VI/2014 th ’’s 40 Anniversary Interview with the CNS Herald The Rising Sun ! Reflection and Introspection The Albatross’ Nest Lockheed Martin VI/2014 VI/2014 “Maritime Resurgence” for the Indian Navy, the Indian Regeneration 38 In his interview with the Vayu, shipbuilding industry, as also the 77 Vayu’s UK Editor Richard Admiral RK Dhowan, Chief of global market for submarines. Gardner writes on the HMS the Naval Staff gives his views on Konstantin Makienko from Queen Elizabeth, whose recent the Indian Navy’s force structure CAST in Moscow reviews the launch has started the next phase planning and on eve of Navy Day Russian involvement, phase of of the British Royal Navy’s strike th 2014, sends his message to the the French programme, German carrier regeneration programme ’s 40 Anniversary Nation. boats and some decisive factors – the biggest single new UK Interview with the CNS Herald The Rising Sun ! which will be crucial in the Reflection and Introspection The Albatross’ Nest defence project, apart from decision making. a new fleet of Trident nuclear Cover: The ShinMaywa US-2 missile submarines. Amphibian Aircraft 82 Euronaval 2014 EDITORIAL PANEL An on-the-spot report on the 24th edition of this major MANAGING EDITOR maritime event which began Vikramjit Singh Chopra in 1968 and has confirmed its position as leader of exhibitions EDITORIAL ADVISOR for naval defence, marine safety Admiral Arun Prakash and security. Reflection and EDITORIAL PANEL 46 Pushpindar Singh Introspection Air Marshal Brijesh Jayal As Navy Day 2014 is observed, Dr. Manoj Joshi former CNS Admiral Arun Lt. Gen. Kamal Davar Prakash states that this provides an appropriate occasion for Lt. Gen. SJS Sehgal reflection and introspection by Gp Capt JC Malik Make in India ! the Service. Starting with recent 63 In Vayu’s interview, Mr Alexey Cdr M Nirmal history, which encompasses Rakhmanov, President of United th Monica Arora Sardar Panikar’s Maritime Vision, Shipbuilding Corporation, 88 Vayu’s 40 Angad Singh the twin-landmarks since last reaffirms that in keeping with Anniversary Sonakshi Chaudhry year are recorded which auger the national approach, they 40 years ago, in November Vijay Matheswaran well for the IN : launch of India’s are willing to participate in its 1974, the Journal was launched Richard Gardner (UK) first indigenous aircraft carrier realisation with the framework at New Delhi and this Issue Reuben Johnson (USA) and achieving criticality of the of Project 75(I). marks that anniversary with Simon Watson (UK) indigenous nuclear submarine. a look back at events year by Bertrand de Boisset (France) year, a fascinating documentation Dr Nick Evesenkin (Russia) The Albatross’ Nest that takes the reader back four Tamir Eshel (Israel) 68 In this exclusive and brilliantly decades and provides planners illustrated article, Vayu’s Angad with a meticulous record on ADVERTISING & MARKETING MANAGER Singh writes about the Indian which to base their future plans. Husnal Kaur Naval Air Station Rajali at Arakkonam (ARK) which he BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER officially visited in October 2014. Cheklist to Reality Premjit Singh Herald The Rising Sun ! The exotic, if deadly, Tupolev 133 Professor Prodyut Das on the 53 This cover story is by Cmde Tu-142Ms of INAS 312 Albatross direction India’s Private sector Sujeet Samaddar who writes based there now have stable may take to build up an Indian on the paradigm shift in Indo- mates in the shape of Boeing Military Industrial Complex Japanese defence and industrial P-8Is of Albatross-Alpha which (MIC). cooperation, exemplified by are gradually taking over the Published by: ShinMaywa’s US-2 amphibian responsibility for long range aircraft which will endow virtual maritime reconnaissance/ASW. THE SOCIETY FOR AEROSPACE STUDIES Also : Approvals Ahoy !; force multiplier capabilities on There are brief references on D-43, Sujan Singh Park, Neuve Chapelle; MRSVs and the Indian Navy. INAS 561 ‘Rotors’, ‘cradle of More; Boeing DS&S expands; New Delhi 110 003 India Naval rotary aviation’ and INAS Tel: +91 11 24617234 311 ‘Kites’ whose Dornier 228s Rolls-Royce in India; SPIKE; Fax: +91 11 24628615 are ‘quiet, efficient, reliable’. Yudh Abhyas 2014; Hand-in- e-mail: [email protected] Hand 2014; Kotroni Guards of e-mail: [email protected] Greece; C-130 carrier landing; Visit us at : www.vayuaerospace.in HMS Hermes and Sea Harriers; Centenary of Dornier. Printed at Aegean Offset Printers The opinions expressed in the articles Regular features : published in the Vayu Aerospace and 59 Project 75 – India Commentary, Opinion, Viewpoint, Defence Review do not necessarily reflect The Indian programme to acquire Aviation & Defence in India, World the views or policies of The Society for six Project 75I conventional Aviation & Defence News, Vayu 25 Years Aerospace Studies. submarines is a major milestone Back, Tale Spin. Visit us at: www.vayuaerospace.in ’s 40th Anniversary ’s 40th Anniversary C O M M E N T A R Y top editors, choose not to waste mind space on the nitty-gritty of Defence (procurement) minister defence economics, and instead focus their collective gaze on high- oing by the public statements made so far by Defence Minister voltage procurement contracts that can be easily remembered by the GManohar Parrikar, one could be forgiven for mistaking him as billions they cost. minister for defence procurement. In practically every statement he Take the media fanfare over the selection of the medium multi- promises “transparency and speed in defence procurement”. To be role combat aircraft (MMRCA), an apparently fixed match that was fair, he admits it will take him time to grasp issues relating to national won by the French Rafale fighter, the least expensive of the two most defence. Even so, if he continues promising only faster procurement, expensive fighters on offer, which were predictably ushered into the it might well become a self-fulfilling prophecy. It would be worrying final selection. Currently, this $20 billion tender remains the single to have a defence minister who measures his success in capital rupees most reported defence story, with uncounted column inches speculating spent. Instead, Mr Parrikar must focus on adding capability. This can on the imminent signature of the Rafale contract. This newspaper has be done at relatively nominal cost. been practically alone in carrying cost-benefit analyses on the Rafale A striking example is on advanced towed array sonars for the proposal, and in debating whether the opportunity cost of buying this navy. Over the last two decades, the navy has built up a powerful fighter is too high. and enormously expensive fleet of capital warships - the aircraft In contrast, there is little mind space for the little things that would carriers, destroyers, frigates and corvettes that control the seas in war. improve operational capability at little cost. Maintenance, that boring Yet these warships, each costing several thousand crore rupees and process that can put a hundred additional Sukhoi-30MKIs into the sky crewed by a couple of hundred sailors, have remained desperately just by better inventory control and technician training. Light fighters, vulnerable to enemy submarines. This is simply because they lack especially the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), which should be the advanced towed array sonar, or ATAS, which the Defence R&D pride of India but sadly remains the unwanted child of the Air Force. Organisation (DRDO) had promised to deliver but did not. By now Force multipliers, like airborne refuelling aircraft and airborne early procuring ATAS from the global market - each worth a piffling Rs warning and control systems, can be wisely procured and deployed to 50 crore - tens of thousands of crores worth of naval warships have make each squadron as effective as two. But this is humdrum stuff. become combat capable. So are issues like night-blindness that dramatically reduces combat Such examples abound within the military. Yet the ill-informed capability across the three services, especially the Army. public narrative on defence procurement centres on enormously It is these mundane essentials that Mr Parrikar must focus on. expensive weapons platforms that, in many cases, are operationally Appointing a tri-service chief would spare him the confusion of having ineffective even after lavishing billions because smaller systemic or to navigate the tri-service jockeying for funds and resources. He must structural drawbacks restrict their full employment. In militaries like institute a detailed capability audit, in which each service presents a that of Pakistan, where money is short even after unfairly burdening plan for optimising their existing weapons and platforms rather than the national exchequer, there is awareness of the need to obtain bang just stretching out their palms for newer, better and, of course, more for the buck. India’s relative wealth has not nearly been translated into expensive toys. It is militarily prudent to get our existing kit working commensurate capability. optimally - the military equivalent of fixing the Indian Railways before Remaining with the Navy (ironically the most cost conscious building fancy new bullet train lines. service), there is constant breast-beating over the submarine shortfall and China’s growing lead in submarine numbers. The media constantly Ajai Shukla in Business Standard harps on how India has just 13 submarines compared to China’s 53 conventional and 5 nuclear attack submarines, though that lead Aviation sector needs