150 The First and Only ISO 9001:2015 Certified Defence and Security Magazine in December 2017 The Only Magazine Available On The Intranet Of The Indian Air Force Volume 9 issue 03

Economic Slowdown and it s impact on Naval Expansion

I nterview with Chief of Naval Staff, PVSM, AVSM, ADC contents

An ISO 9001:2015 Certified Magazine

Sailing Towards Transformation 04 Pawan Agrawal, CEO & Publisher of DSA

Genesis Of Underwater Force Of 09 21st Century Vice Admiral Arun Kumar Singh (Retd)

Clear Projects In Pipeline 14 Col KV Kuber (Retd)

Indian Naval Arm’s Golden Jubilee 20 Team DSA

Sanctioned Acquisitions On Hold 25 Ranjit B Rai

PINAKA: A Glorious Work In Progress 30 Team DSA

Current Need Of The Hour 34 Cecil Victor

Aviation MRO In The Making 38 Team DSA

Brahmastra Of Sorts 44 Diana Mehra

December 2017 Defence AND security alert 3 ode to the Indian submarine CONVENTIONAL AND NUKE

Genesis of Underwater

Vice Admiral Force Arun Kumar Singh PVSM, AVSM, NM (Retd)

The writer held important 2-star Of 21st rank appointments of Flag Officer , ACNS (Submarines), Flag Officer Commanding and after promotion to 3-star rank he served as DG Indian Century Coast Guard, C-in-C Andaman and Nicobar Command and finally FOC-in-C . He retired in 2007.

Apart from the all important President’s Colour presentation ceremony, another important function is the seminar on submarine building which will have speakers from India and many submarine building nations. The is today not only a builders navy, but also a nuclear navy, with a potent Submarine Arm, which actively contributes to the nation’s strategic triad deterrence

he , , as Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Armed Forces, will present Tthe President’s Colours to the Submarine Arm of the Indian Navy on 8 December 2017 at Vishakapatnam, on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of this silent underwater arm. This will be great occasion for veteran submariners and their families from yesteryears, to meet each other and interact with the youngsters who serve Colours presentation ceremony at the Tula Suvorov Military Academy, Russia

December 2017 Defence AND security alert 9 ode to the Indian submarine CONVENTIONAL AND NUKE

in conventional and nuclear Shark) at Riga (then part of former launched anti-ship missiles). submarines of today, and also USSR, and now capital of modern In 2008, India’s first home built operate India’s strategic second day Latvia). The INS Kalvari, SSBN (INS Arihant) was launched nuclear strike SSBNs. At the was a Foxtrot (project 641) class and media reports indicated that outset, even though this article submarine, and was later followed it was commissioned in 2016. is a personal nostalgic trip down by seven more ‘Foxtrots’. All these Media reports now indicate that memory lane, I wish to place on venerable submarines rendered the first of six, indigenously record, the great work done by yeomen service and three of them built French Scorpene subs our submarine pioneers who were at sea on patrol (Arabian (INS Kalvari) is expected to be laid very solid foundations for Sea and ) during commissioned by November- our conventional and nuclear the 1971 Indo-Pak war and all December 2017, while the second submarine force and also have now been decommissioned. indigenously built Scorpene those pioneer designers and Subsequently, commencing (INS Khanderi) has commenced builders involved in building 1986, the Indian Navy inducted sea trials. Media speculation our conventional and nuclear 10 Soviet-Russian Kilo class also abounds about the home built submarines, and (one of these, INS Sindhurakshak, expected launch in November- their associated systems, sub- tragically sank in December of India’s second home built nuclear-powered ballistic missile carrying submarine (INS Aridhaman).

Transition Years I wrote this article, in early October 2017, as someone who was lucky enough to have been a part of the Indian Submarine Arm since joining in 1971, as the commissioning crew at Riga, Latvia), in 1973, of our fifth Foxtrot sub INS Vela (commanded by Lt Cdr JMS Sodhi, who later retired as Rear Admiral and was involved in the selection and induction of the German systems, weapons and sensors. harbour on 14 August 2013 SSK-submarine or submarine And last but not the least, the due to a massive explosion) and killer subs). Subsequently, I ongoing growth of the largely four German SSK subs (the last was trained in Vladivostok for home built submarine force of the two of these, INS Shalki and 30 months (1983-86) for our twenty first century, would not INS Shankul, were built in India), first leased SSGN (INS Chakra) have been possible without the and between 1988-1991 also and in 1987, I served as Chief vision, foresight and leadership of operated a Soviet Charlie class Staff Officer to our newly created successive Chiefs of Naval Staff. SSGN on a three year lease - first FOSM or Flag Officer SS denotes submarine, the G Submarines (Rear Admiral A First The Foxtrots denotes guided missile and the Auditto) at Vishakapatnam – a History records, that on N denotes that the submarine is great amount of important work 8 December 1967, the Indian nuclear-powered. (the nuclear was done by the FOSM and tricolour was hoisted on our first powered INS Chakra, which his successors with regard to submarine, the INS Kalvari (Tiger carried our first underwater submarine safety, submarine

10 December 2017 Defence AND security alert training, maintenance and (inducted in 2012 as INS Chakra, Korean 209 type submarine, as operating schedules, operational on 10 year lease), induction of part of the then CNS (Admiral readiness inspections etc. Next the Klub tube launched cruise ) delegation year, in 1988, I was appointed as missiles (both 3M-54E anti-ship visits to and South Korea, the first Captain SM (11) of the and 3M-14E land attack types), and later in December 1997, newly formed 11th Submarine was also involved from Naval I dived in a 500 ton Israeli Squadron) comprising our headquarters in the ATV project submarine for a brief one day first four Kilo class subs at and finally was the author of the sortie in the Mediterranean. Vishakapatnam, followed by government approved ‘30 year In 1998, on an official visit to duties of the newly created submarine building plan’ (which as ACNS (Submarines), Commodore Submarines (East) or COMSUB (East) which had Visits to the indigenous ATV both the 11th and 8th Submarine Squadrons (comprising Kilo project sites, where...professionals and Foxtrot subs and also from the Indian Navy, DRDO, Public command of the submarine base INS Virbahu at Vishakapatnam and Private Sectors, toiled to build (in 1997, COMSUB was our first SSBN, the INS Arihant re-designated as COMCOS or Commodore Commanding was the brainchild of the then I visited a French Agosta class Submarines). CNS Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat). diesel sub and also a French In between all this, I was Rubis class SSN. In 2005, as a Land-attack Capabilities also fortunate to have visited three star DG Indian Coast, I In 1996, after promotion to submarines and a submarine was invited by the then US Navy 2 star rank, as the first ACNS simulator in 1995 in Germany CNO (Admiral M. Mullen) to visit (Submarines) at NHQ (with as part of the then CNS (Admiral a Los Angeles class SSN, while double hat of Flag Officer V. Shekahawat) delegation. In enroute to participate in the Sea Submarines) I was directly June 1997, I visited a Japanese Power Symposium in US Naval involved in the modernisation Submarine (Sachishio) and a War College. Post retirement, I of our Kilo and SSK subs, Japanese submarine simulator, delivered the keynote speech in induction of the Akula SSN followed by a visit to a South 2009, at the American Annual

December 2017 Defence AND security alert 11 ode to the Indian submarine CONVENTIONAL AND NUKE

Naval Submarine League us in good stead, when we planned Year Indigenous Conventional Symposium, at Washington. And for the nuclear submarine navy Submarine Plan’ which was now as a 70-year-old veteran, I of the future. I must also place on approved by the Government look forward to attending the record the keen interest shown in 1999 (when Admiral Sushil Submarine Golden Jubilee on our indigenous Advanced Kumar was CNS and received Celebrations at Vishakapatnam his full backing), and also to take (5 to 9 December 2017) and I was directly up the modernisation of the SSK witnessing the President’s and 877 EKM submarines. The Colours presentation ceremony. involved in the induction of Klub 3M-54E, anti modernisation ship TLM missiles in the new Second ‘Chakra’ Lease Kilo class (contract for two new Having been trained extensively of our Kilo Kilos was signed in 1998) was in the former USSR at Vladivostok and SSK subs, due to the backing of the then for over 30 months (Sep 1983 induction of VCNS and CNS. Similarly, the to April 1986) on the Indian later induction of Klub 3M-14E, Navy’s first nuclear submarine, the Akula SSN land attack TLM, was cleared in the Project 670, ‘Charlie Class’ as INS Chakra, 2002, by the then VCNS, who SSGN (later commissioned as INS and induction shortly thereafter became CNS Chakra for a three-year lease from (Admiral ). January 1988 to January 1991), of the Klub it was my privilege to be involved, tube launched I recollect, that it was on from ‘day one’ in the induction of New Year eve, 31 December 1997, our Akula Class SSN of Project cruise missiles that I (then as a Rear Admiral 971 (again named INS Chakra, holding the twin hats of Flag Officer which was finally inducted on Technology (ATV) project by Submarines and also Assistant a 10-year lease, wef 2012). I the then CNS Admiral Vishnu Chief of Naval Staff Submarines) must also place on record, the Bhagwat, and his VCNS Vice was abroad on an official visit, extremely thorough nuclear Admiral PJ Jacob, and I also had when I received a telephone call submarine training imparted the good fortune to accompany that the than Chief of Naval Staff to us by very experienced, both of them, separately, on (CNS), Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat, professional, dedicated Soviet visits to the indigenous ATV desired that I attend an important submariners, who ensured project sites, where countless, meeting with him immediately on that we had an appropriate dedicated and highly motivated return to India. A couple of days foundation of nuclear physics, professionals from the Indian later, I landed at Delhi airport, reactor physics, radiation safety Navy, DRDO, Public and Private changed into uniform in the car and of course, specific details of Sectors, toiled to build our first while being driven to the CNS the construction and systems of SSBN, the INS Arihant, about office, and then met our CNS the ‘Charlie Class’, Project 670 which enough data is available along with the new SSGN. The class room theory was on the web and hence is being Commander-in-Chief Admiral re-enforced by weekly oral exams mentioned only briefly here. Kureodov, who had recently been every Monday (which ensured promoted to four star rank, by that we studied on Sundays, 30-year Plan superseding many seniors, and after doing the mandatory Further, only distantly related to had been given a nine year tenure domestic chores and partying this article, but mentioned here to as head of the Russian Navy. This on Saturdays), and visits to the show the backing and foresight of was the genesis of the new Chakra submarine, various working and successive CNSs and VCNSs, in (Akula) SSN project. Over the next static models, simulators and 1996, Admiral Bhagwat, directed few years, I was to meet the very finally a year at sea. All this stood me to put up a case for the ‘30 friendly, young and jovial Admiral

12 December 2017 Defence AND security alert Shtil – Nanuchka III class Guided Missile Corvette (Russia)

Kureodev, on a few occasions in and we went right down to the During this visit, I remember, the Moscow , when I was part of our bilges, and the climb back up C-in-C Northern Fleet, humorously NHQ team, accompanying the numerous decks and ladders, was explaining in Russian, how the CNS or VCNS. truly exhausting, and I think we all, Northern Fleet was the most being fifty years and older, heaved powerful among the seven Russian A few months later, in the early a sigh of relief when we reached Fleets. In my younger years, having 1998, I accompanied the then the flight deck. A few months sailed with units of the Baltic and Vice Chief of Naval Staff (Vice later I accompanied the then CNS Pacific fleets, I must agree with Admiral PJ Jacob) to Russia and (Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat) to the the Russian C-in-C Northern made my first visit to this new same project Akula SSN. Fleet, given the allocation of SSNs, SSN at Murmansk (after which SSBNs and nuclear powered battle we also had an extensive tour Visits To Original cruisers, under his command, at a of the aircraft carrier Gorshkov, Manufacturers time when the once mighty Soviet later to be extensively modified, During this visit, the CNS was Navy was in decline, in its new modernised and commissioned received by the C-in-C Northern avatar as the Russian Navy. into the Indian Navy, as INS Fleet (a submariner, whose two Vikramaditya in 2013). My first younger brothers were also then in Most of us attending the and lasting impressions of the command of submarines), on the Submarine Arm Golden Jubilee Akula SSN, after a briefing on the very powerful 19,000 ton nuclear Celebrations, are acutely aware jetty, followed by a ‘walk around’ powered battle cruiser ‘Peter the that this is a unique once in a life the Project 971 SSN, was that Great’ with a guard of honour, a time event, where the past meets it was almost twice the tonnage walk around on the mighty ship, the present and the future. Apart of the ‘old Chakra’ and was very followed by a lunch. Subsequently, from the all important President’s fast, silent and deep diving SSN, in 1999, I accompanied the then Colour presentation ceremony, with a very impressive capabilty CNS (Admiral Sushil Kumar) for another important function is the against enemy ships, submarines another visit to this SSN project seminar on submarine building and shore targets-no wonder, (and a similar reception with which will have speakers from even today the US Navy respects guard of honour and lunch on India and many submarine the very silent Akula class SSN. board ‘Peter the Great’). The final building nations. The Indian Navy decision of course rested with is today not only a builders navy, As an aside, I may mention, that, the Government of India but I but also a nuclear navy, with a during a visit to the aircraft carrier must add that all succeeding potent Submarine Arm, which Gorshkov the VCNS insisted on Indian Navy Chiefs of Naval Staff actively contributes to the nation’s checking out the ship thoroughly supported this project. strategic triad deterrence.

December 2017 Defence AND security alert 13 DEFENCE AND SECURITY ALERT An ISO 9001:2015 Certified Magazine FOOD AND BEVERAGE BUZZ www.dsalert.org An ISO 9001:2015 Certified Magazine www.fnbbuzz.com

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