Coast Guard to be beefed up for anti-terrorism role
(Indya News, 18 February 2002)

Buoyed by its success in emerging as the world's first maritime force to apprehend armed pirates and in view of its operational role under the naval command control vis-à-vis the recent tensions, the Indian Coast Guard has initiated steps to combat terrorism on the high seas with plans for acquisitions during the 10th Plan Period. According to official sources, under its modernisation and replacement program, the Coast Guard will have seven Do-228s besides two Chetak helicopters and two Advanced Light Helicopters (ALHs) in 2002 itself.

The first two ALHs is expected to be commissioned in the next two months and personnel have been already earmarked for training to fly these machines at Bangalore. Besides these, on February 8th, the Coast Guard acquired two new interceptor hovercrafts which were commissioned at Porbandar in Gujarat. These boats, to be operated from Porbandar, would go along way in augmenting the national efforts towards coastal vigil especially along the Gujarat coast and along the international maritime border, Minister of State for Defence, Harin Pathak said after commissioning the boats.

The boats, constructed at a shipyard in Surat at a cost of Rs. 26.5 crore, are capable of high speed up to 70 km/h and could carry requisite sensors and weapons for coastal surveillance. With tension building from across the border, some of the Coast Guard units have been already placed under the operational control of Navy to meet the challenges from across the border, sources said. In order to discharge the multi-faceted responsibilities and to be seen as an effective maritime force, the Coast Guard is committed for build up at both force and manpower level. "Our vision is to have the presence of the Coast Guard at every centre of maritime activity," Coast Guard Director General Vice Admiral O.P. Bansal said during his visit to the Daman air-station recently.

It was in November 1999 that the Coast Guard personnel caught hold of 15 pirates and rescued the hijacked vessel MV Alondra Rainbow changing the very face of the force. CGS Tarabai undertook the fierce operation on 14 November 1999 and rescued the hijacked ship. In fact, the apprehension of MV Alondra Rainbow has proved to be a great turning point in the history of the Coast Guard, as for the first time the force came to the reckoning. With Andaman Sea region becoming a hotbed of piracy and people from Taiwan, Myanmar and Sri Lanka undertaking poaching, the importance of sea vigil has only gained importance. Sea watchers caution that the maritime terrorism could emerge as a palpable threat perception with Low Intensity Maritime Operations (LIMO) becoming a thing of the new world order. "Terrorism at sea is very much a possibility," Vice Admiral Bansal has said.

Navy, IAF train in handling nukes
(Hindustan Times, 15 February 2002)

Officers of the Indian Navy and Air Force have commenced training at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Trombay to learn how to handle nuclear devices. The specialised courses at BARC are also aimed at building synergy between the scientific community and the operators of nuclear weapons. These courses, under the supervision of Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) Chairman, Dr. Anil Kakodkar and BARC Director, B Bhattacharjee, will be conducted regularly. The scientific community possesses nuclear cores, while weapons and delivery systems are with the forces. "The need to establish linkages is vital," says a senior defence officer. The cores and delivery systems are dispersed and scattered for the safety of the nuclear arsenal from pre-emptive enemy attacks. Scatter is a key to retaliatory action, the right to which India doctrinally reserves.

"These courses are meant to ensure complete clarity in the deliverer's mind about the process and the safety measures. So far, the drill has largely been at a conceptual level," the officer said. The need for clarity and foolproof procedures is vital, given India's no-first use doctrine. "The scientific community too wants to know how the defence envelope operates," sources said. Experts say a well-rehearsed drill is essential for the credibility of India's nuclear doctrine, which stands between the recessed deterrence of the pre-1998 type and operationalisation of nukes on hair-trigger alerts. A driving force behind the BARC courses was from the recently retired Air Chief, Air Chief Marshal A.Y. Tipnis. He expressed the view that such courses will be of immense help to the Indian Air Force.

Army's Info War: The Indian Army is poised to unleash an information war to paralyse the adversary's command and control system by disrupting the communication links between its decision makers and troop formations and weapon systems.

Former Naval Chiefs against buying Russian carrier
(Times of India, 12 February 2002)

Former Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral (retd.) J.G. Nadkarni has stated that he is opposed to the acquisition of the Russian aircraft carrier, Admiral Gorshkov, for the Indian Navy as its price is exorbitant and above all it is a 15-year-old ship. Admiral (retd.) Nadkarni said the Russians were offering the vessel which had remained in-operational for several years with a price tag of at least $1 billion. "There should be more transparency in the deal which is not there at the moment. The Centre should explain why it was necessary to enter into this agreement at such an enormous cost," he said. Admiral (retd.) Nadkarni, who was the Naval Chief from 1987 to 1990, said, "For the huge price the Russians are demanding, the aircraft carrier should remain operational for at least two decades." He further said, "The Indian Navy does not need such a huge ship weighing 44,000 tonnes which may face anchoring problems in India. In contrast, the indigenous aircraft carrier is expected to weigh between 15,000 and 20,000 tonnes, which is ideally suited to the Navy's requirements."

In an earlier report, Admiral (retd.) Nadkarni had said if India decided to buy the Russian aircraft carrier, it would be one of the largest single defence deals New Delhi entered into with any country since Independence. On February 8th, India and Russia moved into an advanced level of negotiations over the delivery of Admiral Gorshkov. A deal is expected to be clinched in April if Russian Deputy Prime Minister Ilya Klebanov has his way. If a pact is reached, the aircraft carrier after undergoing a three-year refit program, will join the Navy with 20 MiG-29K naval fighters and weapons. Admiral (retd.) Nadkarni said he would not call Admiral Gorshkov junk. "But we could have avoided it if the country's indigenous aircraft project had been implemented earlier," he said.

Sharing his view, another former Naval Chief, Admiral (retd.) L. Ramdas said that if the Centre had gone ahead with the indigenous project, the need for acquiring Admiral Gorshkov would not have arisen at all. The Union government has been short-sighted on the important issue. According to him if the construction of the indigenous aircraft carrier had started soon after the Union Cabinet gave its green signal for the project three years ago, it would have been completed now and replaced the Vikrant. The Centre approved the the indigenous aircraft carrier project designated as Air Defence Ship in the late 1990s and there is no indication when it will be implemented. "Admiral Gorshkov is an old and expensive ship and it will take three years for it to join the navy," Admiral (retd.) Ramdas said. He was the Naval Chief from 1990 to 1993.

As the Naval Chief, he recalled he was opposed to its acquisition as it was too large and may face anchoring problems. Other defence officials said Admiral Gorshkov's three sister ships were scrapped after the Yak-38 vertical take-off planes they were designed to carry failed to function as planned. They said the aircraft carrier suffered a severe damage on 01 February 1994, following a fire in one of its boiler rooms. A Russian defence analyst, Pavel Felgenhauer, is quoted as saying that Admiral Gorshkov is suitable only as a helicopter carrier. Former Russian Deputy Defence Minister Vitaly Shlyikov is reported to have stated that the ship's deck is too short and Russia never designed American-style catapults to enable short take-offs of fighters.

Floating museum is being repaired
(Times of India, 12 February 2002)

Almost a month after the Vikrant was thrown open to the public as a floating museum off the Gateway of India, it had to be taken back to the naval dockyard for undergoing repairs. The ship was converted into a naval museum displaying aircraft and weapons which were used during the Indo-Pak war in December 1971. A tour of the museum also exposed visitors to different aspects of the Indian Navy. A defence spokesperson claimed that the repairs were of a minor nature and assured that the vessel would be open to visitors again after a week. According to him, the repair job mainly consisted of strengthening the ship's moorings - the anchoring of the ship with the help of chains.

Defence sources said the moorings got damaged when they were hit by a strong current. However, the spokesperson categorically denied this saying that the Indian Navy decided to strengthen the moorings during a routine inspection of the warship-turned-museum and added that its condition was satisfactory. It may be recalled that on a trial basis the public was allowed to visit the the ship during the Navy Week in December. There was a thumping response with men, women and children waiting for hours in a serpentine queue at Tiger Gate in Ballard Estate to go on board the vessel. Schools organised special excursions and there were even groups from Pune and Nasik. The number of people who visited the ship was nearly 100,000 during that period resulting in a collection of nearly Rs.250,000.

On account its popularity the Navy decided to berth it off the Gateway of India. On January 12th, it was made accessible to visitors as a museum. The entry fee for adults was Rs.70 and for kids Rs.25. The charge for the five-minute boat ride from the Gateway to the ship and back was Rs.30 for adults and Rs.20 for children. The exorbitant fee failed to discourage visitors and the ship continued to attract people throughout the day. In fact, a tourist from Sydney said he did not find anything attractive about Mumbai except the Vikrant.

Ever since the Vikrant was decommissioned on 31 January 1997, the state government had been unable to take any decision with regard to the venue where it could be anchored. At one point it was decided to anchor it off the Radio Club in Colaba, but there were protests from fishermen who feared it will affect their daily catch. It was then decided that it should be located at Oyster Rock near Sassoon Dock. But the plan remained on paper. Naval officials have estimated that cost for maintaining the ship in its present condition at Rs.12 crore. This figure is much lower than the state government's plan which included mooring the vessel at Oyster Rock and using it as a helipad. The cost of this project was around Rs.75 crore. It may recalled that a report prepared by Tata Consulting Engineers Limited in 2000 had recommended that the Vikrant be converted into a maritime museum and berthed at Oyster Rock. The report said that the overall condition of the ship's structure was reasonably good. According to the report, after renovation and with proper maintenance, its life can be extended by another 40 years.

What's the deal on Gorshkov? Its name
(Indian Express, 11 February 2002)

What's in a name? Plenty, it would seem, since both India and Russia are stuck over a name for the 44,500-tonne aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov the Indian Navy hopes to acquire soon. But that's not all that negotiations are deadlocked over. Price, steady supply of spares over a 15-year period, technical aspects, training of sailors and dockyard personnel for maintenance and assets on board (aircraft and helicopters) are the subject of deliberations currently on between New Delhi and Moscow. The carrier, last used in 1988, has been junked by the Russian Navy. It comes as a free gift but the collateral damage to the Indian government will be approximately Rs 8,000 crore. "The re-fitting cost will be around Rs 3,500 crore ($738.6 million). Add to this the cost of aircraft, which could well be another Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 crore. These prices are still to be discussed in detail," sources in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.

India wants to rechristen the carrier INS (Indian Navy Ship) Vikrant after the first carrier, decommissioned in 1997. The Russians, however, are insistent that the ship be named INS Admiral Gorshkov, as a symbol of friendship. While naval officials feel this hurdle may be crossed with relative ease the sticking point, they say, will be bringing the retrofitting cost down keeping all the qualitative requirements (QR) intact. According to Admiral (retd) Vishnu Bhagwat, the cost of retrofitting when he was in service (1998) was approximately $400 million. "There has been some hard nosed bargaining from both sides. It is expected to come down to between $600-$650 million for retrofitting plus the cost of aircraft on board. But officially price negotiations are still to begin," sources in naval headquarters said.

Though the Navy is keen, there have been questions raised over its viability. "It is too large a ship to enter Mumbai port and Karwar is still a decade away from being made operational. Its size will also make it a target in case of a war; most of the navy will be engaged in protecting the aircraft carrier itself," a former Chief of Air Staff said. The technical negotiation committee is expected to submit its report shortly; within two weeks, a price negotiation committee (PNC) will be set up.

No Gorshkov, but accords look to future
(Times of India, 09 February 2002)

India and Russia, on February 8th, failed to clinch the much-talked about Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier deal, despite an agreement in principle. The two sides, however, signed wide-ranging protocols on military-technical cooperation in areas like aviation, warship building and land-systems for the Army. Defence Minister George Fernandes and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Ilya Klebanov, tight-lipped about the leasing of two Russian nuclear submarines to India, said the two countries will now increasingly focus on joint development of futuristic weapon systems. Emerging after the conclusion of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation meeting, Defence Minister Fernandes and Deputy Prime Minister Klebanov said the two sides had reached an agreement on the Tu-22M3 long-range strategic bombers and Admiral Gorshkov.

"The technical discussions on Admiral Gorshkov have been completed," said Defence Minister Fernandes, adding that the price negotiations for the 44,570-tonne decommissioned carrier, which has attracted some criticism for its high retrofitting costs, will follow soon after. Defence Minister Fernandes said he was optimistic of signing the deal for the carrier and the TU-22s in the near future. Deputy Prime Minister Klebanov, in turn, said, the two sides should be ready to sign the contract by summertime if India did not have any reservations. He said the two countries will now work jointly in the interests of our armed forces and also keep the world market in mind. One example of this joint development of high-tech weapon systems will be the proposed fifth-generation combat aircraft. Moscow will soon send a concept paper on the strike fighter to New Delhi, which in turn will be followed by an Indian technical team's visit to Russia.

Defence Minister Fernandes termed as a watershed in Indo-Russian military cooperation the joint development of the BrahMos (PJ-10) supersonic anti-ship cruise missile, which has a range of 280 km. "We will continue to cooperate in such hi-tech areas," said Defence Minister Fernandes. Priority will also be accorded to the facilities required for the medium refit and upgrading of the Kilo Class (Type 877EKM) submarines in India. The two countries also agreed to discuss cooperation in the satellite global surveillance system, which will help India in keeping a close watch on its adversaries. Deputy Prime Minister Klebanov added that both India and Russia faced global challenges and would work together on an equal basis to prevent military threats.

As for the procurement of the Russian Smerch multi-barrel rocket systems, Indian forces will carry out the trials in May this year. The absence of such armaments had been acutely felt by the Army during the Kargil conflict in 1999. "Russia has also agreed to supply more T-90S tanks by March 31st," said Defence Minister Fernandes. Equipped with night-fighting capabilities and protected by explosive reactive armour, the T-90S MBT should prove to be more than a match for the T-80UD tanks being deployed by the Pakistani Army. The first lot of the T-90S tanks of the contracted 310 has already arrived in India, which hopes to commence their indigenous production by 2006.

No deal on nuclear submarines
(The Tribune, 09 February 2002)

Even as India and Russia signed four key protocols and decided to develop a satellite global surveillance system and fifth generation combat aircraft there was no deal on India acquiring on lease two Russian nuclear submarines. Addressing the media at a joint press conference after a hectic day of meetings between the two sides, Defence Minister George Fernandes said, "There is no deal on nuclear submarines." The press conference was also addressed by the visiting Russian Deputy Prime Minister Ilya Klebanov. There was also no deal forthcoming on the aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov apparently as there was still no agreement on the price of the refitting of the huge carrier. Defence Minister Fernandes said there were technical discussions on the issue and price negotiations were to be held. The four protocols are on cooperation in ship building, aviation and land systems; Indo-Russian working group on military-technical cooperation; Indo-Russian inter-governmental commission on military-technical cooperation and the Department of Defence sub-group protocol.

The two mysterious suitcases
(The Tribune, 09 February 2002)

The cavalcade of Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Madhvendra Singh screeched to a halt in the portico of Gate Number 11 of South Block as the Naval Chief jumped out of the white Ambassador car and rushed inside. Two large-sized suitcases were pulled out from the car behind and taken inside. A posse of well over hundred Indian and foreign media personnel present on the scene was foxed by the development. The reason: the visiting Russian Deputy Prime Minister Ilya Klebanov and Defence Minister George Fernandes were to hold a joint Press conference at 3 p.m. and here was the Naval Chief's cavalcade entering South Block around 3:15 p.m. The media glare under which the suitcases were taken inside South Block ruled out the possibility of currency notes being inside the suitcases as token advance for Indian defence purchases from Russia.

Defence officials disclosed that the suitcases contained documents and possibly compact discs of the Russian weaponry which India was interested in buying. The sudden and unexpected arrival of the Naval Chief at the talks demonstrated that the negotiations had got stuck on some technical aspects. Sources said the Russians lived up to their reputation of being hard bargainers. They adopted their well-known technique of quoting a fantastically low price for the equipment and unreasonably high price for that equipment's spares. Not unlike somebody selling a cow for Rs.20 but making it a precondition that the cow would come with the chain which costs Rs.5000, said an official talking about the Russian negotiation techniques.

The same technique was evident also as the Russians declared that the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier was a gift and entirely free of cost, but this gift was available only when the Indians got it retrofitted and equipped from the Russians. The Russians also linked the availability of Admiral Gorshkov to the two Russian nuclear submarines which are being offered on five-year lease at an unreasonably high price. The total worth of the fighter planes, helicopters, AWACS radars and Multi Barrel Rocket Launchers (MBRLs) which the Russians are offering to India along with the 'free' Gorshkov is estimated at well over Rs.20,000 crores. Some estimates put this figure to as high as Rs. 32,000 crores. Sources said the Government of India put its foot down and matched the Russians in skills of hard negotiations. That is why the Gorshkov and nuclear submarines deal could not be finalised, sources pointed out.

Indo-US naval exercises to be revived
(The Tribune, The Hindu & Rediff, 07 February 2002)

India and the USA announced the revival of the Malabar series of joint naval exercises suspended after New Delhi conducted Pokhran nuclear tests. Vowing to set the pace for larger navy interaction, an official statement released after the conclusion of the Indo-US Naval executive steering group meeting in Chennai said naval exercises would be upgraded to include search & rescue exercises to help vessels in distress in the Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. The statement said two sides in three days of intensive deliberations had focused on joint steps to ensure safety of sea-lanes, anti-piracy and maritime security. While the US Naval group was led by Seventh Fleet Commander, Vice Admiral James Wallace Metzger, the Indian side to the talks was led by Vice Admiral S.V. Gopalachari, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff.

The first round of Indo-US naval talks ended in Chennai on February 6th with both the sides describing the talks as very satisfactory. Though the modalities of cooperation remained to be worked out, both at the lower, operational level and at New Delhi and Washington D.C, the navies of both the countries were expected to undertake joint operations soon. Emerging from the day-long discussions on board USS Blue Ridge (command ship of the US Seventh Fleet) at Chennai Port, Vice Admiral Gopalachari described the talks as being very satisfactory and said it helped the Indian Navy understand the US standpoint and vice-versa. The talks were part of an on-going dialogue between the Indian and US militaries and would continue at different levels. "This is part of a series of discussions. Programs need to be worked out to decide where we go from here," Vice Admiral Gopalachari said.

"The talks focussed on the protection of sea-lanes, anti-piracy operations, search & rescue and cooperation in the present engagement of the US Navy, Operation Enduring Freedom," Vice Admiral Gopalachari said and added that the cooperation would benefit both countries. The US Navy Attaché in India, Captain Nelson, who expects US Naval ships calling on Indian ports to become a regular feature, said he was very happy with the Vice Admiral level discussions. On the US Navy using Indian ports, Vice Admiral Gopalachari said, "We always have goodwill visits from many countries. This is one of the many things that happen in a dynamic operational situation."

Vice Admiral Metzger, said that after the very long and extensive preliminary talks on February 5th afternoon, which went on extremely well, representatives from both the Indian and US navies sat down for a day-long session to wrap up the first Chennai round of talks. While the talks were not expected to produce any dramatic results, Vice Admiral Metzger expected these to be the templates on which future cooperation could be built. Stressing on the building blocks aspect of the talks and taking pains to highlight the fact that the discussions were at a very nascent stage, he said the navies would have to start off with reasonable expectations. Joint exercises and search and rescue operations were a good first step. Vice Admiral Gopalachari said the first priority was to ensure that both navies established reliable lines & channels of communications and that intelligence-sharing & knowledge-sharing was part of co-operative endeavours.

India and US have in the past held a series of highly advanced bilateral exercises named, Malabar Series. But they lapsed with the post-Pokhran military sanctions imposed by the US in 1998. According to sources, the United States is eager to join hands with India in stricter monitoring of the sea-lanes in Indian Ocean, and securing Malacca Straits, the world's second busiest sea route. Regular joint patrolling of the sea-lanes is what the American side is interested in. Indian naval officials, however, said that there was no such proposal from the Indian side. "If the United States brings it up, we would discuss it, but a final decision on such joint patrolling needs Cabinet approval," a senior navy officer said. The Indian Navy carries out independent patrolling of the seas, including Malacca straits. In specific cases, where there are incidents of piracy, the Navy and the Coast Guard join hands with the navies of other countries for joint operations. However, the Indian Navy hasn't till date carried out joint patrols with any foreign navy.

Intelligence agencies fear that the Al-Qaeda terrorists would in all probability use sea routes for moving around and carrying out deadly strikes. The FBI has already issued an international warning saying atomic installations along the sea are among the key targets of Al-Qaeda. In response, India has beefed up its security around all atomic installations. The navy has provided marine commando cover, Coast Guard has intensified their patrolling and anti-aircraft guns are also believed to be in place. The US Navy has been carrying out strict monitoring of all commercial ships passing through the entire region, especially in the north Arabian Sea and its personnel have been carrying out physical check of ships that are in north Arabian Sea. The second round of talks between began in Chennai on February 6th aboard USS Blue Ridge, with the accent on sharing vital intelligence information for the natural allies to jointly counter terrorism. Aimed at promoting closer cooperation between the defence forces of the two democracies, a meeting of the inter-Army Executive Steering Group (ESG) is being held in New Delhi, while Chennai is the venue for the inter-Navy Executive Steering Group dialogue.

Naval Symphonic Band Concert
(MoD Press Release, 07 February 2002)

Naval Symphonic Band Concert performed by the Indian Naval Central Band and Musicians drawn from INS India will be held at Siri Fort Auditorium on 09 February 2002. The Naval Symphonic Band, one of the pioneer bands of the Indian Navy, was commissioned in 1945 at Mumbai, with a strength of 50 musicians under the aegis of Lt. Cdr. S.E. Hills MBE, ARCMN, RNVR. This band was located at INS Angre Mumbai then known as Castle Barracks. The musicians of this band were mainly personnel who belonged to the bands of the various princely states. Lt. Cdr. Hills himself was attached to the band of the Maharaja of Rampur. The popularity of this band grew from strength to strength with some very fine performances in and around Mumbai. Along with performances for all service and ceremonial functions, this band also widened its repertoire by performing at functioning involving the various civilian choirs and orchestras. The brass and percussion sections formed the battery of the Mumbai Philharmonic Orchestra, the Delhi Symphonic Society and other renowned orchestras in India.

Today the band has grown into a full-fledged concert band of 100 musicians. All training establishments of the Navy also have bands. Although the instruments used by the band are the same as military bands all over the world and are of foreign origin, the Naval bands have adopted an 'Indianisation' program by composing and arranging Indian marches and Indian raags for their performances. These bands also use Indian instruments like the Tabla, Mridingam, Tanpura and the Bamboo flute or the Bansuri. The influence of our own Indian culture is very much prevalent in our musicians and their renderings. The Naval Bands act as Ambassadors of the country when they perform at foreign countries during goodwill visits of ships or otherwise. The band will be performing from a wide repertoire of music ranging from western classical, popular, Indian and other forms of music by noted arrangers and composers.

Indian Navy being revamped
(Times of India, 06 February 2002)

Just as war clouds hover over western horizon and government is involved in a diplomatic offensive against Pakistan, the country's naval prowess is being revamped. In a significant step, the Centre recently gave green signal for a comprehensive 30-year submarine building program. Welcoming the government's decision, Naval Chief Admiral Madhavendra Singh has described it as a watershed in the country's maritime history and indigenous production. Encouraged by the approval, negotiations have already been initiated with French and Russian authorities for transfer of technology for manufacturing submarines, he said. In fact, for the last few years, the authorities have been evaluating the French Scorpene Class submarine and Russia's Amur Class submarine for license production at the Mazegaon Dock in Mumbai.

Besides the ambitious submarine production, other key areas the blue-water force is giving priority to procurement of aircraft carriers. "Ideally, we should be having three aircraft carriers at any point of time, so that one each could be deployed on the east and west coast and another kept for maintenance and refit," Admiral Singh said during a recent visit to the Western Naval Command. The Navy would acquire five new ships by the year end, he said adding these would include two Talwar Class frigates from Russia, one missile corvette each from Goa and Mumbai shores while the fifth missile boat was being manufactured at Garden Reach workshop in Kolkata.

Defence Minister George Fernandes is of the view that our Navy is now as powerful as it can be though it needs to be strengthened further. The Defence Minister also said the on-going negotiations with Russians for acquisition of much needed Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov should be expedited. "It is time we expedited these talks and took charge of the ship and operationalised it," Admiral said. According to the Naval Chief, these acquisitions have become all the more important following decommissioning of the Vikrant way back on 31 January 1997. The Admiral said non-commissioning of any ship during the 7th and 8th five year plan had left some vacuum in the possession of warships by the Indian Navy. For obvious reasons, the Naval Chief is not quite pleased with such attitude towards the country's maritime force.

"Due to such decisions, you suffer down the line," he said. Admiral Singh also pointed out that as the deal for aircraft carriers remains to be signed after finalisation of the prices, the Navy was already going ahead with its programme of building an aircraft carrier on its own at Cochin. The Cochin Shipyard's Chairman and Managing Director, Commander (retd.) M.K. Murty recently said that cutting of steel for the indigenous aircraft carrier would start in 2003 and the vessel is expected to be commissioned in 2009. In fact, the realisation about the importance of maritime strength, especially in forging a strategic alliance with powers like US, has dawned only recently. Defence Minister Fernandes got a feel of this need during his recent visit to US and parleys with US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. On his return to New Delhi, when asked about US proposal to India to join US forces in guarding the Malacca Straits, the Minister said "there is that request. The matter is before the Cabinet Committee on Security."

"We are part of the global coalition against terrorism. So whatever logistics is needed, we are expected to provide it," Admiral Singh said. "India's location, size and potential in Indian ocean have made it mandatory for her to play a more meaningful role in the maritime game ball," says a senior naval official. The Defence Minister simply endorsed this view when he said Navy had tremendous responsibilities not just in Indian waters but also in the region to tackle piracy. He said the Navy's responsibility is also to guard the sea lanes from west to east and from east to west. In addition to piracy, the strategic location of the Indian ocean is such that there is needs of a concerted effort to fight threats of spread of weapons of mass destruction, narcotics trafficking and international terrorism.

The Naval Chief also does not mind the presence of US Navy in the region even in the event of a Indo-Pak conflict. Dispelling apprehensions that the presence of massive US naval force in the Arabian sea could hamper India's operations in case of any conflict with Pakistan, the Naval Chief said the large size of the Indian ocean provided space for everyone. "We are free as anybody else," he said hoping in the event of any conflict (with Pakistan) "the neutral party (US) will keep away by and large." There are other acquisition programs in the pipeline like indigenous procurement of Advanced Light Helicopters (ALHs) and Light Combat Aircrafts (LCAs). "Two ALHs of utility variety will be available by this year end while five more will be procured by next five years," Admiral Singh said adding the anti-submarine warfare version of ALH was also under development.  The naval revamping process has not been merely US centric and confined to procurement of vessels. Lately, the government has pursued in all earnestness the experiment to use navy as an instrument of policy of diplomatic parleys. Last year, the Indian Navy undertook joint exercises with as many as 20 countries, opening new vistas in mutual maritime understanding

After 50 years, India poised to get US combat systems
(Hindustan Times, 03 February 2002)

Overcoming five decades of mutual suspicion, India is poised to receive for the first time combat systems from the USA, soon. The US Departments of State and Defence have cleared the sale of P-3C Orion multi-mission maritime aircraft, along with Harpoon anti-ship missiles, and Sea Hawk helicopters among 21 military systems to India. Licenses for the sale of the 21 items are now awaiting notification by the US Congress. These items include weapon locating radars, aircraft engines and submarine rescue facilities. Observers say this marks a watershed in the Indo-US relationship. So far, the US sold India only two squadrons of C-119G Packet transport aircraft in the early 1950s, six two-seater Bell G3 casualty evacuation helicopters and four Sikorsky S55 helicopters around 1958.

But the 1958 US-Pakistan alliance under the Cold War backdrop stopped even the transfer of non-lethal defence equipment to India. Between 1954 and 1958, the US revamped the Pakistan military. Pakistan got the F-104 Starfighter and the F-86 Sabre jets by 1956. India was forced to buy the Mystere jets from France and the Hunters from Britain as a counter-balance in 1957 and 1958. The US gave Pakistan the B-57 bombers and India shopped for the Canberra in Britain. The 1962 Chinese aggression exposed India's military weaknesses. India now looked to the US for help. But the US provided India only with small arms, warm clothing, radio sets, radar equipment and air support by deploying two squadrons of the C-130 Hercules heavy lift military transport aircraft at the Palam base in 1963. The US linked military assistance to concessions on Kashmir. India resisted, and by 1964 stopped aid.

Chechen terror threat: US Navy Admiral scraps visit to Mumbai
(Indian Express, 02 February 2002)

Vice Admiral James Wallace Metzger, Commander-in-Chief of the US Seventh Fleet, has cancelled his visit to Mumbai, following an Intelligence Bureau (IB) report which had said he could be the target of a terrorist attack. Vice Admiral Metzger, who was to arrive on a brief visit to the city on February 1st, was to be targeted by a Chechen terrorist who is believed to have slipped into the city along with two Al-Qaeda operatives, according to the IB report. The report was dispatched to the Mumbai police three days ago, but no arrests have been made since. Police have, however, launched a massive manhunt for the terrorist, who has been active in Kashmir since seven years.

The IB has also circulated a description of the terrorist, who has also reportedly served in the Ukraine Navy, among police officers. He is said to have a deep scar on his left cheek from a bullet wound during firing with security forces in Kashmir. He is 5'11" tall and is well-built. However, the description on the other two associates is very sketchy, sources added. The Mumbai police headquarters has circulated another report to all DCPs in the city. It contains the names of prominent citizens who are perceived to be potential terrorist targets. Among the names mentioned are Lata Mangeshkar, Bal Thackeray and his family, Sachin Tendulkar and Amitabh Bachchan.

Coast Guards step up vigil along Gujarat, Maharashtra coasts 
(Deccan Herald, Hindustan Times & The Hindu, 01 February 2002)

After September 11th, the Indian Coast Guard has heightened its vigil on the porous coast of Gujarat and Maharashtra which is well known as conduit passage for smugglers and was used to transport explosives used in Mumbai blasts in 1993. At the same time, policing has increased around Andaman & Nicober Islands and Lakshadweep as well as along the infamous Malacca Straits in an effort to wipe out maritime terrorism, Indian Coast Guard Director General, Vice Admiral O.P. Bansal said on the eve of Coast Guard's silver jubilee anniversary on February 1st. A 24-hour vigil is being kept by the Navy and Coast Guard to ensure that Al-Qaeda and Taliban men on the run do not sneak into India. Warning that Indian maritime forces will have to contend with increase in terrorism, the Coast Guard has asked for Rs. 7,941 crore to augment and replace assets, and a 30% increase in personnel over the next five years.

The Coast Guard will have a joint patrolling exercise with Japan and organise a fleet review by December in which countries like Malayasia and Japan are likely to participate. The cooperation with Japan has its root in the Coast Guard's recovery of a pirated Japanese ship, MV Alondra Rainbow, carrying 7000 tons of aluminium ingots, after a hot pursuit for 24 hours last year. On the involvement of the Indian Navy in Operation Swan along the Gujarat-Maharashtra coast in the wake of Mumbai blasts, he admitted that though it was primarily a Coast Guard operation, the Navy was involved since the Coast Guard are thin on the ground. By 2004, the EEZ will expand to 2.90 million square kilometres after the demarcation of the Outer Continental Shelf. To maintain surveillance over this vast area, the Coast Guard has a fleet of 58 ships and 37 aircraft. Captain Mukesh Anand, Director (Plans) at Coast Guard HQ, said 34 ships and six aircraft need to be replaced during the next five years.

The operation began to check smuggling of RDX and other explosives through that region. Operation Tasa, launched to curb infiltration of LTTE men met with the same fate. However, the resources will be augmented during the 10th Five Year Plan in which the outfit will have replacement for 15 ships that are being de-commissioned and will have more aircraft and helicopters including the indigenous ALH that will be inducted by March. "A 15-year plan spelling out our requirements to cater to our increasing responsibility has been presented to the government," he said. Moreover, at least five new stations will be set up within the next five years. Asked about Coast Guard's role in the tri-service command in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, he said a new station would be set up in Little Andaman. "The Coast Guards have been made a part of the command as it will have a force multiplier effect and resources available with the services can be used more efficiently," he said.

However, the workload of the Coast Guard is likely to reduce in future as following the Kargil episode the government has decided to set up a specialised maritime police in the coastal states. The upcoming maritime force would be responsible for keeping a watch of up to 12 miles from the shoreline and the Coast Guard will take over after that region. "The maritime police force will be set up in all coastal states," Vice Admiral Bansal said. He pointed out that the operation by the Coast Guard and the Navy to thwart attempts by fleeing Al-Qaeda elements from entering India was not unique. Even the U.S. and other countries participating in Operation Enduring Freedom deployed assets worth $40 billion in the seas for the same purpose though with a much wider ambit.

He said that the high-level Group of Ministers on National Security had also underlined the importance of Coast Guard and called for recruitment of more men to meet shortage of personnel. Another important charter for the Coast Guard was in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands where it is working in tandem with the other three services. In fact, the country's first experiment with a unified command was operational in this region in the past four months and the results so far were encouraging, Vice Admiral Bansal said. The Coast Guard Deputy Director-General, Prabhakaran Paleri, was also present as the press conference.