warship Baku

Contract signing:

The deal between India & was signed in the year 2004 when India felt a dire need of an aircraft carrier with its retiring INS Viraat.

Project background and details

• The major reason for decommissioning in 1996 was because it was too expensive to operate on a post-Cold War budget. This engrossed the consideration of India, which was looking for a way to increase its carrier aviation abilities. • The modernized warship was initially scheduled to be delivered by August 2008 but was delayed due to cost overruns. The issue with the delays was furthered by ongoing vast cost overruns, ultimately which resulted in high-level diplomatic exchanges. • In the end, India has to pay a further of US$1.2 billion for the project, more than double the original cost. However, ongoing delays with the INS Vikramaditya delivery schedule pushed the delivery to 2013.

Design and Features: • The refurbished INS Vikramaditya is equipped with 234 new hull sections constructed using 2,500 tonnes of steel. It has an overall length of 284m, the height of about 60 m and a displacement of 44,500 tonnes. • The warship features 22 decks and 2,500 compartments, of which 1,750 are completely re-built. Sponsons are mounted to surge the breadth at the flight deck. • The updated ship is also armed with flight deck lighting systems, new AC plants, chilling plants, 14° sky jump, 30m wide arrester gears, three restrictive gears, and two RO plants for production of 400 tonnes of fresh water per day. • The modifications also included replacement of 2,300 km of old electrical cables with new cables, which is equal to half of the length of the total coastline of India.

It is a floating city with over 1,800 personnel on board. The logistics requirements of such a large crew are also massive. It is estimated that every month, the ship and its crew requires nearly a lakh of eggs, 20,000 liters of milk and 16 tonnes of rice per month. If fully kept up, the carrier can sail for 45 days and has the ability to carry on operations up to a range of over 13000 km.

The ships power generation and distribution section sustain 12 generators which yield 18 MW power that can sustain 100 villages of their electricity needs.

INS Viraat (R-22) Vs INS Vikramaditya (R-33):

INS Viraat was a Centaur class aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy that served for nearly 30 years in the Indian Navy. It is named as ‘Grand Old Lady’.

INS Vikramaditya (R-33) is a significant upgrade over INS Viraat as it uses Ski-jump technology instead of CATOBAR due to which it is cost-efficient.

Installation of Ski-Jump on INS Vikramaditya

Characteristics INS Viraat (R-22) INS Vikramaditya (R-33) Displacement 28700 tonnes 45400 tonnes Speed 28 Knots (52 Km/h) 30 Knots (56 Km/h) Aircrafts 26 36

Importance:

The ship has the capability to transport 36 aircraft comprising a range of MiG 29K/Sea Harrier, Kamov 31, Kamov 28, Sea King, ALH-Dhruv and Chetak helicopters. Due to these, it has earned its motto “Strike far Strike Sure”.

It also has a modern communication complex and tactical data system that allows it to be fully integrated with the Indian Navy’s network-centric operations.

The INS Vikramaditya embodies a major increase in the volume of the Indian Navy for the projection of power in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

The INS Vikramaditya could empower India to play a meaningfully more complex and dynamic role as a maritime security player in the region.

INS Chakra

India is surrounded by water from three sides. Difficult neighbors and looming threat from terror outfits are a major concern for the country. In order to stand up against them, we must have a well-equipped naval forces.

The predominant maritime power in the Indian Ocean, the Indian Navy is structured proportionately with its capability to project power, deploy in distant waters with the imperative hardware to assist operations and effectively dominate the environment in the area for the desired period. Submarines, with their universality, lend themselves ideally to this.

INS Chakra III: Indian Naval The Current Scenario

The Indian Navy is the 4th largest naval power in the world. In recent years, the Indian naval dominance in the ocean is being by China as it is constantly creating artificial islands as well as investing in infrastructural investments in and around the Indian Ocean Region. The seaports in strategic places like Djibouti, Gwadar, Hambantota, and Kyaukpyu etc are China's long thought strategy called "string of pearls" by which it wants to increase its military influence in the region.

To counter this, India is also investing in developing infrastructure in , Afghanistan, Myanmar etc., signing logistic treaties with the USA (LEMOA), France and Japan etc. But the major focus of India lies in improving its military arsenal.

Why Submarines?

Submarines represent the cutting edge of a navy’s offensive capability and are therefore an integral element of a maritime nation’s security setup.

The flexibility of the platform gives it the freedom to operate across the entire spectrum of conflict from the strategic to the sub-conventional.

Classification of Submarines

Submarines can be classified into the following three types –

• The Ballistic missile armed (SSBN), most credible platform for strategic deterrence,

• The Nuclear-powered (SSN)

• The Diesel-electric submarine (SSK) or (Scorpene Class Submarine)

India is the sixth country in the world which operates nuclear submarines (SSBNs and SSNs), the others being the five permanent members of the Security Council – USA, Russia, UK, France and China. While the SSBN is the most credible platform for strategic deterrence and effective second strike and the SSK ideally suited for littoral operations in a limited tactical scenario, it is the SSN which perfectly complements a carrier-centric expeditionary force structure due to the following reason:-

(a) High speeds underwater in excess of 25 knots (b) Agile manoeuvrability, (c) Unlimited endurance due to nuclear propulsion (d) Lethal firepower including land attack cruise missiles and heavyweight torpedoes. (e) Ability to shape the maritime battle-space

INS Chakra III

In 2012, an Akula-2 class submarine was leased for a period of 10 years. It is also called INS Chakra and will be in the Indian Navy till 2022. The two countries are also working to extend the lease of the Chakra II

In 2018, following the visit of the naval chief Admiral Sunil Lanba, a high-level delegation from the Indian Navy had visited Russia for inspecting two Akula-2 class SSNs - Bratesk and Samara. The two countries signed an inter-governmental agreement capping months of negotiations on price and various other aspects of the deal.

On 07 March 2019, India signed a contract with Russia to lease an Akula-2 class nuclear attack submarine for a period of 10 years commencing from 2025. It will be designated as Chakra III.

It is understood that the submarine being leased to India will be modified with an indigenous mix of equipment in its communication and sensor suite before it is handed over to the Indian Navy.

Which is Better Purchasing or Leasing?

Basis for Purchasing Leasing Comparison Meaning It refers to buying the asset Leasing is an arrangement wherein by paying the price of it. the owner of the asset permits another person to use the asset, for recurring payments. Cost Cost of owning the asset Cost of using the asset Transfer Buyer has the right to Lessee has no right to transfer or sell transfer or sell the asset the asset to any other party. Consideration Can be paid in lump sum or Can be paid through lease rentals. in equated monthly installment for a fixed period. Term The economic life of an Specified terms asset Ownership Once all the dues are At the end of the term, the lessee has Options cleared, the asset belongs two option, either to purchase the to the buyer only. asset or return it. Repairs and The responsibility of the Depends on the lease type. Maintenance buyer

Conclusion

The significance of submarines to national security cannot be underrated. They supply the conclusive edge at every level, be it strategic, operational or tactical. Submarines raise the modern navies credibility and nations which neglect the phased growth and modernisation of this vital capability do so at their own peril.

INS Imphal

What is a ?

Destroyers are multirole, highly specialized ships which are capable ofanti-air and anti- submarine warfare. They are also equipped with heavy offensive weapons like Brahmos, Tomahawk etc.

The Indian Navy is equipped with many as mentioned below:

INS Kolkata, INS , INS Rajput, INS Rana, INS Mysore, INS Kochi

What is Project 15B?

Project 15B is a project of the Indian Navy that deals with manufacturing of stealth guided missile destroyers. They are also known as Vishakhapatnam-class destroyers and consists of Ships - INS Vishakhapatnam, INS Imphal, INS Mormugao, INS Porbandar.

All the above destroyers are being built by Mazagon Dockyard Limited (MDL) in India.

The destroyers are an improved version of the Kolkata-class (Project 15A) and will feature enhanced stealth characteristics. The first ship is expected to enter service in 2021.

INS Imphal:

The ship was named after the Indian soldiers who fought during World War II in the Battle of Imphal and Kohima for 1944.

Technical Features:

These ships were indigenously designed by the Directorate of the Indian Navy. Each vessel spans a length of 163 meters and displaces 7,300tons. Four gas turbines will propel these ships to reach speeds exceeding30 knots.

Why is INS Imphal Special:

The INS Imphal will be able to fire from its two eight-cell vertical launching systems (VLS), the naval variant of the supersonic cruise missile BrahMos, a derivative of the Russian P-800 Oniks over - the-horizon supersonic anti-ship cruise missile.

In 2011, at the cost of Rs 29,700 crores, the government-sanctioned four 15B ships. The project's first ship, ' Visakhapatnam ' guided-missile destroyer, was launched on April 20, 2015. Delivery of warships from Visakhapatnam (2015) and Mormugao (2016) will commence in April 2021 and continue until 2024.