October-November 2017 Volume 12 No. 5 `100.00 (India-Based Buyer Only) www.spsnavalforces.com ROUNDUP THE ONLY NAVAL MAGAZINE FOR NAVIES ACROSS ASIA-PACIFIC SUBMARINE ARM SPECIAL ADMIRAL SUNIL LANBA Integrated Headquarters PVSM, AVSM, ADC Ministry of Defence Chief of the Naval Staff (Navy) PAGE 4 MESSAGE Rejuvenation – A Crying Need for India’s he Submarine Arm of the Indian Navy has been at the vanguard of the Nation s maritime defence ever Submarine Fleet since the first Submarine INS Kalvari was commissioned into the Navy on 08 Dec 1967. Submarines Rear Admiral Sushil Ramsay (Retd) T since then have evolved into an important pillar of deterrence in the maritime domain. The Golden PAGE 8 Jubilee of the Indian Navy’s Submarine Arm is a historic event being celebrated in 2017. EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW The voyage of the last fifty years has been challenging, not only whilst navigating the environs on the deep seas, but also in inducting new technologies to meet the future challenges of undersea warfare. The journey has Commodore K.S. Subra- Manian, Commanding Officer been one of fortitude and valour; the way ahead well-conceived and accomplished. of the first Indian submarine, INS Kalvari I am glad that the SP’s is publishing a special issue on this occasion. I take this opportunity to wish the Submariners, both veterans and serving, fond memories, good luck and happy hunting. (Sunil Lanba) Admiral Chief of the Naval Staff PAGE 10 Emerging Technologies for Futuristic Submarines Commodore Mukesh Bhargava (Retd) PAGE 16 Swarn Varsh Samaroh – Eastern Naval Command The Growth and Rear Admiral Sushil Ramsay (Retd) PLUS INS Kiltan ASW stealth 20 corvette commissioned SP’s Special Correspondent Development Thumbs up for the Rotary Wing – Indian Navy 20 Rear Admiral Sushil Ramsay (Retd) Bi-Annual Naval of the Submarine Arm Commanders’ Conference 21 Rear Admiral Sushil Ramsay (Retd) The eighties was a decade of massive changes that not only recognised the importance News in Brief 23 of the submarine arm but laid the foundation for the transformation of the arm - from conventional submarine operations that would fulfil Sea Denial missions to deterrence patrols that would be the most reliable third leg of the nuclear triad Story on page 2... APPLIED FOR 5/2017 1 SUBMARINE ARM SPECIAL The first submarine of the The importance of the Sub- fare from the Battle of Trafalgar, operational cycle of future Indian Navy INS Kalvari was marine Arm can be measured in January 1806 to a century submarines is included. There commissioned on December 8, by a dispatch sent by the then and eleven years later when is requirement to analyse the 1967, at Balderoi, Riga, under CNS, Vice Admiral A.K. Chat- the Zimmermann Telegram maritime power balance in the the command of Commander terji to Commander K.S. Subra- declared the beginning of sub- Indian Ocean region and sug- (later Commodore) K.S. Subra- Manian; excerpts of which marine warfare. The telegram gest options for rejuvenating Manian, thus this year the stated that, “I am sure that you was a coded message dis- the Indian Navy’s depleting Indian Navy is celebrating the will do your best to master the patched by Arthur Zimmermann submarine fleet thus an article Golden Jubilee of its Subma- difficult art of submarining and of the Foreign Office of the on the subject. rine Arm. We at SP’s Naval conduct yourselves in the best German Empire on January 19, There are also write ups Forces are also contributing traditions of the service. On your 1917 to their German ambassa- included of other events/devel- to the celebrations in our own efforts will depend the future of dor in Mexico, in anticipation of opments in the Indian Navy. way by bringing out a dedicated the Submarine Arm.” the resumption of unrestricted The News Digest just about issue on this occasion. The Submariners have per- submarine warfare by Ger- wraps this issue. We hope that EDITORIAL importance of the event can formed with valour in the 1971 many on February 1, 1917. The this issue becomes a Collector’s be gauged by the fact that the War with Pakistan where Com- other landmark development item for all you discerning read- CNS Admiral Sunil Lanba has mander M.N. Sawant was was the commissioning of USS ers who will cherish it. sent a special message to us awarded Maha Vir Chakra and George Washington, the first We also wish all serving sub- for this issue where his state- Commander V.S. Shekhawat SSBN on December 30, 1959, mariners “Happy Submarining”. ment, “I am glad that the SP’s (later CNS) was awarded Vir which became the platform of is publishing a special issue on Chakra. INS Karanj, INS Kur- choice for the “assured second this occasion”, says it all. There sura and INS Khanderi took strike capability”. are a host of articles in the spe- part in the 1971 operations. Navies across the globe cial issue on the Submarine The first new Scorpene subma- have acknowledged that the Arm, ranging from the very nos- rine has been also named INS submarine is the most lethal talgic interview of Commodore Kalvari (S50). and strategic platform in naval K.S. Subra-Manian who has In the article on growth and warfare thus an article on the recounted in detail his memo- development of the Subma- new submarine technologies ries of the induction of the rine Arm, the author takes you being developed across the first submarine, its growth and through a fascinating journey of globe which would change JAYANT BARANWAL future technologies. the evolution of submarine war- the exploitation pattern and Publisher & Editor-in-Chief PHOTOGRAPH: Indian Navy n VICE ADMIRAL K.N. SUSHIL (RETD) four 877 EKM submarines from the erst- while Soviet Union. The strength of the 877 ARELY THREE MONTHS AFTER EKMs was eventually increased to 10. This the Battle of Trafalgar, in Jan- decision was non sequitur in the indigenisa- uary 1806 the then First Sea tion idea. The HDW scam and the 877 EKM Lord Admiral John Jervis, Earl St. acquisition programme sounded the death Vincent observed of submarine knell for the indigenous submarine pro- Bwarfare Pitt was the greatest fool that gramme. All facilities created at MDL and ever existed, to encourage a mode of war skills that were developed fell to disuse which they who commanded the seas did after INS Shankul was delivered in 1994. not want, and which, if successful, would deprive them of it.” A century and eleven Changes years later the Zimmermann Telegram her- The Shishumar (HDW) and the Sind- alded the beginning of submarine warfare. hughosh (877EKM) class submarine repre- Ò We intend to begin unrestricted subma- sented vastly differing design, construction rine warfare on the first of February. We and weapon system philosophies. These shall endeavour in spite of this to keep the changes imposed great challenges in train- United States neutral.... ing. However, despite these constraints the The rest as they say is history. The crews of these submarines quickly mas- other milestone event that would drasti- tered the art of safely operating and effec- cally change the role of submarine was tively exploiting them. the signal made by Captain Eugene Wilkin- The induction of these submarines son on January 17, 1955 “Underway on gave the submarine arm and the subma- Nuclear Power”. Nuclear propulsion had rine design team an opportunity to observe completed the metamorphosis of the sub- experience and exploit submarines of dif- mersible into a true submarine, whose ferent designs that no other country in the ability to stay submerged was limited only world would have had. We now had the by human endurance. Speed, endurance opportunity to compare and derive valu- and the standard weapon load of torpe- able lessons which would have helped us does coupled with stealth had given it the in our quest for indigenisation. However, unique ability to deliver substantial fire- unfortunately that was not to be. Instead power, operating independently. of objectively analysing and deriving the The USS George Washington, the first best, the submarine arm became polarised, SSBN was commissioned on December 30, mainly because either group felt that they 1959. The submarine now became capable of had the compulsion to establish that the delivering a nuclear strike. The SSBN became boats that they served in was the best. the platform of choice for the Ò assured sec- After Pokhran-1 in 1974, it was natural ond strike capability , that would ensure to dabble with the idea of a nuclear sub- mutual assured destruction... a vital strategy marine. Some preliminary attempts were for maintaining stability of Deterrence. made in the early eighties to design and The Indian Navy commissioned its demonstrate an indigenous nuclear sub- first submarine INS Kalvari; an erstwhile INS Shishumar marine, under the aegis of the DRDO and Soviet built F class on December 8, 1967. BARC. Some officers of the design team The historical prejudices and reluctance lowed by three more of the same class, 1983. The plan was to induct four subma- who had been deputed to IKL Lubeck as that stymied the induction of submarines inducted in a span of two years. The Vela rines, two to be built at HDW and the bal- part of the HDW programme were roped afflicted Indian naval thinking... A navy Class followed. These ‘F’ class submarines ance two at MDL, Mumbai. There was also in to design the submarine. However, there preoccupied with Sea Control did not laid the foundation for safe and efficient an option clause to build two more should were many impediments that prevented think too much about submarines, espe- submarine operations.