Press Information Bureau
Government of India
Prime Minister's Office
21-August-2015 20:45 IST

            In pursuit of India’s ‘Look East’ and ‘Act East’ policy, the Indian Navy’s Eastern Fleet ships under the command of Rear Admiral Ajendra Bahadur Singh, VSM, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet (FOCEF), are on a two month long operational deployment to South East Asia and Southern Indian Ocean. 

            As part of the deployment, two of the Indian warships, INS Ranvir (a Guided Missile Destroyer) and INS Kamorta (an indigenously built Anti Submarine Corvette) entered Sihanoukville, Cambodia and the other two warships including INS Satpura, an indigenously built guided missile stealth frigate and INS Shakti, a sophisticated fleet tanker and support ship, entered Sattahip, Thailand today on a four day visit respectively. The previous visit by an Indian Naval ship to Thailand was in Jun 10.       

            The visit is aimed at strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries as well as fostering inter-operability between the navies of these two friendly nations.

            These ships are on the return leg after a 45 day deployment. During the stay in harbour, various activities such as official calls, professional interaction between personnel of both the navies, reception onboard and ship visits have been planned. On departure from Sihanoukville, INS Ranvir & INS Kamorta will exercise with the Cambodian Navy for enhancing interoperability in Maritime Operations including Search and Rescue. These ships have visited Singapore, Jakarta (Indonesia), Freemantle (Australia) and Kuantan (Malaysia) during deployment. During this deployment two warships also participated in the bilateral exercise SIMBEX-15 with the Royal Singapore Navy from 20-26 May 15. 

Click here to see Photos:

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DKS/AK                                                                                                                     40/15

Cyclone Forecast:  There has been a remarkable improvement in the prediction of cyclone, and extreme events as demonstrated in the recent   events    such as landslides in Uttarakhand and floods in Jammu-Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat due to intense precipitations and cyclones Ashobaa & Komen (2015). Two very severe cyclones, HudHud and Nilopher, were predicted well in advance and sufficient time was available to respond. All aspects of cyclone genesis, intensity, track, landfall as well as associated rainfall, gale wind and storm surge were predicted accurately. The forecast for the HudHud was appreciated by the Prime Minister. The cyclone track, landfall point and intensity forecast errors have improved to 107 km, 60 km and 11 knots during 2010-14 against 140 km, 110 km and 13 knots during 2005-09 respectively for 24 hours lead period. Extreme heavy precipitations in the Kashmir valley were predicted 3 days in advance and state administration was alerted. This has been accomplished by virtue of augmentation of observation system networks, enhancement of the computing capability and increase of data availability and implementation of high-resolution global models. Probabilistic forecasts of rainfall/snowfall and the strike probability of tropical cyclone have been introduced in the operational forecast products of NCMRWF.

Monsoon Prediction: For the first time, dynamic models were employed on real-time basis to predict quantitative precipitation during the southwest monsoon season.  The long range forecast revised in August 2014 for the season (June-September) rainfall for the country as a whole was 87% against forecasted rainfall of (88 ±4) % of LPA for the year 2014 and 86% against the forecasted rainfall in June 2015 of (88 ±4) % of LPA for the year 2015 .  The onset of Monsoon over Kerala as well All India Monthly forecast for July and August was predicted accurately.

Gramin Krishi Mausam Sewa:   Agromet Advisory Services Programme of the Ministry has a direct impact on agricultural production. Weather information based advisories before various stages of farming provided to 11.34 million farmers in the country covering 633 Districts of 23 States through Kisan Portal and PPP mode. Farmers’Awareness Programmes conducted to popularize the service also benefit from the advisories. In addition, in collaboration with Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR), around 25 Panchayats have also been identified to distribute agromet advisories and rain gauges for rainfall monitoring on pilot basis.

Infrastructure Facilities: A High Altitude Cloud Physics Lab (HACPL) at Mahabaleshwar to study micro physical characteristics of aerosols and clouds and associated environmental conditions. A large scale Campaign including aircraft and ground based measurements was organized over the Ganga Basin and Maharashtra to study cloud-aerosol interactions . Towards this, high performance computation facilities have been substantially augmented by upgrading the existing 170 Teraflop to storage archival capacity of 1000 Teraflop, which is ranked at 36th position in the world’s top 500 and first in the country.  350 TF Bhaskara HPC was dedicated to the nation by Minister for Earth Sciences on 2^nd June, 2015. For the first time in India an indigenous climate model has been developed for studying variability and predictability of monsoon on seasonal, inter-annual and decadal time scale.

A first version of the IITM Earth System Model was developed indigenously for studies on climate change and making regional climate change scenarios. Additional research work to further improve fidelity of the model is going on.   A paradigm shift in numerical modelling activity for operational weather forecast has been achieved. The atmospheric Model of Global Forecasting System (GFS) with a special resolution of 18 km was set up which is considerable improvement from 50 km to 18 km resolution. The resolution of global unified model was increased to 17 km and the regional model to 4 km, which have resulted in forecast improvements. An advanced Ensemble Prediction System (~33 km/L70; 44 members) for quantitatively assessing the uncertainty in the deterministic forecasts and generating probabilistic forecasts was also implemented. The upgraded data assimilation scheme using the flow-dependent statistics calculated from an ensemble of short-range forecasts and ingestion of new Indian satellite data have shown forecast improvements.

A Seafront Facility of 150 acres along the Nellore Coast has been acquired for carrying out Ocean Technology testing and demonstration activities which include establishment of an offshore numerical tank, ballast water treatment facility etc.

Capacity Development:  A set of four international and four national workshops/training programs were organized by International Training Centre for Operational Oceanography established at INCOIS, Hyderabad   for promotion of capacity building in the countries of the Indian Ocean region.Two Similar regional workshops were conducted in the field of atmospheric science and services for BIMSTEC countries. IITM, Pune in collaboration with ICTP, Trieste, Italy has organized a Targeted Training Activity on Monsoon Modelling during February 2015 at Pune. The third batch of CAT Students has completed the 18-month training program and became eligible for appointment as Scientist-B/C at different MoES Institutions.

Polar Research: -   The 34th Expedition to Maitri and Bharati, Antarctica and 8th expedition to the Himadri, Svalbard were launched for glaciological and atmospheric investigations.  The President of India interacted with the Indian Scientists based in Himandri through video-conferencing. First Ocean moored observatory IndArc for time series measurement of ocean parameters in the Kongsforden, Svalbard, Norway, deployed in July 2014 was successfully retrieved on 15^th July 2015. This data recorded continuously for one year is a major achievement in the area of in-situ observation. New Arctic Observatory (IndArc II) with additional biogeochemical sensors & acoustic sensors was deployed successfully on 19^th July, 2015 in Arctic. India successfully commenced operations at 3^rd Indian Permanent Station Bharati, in the Larsemann Hills, East Antarctica which would give a major thrust to study in the field of glaciology, atmosphere, paleoclimate and Polar biology.  India has been accorded observed status in the Arctic Council in recognition of India’s scientific contribution and endeavour in Polar research. Polar ROV “PROve” was deployed on 10^th of February 2015 at Priyadarshini Lake, Antarctica. System functionality was successfully tested and it recorded the lake bed videography which shows the abundance of algal mats clearly. Also PROve was successfully tested at site near ice shelf in Antarctica. The Ice Shelf is clearly seen from the Scanning SONAR and scientific data is collected using the sensors.

Ocean Survey and Exploration:  India’s application for site allotment of about 10000 sq.km in the Indian Ocean with exclusive rights for exploration was approved in the 20^th Session of the International Seabed Authority (ISBA) held during 14-25 July, 2014 at Kingston, Jamaica. ISBA is a body established under the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea responsible for exploration and exploitation of resources in the seabed lying in international water. Polymetallic Sulphides in the Ocean Ridges containing Copper, Zinc, Silver, Gold, Platinum and rare earth elements, constitute significant and important future mineral resources. The Indian Site located near the Rodriguez Triple Junction of the Indian Ocean Ridge in the South West Indian Ocean was identified based on earlier investigations and research work.

Geoscience:    Completion of the Preparatory phase of scientific deep drilling in Koyna and identified sites for pilot boreholes, 4.5 km deep. Finalization of Science Plan and team selection for deep drilling in the Arabian Sea to study evolution of Himalayas and origin of monsoon was done. Action was initiated for setting up of National Centre for Seismology for addressing all the seismological aspect in an integrated way.  Operationalized the Integrated Seismic and GNSS Network and Data Centre for online access to data from 200 remote seismic and GNNS stations.

International Cooperation: Five agreements have been signed with international agencies and agencies of countries such as Japan, USA, Kuwait, Norway, and UNESCO for cooperation in various fields of earth sciences. A LoI was signed between Ministry of Earth Sciences and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, USA for cooperation in research.

Initiation of New Programs:

Himalayan Meteorology program will be launched to improve observations, both meteorological as well as snow and ice related, in the region including on glaciers and snow-clad regions. The capabilities for nowcasting for expeditions, pilgrimage, tourism, etc. also to be developed. 

Severe Weather Warning System: Severe weather such as dust storms, extremely heavy rainfall, cloud burst, fog, cyclones, etc. affect different parts of the country regularly. A high resolution (1.5 km) convective scale regional model has set up for generating forecasts of severe/extreme weather events and trial runs are being carried out. (iii) Offshore numerical tank will be established with a hydrodynamic simulation facility with virtual reality for testing of offshore structures/systems.

Marine Living Resources:  Annual trawl-ban being implemented as part of sustainable management of fishery resources available in the Indian Coasts has been observed to have significant effect on the recovery of macro benthic organisms particularly polychaetes and crustaceans in the inner shelf region where demersal trawling is intense. The observed values of biomass during the pre and post-ban period indicate an increase of total biomass almost double as that of initial values in the depth range between 30 to 50 m. The study exemplifies the importance of the trawl ban imposed during the monsoon to maintain resilience of coastal ecosystems and its socio-economic services. A new biodiversity hot spot “Terrace off Trivandrum” has been identified along the depth contours of 1200 m at South West Coast of India with an unusually high abundance of deep sea fishery resources as high as 1.2 tonne catch per unit effort.

Ocean Science Technology and Services:Two Indo-US joint expeditions were accomplished in the Bay of Bengal for studying ocean mixing and Monsoon experiments. Forecast on potential fishing zones and ocean state for India and Indian Ocean countries. Maps for long-term shoreline changes for Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu were also accomplished.  Ocean Information and Advisory services are now extended for Tuna Fisheries (daily) and Coral Bleach Alerts (once in 3 days). Online Oil Spill Advisories, Ocean State Forecasts along shipping routes as well as for Maldives, Seychelles and Sri Lanka are now provided on regular basis. Indigenously designed and developed Polar Research Vehicle was deployed at Antarctica successfully for scientific observations. Completed (i) preparation of Atlas for the Indian Coast and development (ii) deployment of indigenous drifters to measure sea surface temperature, pressure and currents having INSAT communication and (iii) design of the Offshore Reef with beach nourishment for coastal protection at Puducherry. (iv)  teams of scientists retrieved a lost heavy weight torpedo “Varunastra” of Indian Navy from the sea bed at a depth of 168 metres with the support of ORV Sagar Nidhi. This is the first time in the country that the torpedo is recovered from such depths. (v)  Autonomous Coring System (ACS) qualified at 1000m water depth in the KG Basin and drilling done upto ~24m below the sea floor.  (vi) Open sea cage culturing was successfully demonstrated at Olaikuda and fishermen self-help group successfully cultured and harvested 7.0 tonnes of cobia in the open sea cage. A societal training programme on open sea cage culture was conducted on 4^th November 2014 at Rameshwaram and 85 participants including fishermen, self-help group and entrepreneurs participated.

A National Centre for Seismology (NCS) has been established as an attached office of the Ministry by consolidating all seismological related activities of IMD and MoES and reorganizing them under NCS.

NCS has since been disseminating earthquake information to various designated authorities associated with disaster management, relief and rescue operations including media. At present the network is upgraded and augmented and information is provided within 10 minutes of occurrence of the earthquake. Work is on for establishing early warning system for the same.  Seismic microzonation of NCT Delhi on 1:10K scale has been completed.

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RDS/SS

Press Information Bureau
Government of India
Prime Minister's Office
26-April-2015 00:37 IST

As part of an exercise to check and review the preparedness of the States on the East Coast of India to meet the Tsunami threat, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India issued directions to National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to conduct a Tsunami Mock Exercise on September 26, 2015 in the States of  Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and West Bengal. NDRF was designated as the lead agency to conduct the mock drill and Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Hyderabad was given the responsibility to conduct a preparatory workshop on the Tsunami Exercise to be followed by similar preparatory workshop at State levels. The preparatory workshop was conducted by INCOIS on August 26, 2015 in Hyderabad in which NDRF officials and officials from participating States who are dealing with Disaster Management in the respective States and officials from Indian Navy and Coast Guard participated. All the participating States conducted preparatory meetings at State levels for officials of those districts where the Tsunami Mock Drill will take place. As a culmination of deliberations at such meetings, 09 places in Andhra Pradesh, 06 in Odisha, one in Puducherry, one in Tamil Nadu and three in West Bengal were selected to hold the Tsunami Mock Exercise on September 26, 2015 by the participating States.

NDRF as a lead agency, actively participated in the deliberations held at INCOIS, Hyderabad  and at the State level and promised to extend all help and expertise to make the Tsunami Mock Exercise a grand success.

All the Commandants, 2^nd In Commands of the Battalions were asked to participate in the exercise along with their teams. NDRF also nominated one Officer each at State Emergency Control Centre (SECC) and District Emergency Control Centre (DECC) during the exercise. One Emergency Operation Control Centre (EOCC) for NDRF was established at the Office of the DIG, SZ, NDRF, Chennai during the exercise.

            The objectives of the Tsunami Mock Exercise :

Ø  To check and review the preparedness of the agencies, departments involved in Disaster Management(DM) at State and District levels.

Ø  To check and review the channel and flow of Tsunami WARNING/ALERT/WATCH Bulletins issued by INCOIS, Hyderabad to various Govt. agencies.

Ø  To check and review the response of various agencies and departments to the impending disaster.

Timeline of Events during the Mock Exercise :-

0930 hrs- ITEWC (Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre), INCOIS (Indian National              Centre for Ocean Information Services), Hyderabad issued Tsunami Mock Drill Test Stand up Message to all agencies/Departments involved in the incident.

0935 hrs- ITEWC  Test Bulletein-1 Issued

    0940 hrs- ITEWC  Test Bulletein-2 Issued

    0950 hrs- ITEWC  Test Bulletein-3 Issued

    1045 hrs- ITEWC  Test Bulletein-4 Issued

    1145 hrs- ITEWC  Test Bulletein-5 Issued

    1245 hrs- ITEWC  Test Bulletein-6 Issued

    1330 hrs- Final Bulletin issued.

All the concerned agencies received the Bulletins issued by ITEWC, INCOIS Hyderabad and action was taken as per SOP at all the designated places. The objectives of Tsunami Mock Exercise were met satisfactorily.

List of places where tsunami mock drill conducted today

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KSD/BK

The first edition of this years’ bi-annual Naval Commanders' Conference which commenced on 21 Apr 16, concluded today after three days of fruitful deliberation. The Hon’ble RM addressed the Naval Commanders on 21 Apr 16 and complimented all personnel of the Indian Navy for ensuring the maritime security of the country through a high tempo of operations. He especially commended the Navy for the outstanding conduct of Combined Commanders’ Conference on board Vikramaditya off Kochi last December and the successful conduct of the International Fleet Review at Visakhapatnam in February this year. He also appreciated the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief efforts of the Indian Navy in the aftermath of the floods in Chennai as well as the recent fire tragedy at Puttingal temple near Kollam in Kerala. He assured the Commanders of the government’s commitment to the modernisation and development plans of the Navy. He further appreciated the efforts of the Navy in the recent initiative to grant permanent commission to the first batch of women officers and also induction of women as pilots in the Maritime Reconnaissance stream of Naval Aviation and Naval Armament Inspectorate cadre. The conference also provided an opportunity to the Naval Commanders’ to interact with MoD officials on important ongoing issues.

Chairing the conference, the Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral RK Dhowan addressed the Navy’s top leadership on myriad issues including enhancing the operational readiness of the Commands, infrastructure development, human resource management, coastal security, cyber security and foreign cooperation initiatives.

Addressing the Naval Commanders, the CNS revisited the thrust areas as also the importance of the C3I model – i.e. Commitment, Compassion, Credibility and Integrity – to keep focus on defined goals and maintain the Navy on the correct track, which he had stressed on taking over the command of the Indian Navy. The CNS was very satisfied with the progress made over the last two years and complimented the

rank and file of the Indian Navy for successfully overcoming several challenges and navigating steadily through the way points which were set.

The CNS said that the Navy has contributed significantly to the nation’s geopolitical and developmental aspirations and that has been accepted and acknowledged at the highest level of our government.

Emphasising that combat readiness of the fleet and other operational formations is of prime importance, the Admiral said focused efforts, as hitherto, are required at all levels to ensure sustained growth of the Navy into a formidable multi-dimensional force. The CNS complimented all ranks of the Navy in maintaining a high tempo of operations during the last six months including the very successful International Fleet review (IFR) held by the Navy at Visakhapatnam in Feb 2016, apart from a number of other notable operational activities such as the first Combined Commanders’ Conference on board Vikramaditya in Dec 15.

Among the focus areas discussed during the conference were aspects pertaining to training, skill development and welfare of retiring personnel who constitute a vital resource for the nation. He also reviewed the progress of housing infrastructure projects for naval personnel. e aso Consequent to 2016 being observed as the ‘Year of Civilian Personnel’ in the Indian Navy, the service conditions of civilian personnel and their quality of life were deliberated extensively. The CNS stated that our men and women are our greatest assets and their morale and well-being should always remain the primary concern. He also highlighted the grant of permanent commission to women officers as a major milestone in the Indian Navy’s history.

The indigenisation programme of the Navy was discussed and the CNS stressed that indigenisation of platforms, weapons, sensors and equipment, through DRDO, public and private sectors as also through in-house efforts, should remain an area of focus. In this regard he highlighted the successful conduct of the IN-FICCI joint seminar on ‘The Make in India Paradigm - Roadmap for a Future Ready Naval Force’ where we had a very healthy participation from the various stake holders and Indian industry.

During the course of the conference, the Chief of the Naval Staff reviewed the progress of airfield infrastructure, security of Naval Air Stations, dockyards and naval establishments. In addition metrological and oceanographic initiatives being undertaken in support of naval operations were also discussed.  

The CNS also reviewed the improvements being made to the logistics delivery chain and the implementation of e-procurement in the Indian Navy. He emphasized the need for constant review and refinement of the Navy’s logistics support structures to ensure that its combat units and formations receive quality logistics support while maintaining a high operational tempo.

One of the highlights of the conference was the opportunity Naval Commanders had to interact with the MoD officials, wherein issues pertaining to joint operations and military synergy were discussed.

In his closing address the CNS complimented all personnel of the Indian Navy for their professionalism and patriotism, and exhorted them to prepare the Navy to meet the future maritime security challenges before the country. “We must continue to pull on the oars together, to propel the navy forward, and contribute to a strong and prosperous maritime nation” he stated. He expressed confidence that the Navy would continue to grow from strength to strength in the coming years and emphasized that operational effectiveness and readiness should be the touchstone of all the efforts. He concluded by stating that the Navy’s role is not only vital for national security, but also for national prosperity and development.

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DKS/CKP                                                                                                                               26/16

Rear Admiral Sanjay Mahindru, NM has assumed the duties of Flag Officer Submarines from Rear Admiral SV Bokhare, today, 25 September 2015. Rear Admiral Mahindru was commissioned on  01 January 85, and has served 27 years in the Submarine Arm.  He has commanded a conventional submarine, frigate and a destroyer prior assuming Command of nuclear submarine Arihant. Whilst serving ashore, the officer commanded the Navy's Submarine Training Establishment and been a Director at Naval Headquarters.  He is an alumnus of prestigious College of Naval Warfare and has also completed the Staff Course in the United Kingdom.

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DKS

Recognising the importance of providing equal opportunities to women officers, seven women officers from the batch of Short Service Commission officers of the Education branch and Naval Constructor cadre, who joined in 2008-09, have been granted Permanent Commission.

Additional avenues for employment of women officers have also been opened up. Starting in 2017, women officers can choose to join as Pilots of Maritime Reconnaissance planes viz. Boeing P8I, Dornier, etc, as also in the Naval Armament Inspectorate cadre. Thus, a total of eight branches/cadres will be opened for women officers in the Navy.

The Navy is also finalising the policy for women officers to serve on select warships that have appropriate facilities for women.

In order to demonstrate that women are second to none in tough adventure activities, a crew of six Naval women officers including the skipper, is meticulously preparing for the first, all-women, circumnavigation of the world in 2017 by an Indian team, in an indigenously built ocean sailing vessel, Mhadei II.

DKS/CKP

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Guest, Admiral Sunil Lanba, Chief of the Naval Staff said that “this event is yet another moment of truth for the Indian Navy and India’s quest for self-reliance and indigenisation. The Indian Navy stands fully committed to the call of ‘Make in India’ and we are extremely proud of the fact that all of our warships and submarines on order today are being constructed within the country”. He further added that this also is “an affirmation of our resolve that the Indian Navy should attain a size and capability that is commensurate with India’s growing stature in the world, our national maritime interests, and our commitment to cooperation and collaboration towards ensuring secure seas for shaping a favourable and positive maritime environment.

The Admiral also commended the synergic partnership of MDL, Indian Navy, DRDO, OFB, BEL, other public sector enterprises and the private industry in ensuring that force levels are made available to meet India’s National strategic objectives. He also congratulated DGND and his team at Directorate of Naval Design for designing state of the art warships and contributing towards achieving Indian Navy’s dream of transforming from a “Buyers” to a “Builders” Navy.

Project 15B ships feature cutting edge advanced technology and are comparable to the best ships of similar class anywhere in the world. These ships have been designed indigenously by the Directorate of Naval Design, New Delhi. Each ship spans 163 metres in length and 17.4 metres at beam and displaces 7300 tonnes. These ships will be propelled by four gas turbines to achieve speeds in excess of 30 knots. The P15B destroyers incorporate new design concepts for improved survivability, sea keeping, stealth and ship manoeuvrability. Enhanced stealth features have been achieved through shaping of hull and use of radar transparent deck fittings which make these ships difficult to detect. P 15B ships will be equipped to carry and operate two multiple role helicopters.

These ships are packed with an array of state of the art weapons and sensors, including vertically launched missile system for long distance engagement of shore, sea-based and air targets. With significant indigenous content, these ships are a true hall-mark of self reliance attained by our country in warship design and ship building.

BRIEF ON PROJECT 15B – SUPPLEMENTARY INFO

Four Guided missile Destroyers of Project 15B (P 15B) are under construction at M/s Mazagaon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai. The contract for construction of these four ships was signed on 28 Jan 11. These ships are amongst the most technologically advanced Guided Missile Destroyers of the world, with state-of-the-art weapon/sensor package, advanced stealth features and a high degree of automation. The design of P15B ships has been developed in house by the Directorate of Naval Design.

With a displacement of 7300 tons, each ship will span 163 meters in length and 17.4 meters at the beam. These ships will be propelled by four gas turbines in Combined Gas and Gas (COGAG) configuration and are capable of achieving speeds in excess of 30 knots with a maximum endurance of 4000 nm.

The P15B destroyers incorporate new design concepts for improved survivability, sea keeping, stealth and ship maneuverability. These ships will be equipped to carry and operate two multi-role helicopters. State of art rail less helo traversing system is being introduced on these ships for efficient helicopter handling onboard.

These ships can truly be classified as possessing a Network of Networks, as they are equipped with Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS), Ship Data Network (SDN), Automatic Power Management System (APMS) and Combat Management System (CMS). While control and monitoring of machinery and auxiliaries is achieved through the IPMS, power management is done using the APMS. The CMS performs threat evaluation and resource allocation based on the tactical picture compiled and ammunition available onboard. The SDN is the information highway on which data from all the sensors and weapons ride.

Stealth has been a major thrust area in P15B design. Enhanced stealth features have been achieved through shaping of hull and use of radar transparent deck fittings which make these ships difficult to detect. The ship embodies features such as Multiple Fire Zones, Total Atmospheric Control System (TACS) for Air Conditioning, Battle Damage Control Systems (BDCS), Distributional Power Systems and Emergency DA to enhance survivability and reliability in emergent scenarios.

These ships have been designed for a complement of 50 officers and 250 sailors. The accommodation and working spaces have been designed with special emphasis on ergonomics and habitability.

The ship’s “fire power” consists of sophisticated weapons-sensor suite including vertically launched Surface to Air Missiles (SAM) and Surface-to-Surface Missiles (SSM) for long distance engagement of shore and sea based targets. It is also noteworthy that this ship has significantly high indigenous content, in the form of weapons, machinery and material. These ships therefore showcase the Nation’s growing capability in developing and delivering complex warships, which serves as a true hall mark of self reliance attained by our country in warship design and construction. This high level of indigenization has been achieved through participation of both public and private sector.

The second ship of P15B Yard 12705, christened, Mormugao, is planned to be launched on 17 Sep 16 at MDL, Mumbai, and will be the fifth frontline warship, including the indigenous aircraft carrier, being launched in last six years, in addition to the delivery of three frigates, three destroyers and two corvettes during the same period.

DKS/RS

Press Information Bureau
Government of India
President's Secretariat
16-October-2015 18:07 IST

The 27thseries of India – Indonesia Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) is being conducted from 28 Apr to 19May 16. Opening Ceremony of the CORPAT is being held at Port Blair from 28 – 30 Apr 16. Closing Ceremony will be held at Belawan, Indonesia from 16 – 19 May 16. The Indonesian Navy is being represented by the ship KRI Imam Bonjol and Maritime Patrol Aircraft CN 235 whilst INS Karmuk and one Naval Dornier aircraft are representing the Indian Navy.

A high level Indonesian delegation for the 27thCORPAT arrived at Port Blair on 28 Apr 2016. Later in the day, senior officers of the delegation led by First Admiral Muhammad Ali, called on Vice Admiral Bimal Verma AVSM at his office, wherein the two discussed issues of mutual interest and cooperation.

Apart from securing the trade sea route, the coordinated patrolalso serves to enhance mutual understanding and inter-operability between the two navies.The CORPAT thus reflects the shared concern between the two countries for a peaceful Indian ocean for the benefit of international community.

DKS/CKP

Press Information Bureau
Government of India
Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs
21-January-2016 18:21 IST

The chief of the Naval Staff Admiral RK Dhowan, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, ADC was the Chief Guest and give away the prizes.

The Indian Navy Cup Race was introduced in 1965 and was presented by the then Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral BS Soman. Over the years, the race has become a very popular annual feature at the Delhi Race Club.

DKS/CKP

SHAURYA CHAKRA

ASHU SINGH, CHIEF MECHANICAL ENGINEER (131980 – F)

(POSTHUMOUSLY)

On 06 Mar 16, at about 1600 hrs, an incident of deck head lagging fire accompanied with heavy smouldering occurred in the ‘B’ Boiler Room of INS Viraat. The sailor showed exemplary courage and presence of mind in safeguarding machinery by taking correct procedural step in crash stopping B1 boiler which was last in use and securing other machinery in the vicinity. He took lead role in successfully fighting the fire relentlessly for 35 min with all other watch keepers and Standing Sea Fire Party (SSFP) in the extreme harsh conditions with intense heat and heavy smoke without thinking about his own safety thereby averting a major disaster. He also safeguarded the life of other fire fighters by guiding them to evacuate boiler room in time.

In the process the sailor, undeterred and unmindful of his own life, safeguarded the life of men and propulsion machinery of the aircraft carrier, displaying conspicuous gallantry, exemplary leadership and presented an example of "Service before Self". The sailor displayed dauntless courage, most conspicuous gallantry, selfless service, outstanding professionalism and exemplary leadership disregarding the pain and suffocation and had sacrificed his own life while ensuring safety of fellow ship mates and the aircraft carrier.

This feat of courage by the sailor, in saving both, personnel and the equipment at the cost of his own life is an act worthy of recognition and is in keeping with the highest traditions of the Service, and therefore, (Late) Ashu Singh, Chief Mechanical Engineer is awarded Shaurya Chakra (Posthumously).

NAO SENA MEDAL (GALLANTRY)

RAKESH KUMAR, HULL ARTIFICER 4, (502230-H)

(POSTHUMOUSLY)

On  10 Jun 16, Rakesh Kumar, Hull Artificer 4, 502230-H of INS Vikramaditya, was part of the team assigned the task of overseeing fitment of a newly fabricated 1.2 m piece of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) pipe by two civilian contract-workers in Cofferdam 9K6, whose horizontal dimensions measure 2.1m X 0.76m. The sailor was assigned the task of connecting and supervising the operation of a submersible pump and was positioned in the Power Generation Room (PGR), one deck above the compartment containing the Cofferdam, with access to the Cofferdam being only through a long vertical ladder that led down from a narrow hatch.  During the pipe-replacement process, the sailor heard someone shouting from the compartment below and saw a civilian emerging from it in a semi-conscious state. The sailor went down the ladder, picked up the civilian on his shoulder and climbed up the vertical ladder to the PGR, laying him down under an AC vent. He then learnt that the other civilian was also unconscious in the Cofferdam. Without any thought to his own safety, the sailor clambered down the vertical ladder again and with no hesitation entered the Cofferdam where he saw his team leader wearing an Emergency Life saving Apparatus (ELSA) set and trying to pick up the civilian worker, who was lying prone in the well of the Cofferdam, partly covered with water. Rakesh, with all his strength, tried to lift the second civilian, but was unable to do so as his clothes were slippery and entangled with deck fittings in the narrow space. Despite knowing the dangers of the probable presence in the space of toxic gas and its consequences, Rakesh did not relent in his efforts and continued trying to bodily lift the civilian out of the Cofferdam in the hope of saving his life. He, however, lost track of time, and whilst continuing his vain but valiant efforts, also succumbed to the toxic gas inhalation and collapsed inside the Cofferdam. He was extricated from the compartment by a rescue team a few minutes later, but was unfortunately declared dead in the hospital.

It is evident from the act of the sailor that he with scant regard to his personal safety ventured into the congested cofferdam seeing a civilian worker shouting in semi-conscious state. The sailor was completely aware that the presence of dangerous and poisonous gases in the congested enclosed space will endanger the lives of the civilians working there. Even a moment’s delay would cause the civilians to lose their lives. Realising this, sailor rushed to the space and lifted the first civilian on his shoulder and climbed up the ladder and saved him. Thereafter, though the sailor was exhausted, showing rare grit of courage and valour he ventured into the congested space infested with the poisonous gases to save the second civilian. Whilst continuing his vain but valiant efforts, Rakesh Kumar, Hull Artificer 4 succumbed to the toxic gas inhalation. This feat of exemplary courage by the sailor, in saving the civilians working in the enclosed and congested space infested with the deadly poisonous gases of H₂S with scant regard to the safety of his own life is an act worthy of recognition and is in keeping with the highest traditions of the Service, and therefore, (Late) Rakesh Kumar, Hull Artificer 4 is awarded Nao Sena Medal (Gallantry) (Posthumously).

NAO SENA MEDAL (GALLANTRY)

LT CDR NEERAJ KUMAR (06143-K)

Lt Cdr Neeraj Kumar (06143-K) is the NBCD Officer onboard INS Trikand. At about 1820h on 08 June 2016, whilst transiting off Goa in heavy weather, INS Trikand was contacted on radio by Merchant Vessel MV Infinity One anchored off Grandi Island. MV Infinity One reported crack in starboard ship’s side with ingress of water causing ten degrees list being aggravated by heavy weather and swell, and requested de-flooding assistance in emergency. Immediately, INS Trikand closed MV Infinity to render assistance. Weather was extremely unfavourable, with heavy rain, low visibility, winds gusting to 25-29 KN, pitch dark night conditions and sea state 3-4. Undeterred by the challenging weather conditions, Lt Cdr Neeraj Kumar sprang into action and quickly mustered a four man Damage Control (DC) team along with dewatering pumps and leak stopping gears. During embarkation of the DC team and stores into the ship’s boat, the boat and ship were rolling excessively in the heavy seas and the scramble net swayed precariously throughout the descent into the boat. Keeping his cool and displaying unflinching courage, Lt Cdr Neeraj Kumar led from the front and ensured all men and stores were loaded into the boat in record time. Motivating his team all along the way and closely monitoring their movements, he led the team personally on an extremely demanding transit across the choppy seas to the marooned Merchant Vessel. Upon embarkation onboard the Merchant Vessel at 2020h on 08 June 2016, the MV crew were assessed to be poorly trained and motivated, with many seemingly in shock. The forward hold of MV Infinity was half flooded and the ship was listed excessively to starboard with sea/ swell breaking over the weather deck. The only access to the forward hold was via a catwalk that was on the starboard edge of the weather deck, which was constantly awash with sea and spray. Catwalk and upper decks were caked with bitumen dust from the ship’s cargo, which along with the heel to starboard, aggravated by the pitch black night and falling rain created treacherous underfoot conditions. The Forward Hold itself was in complete darkness and was accessible only via a narrow lobby above. All onboard pumps of the MV had burned out or suctions were choked by bitumen cargo in the hold. Displaying tremendous professional poise and composure in such trying conditions, Lt Cdr Neeraj Kumar marshalled his team expertly and swiftly rigged up portable submersible pumps in the forward hold of the MV. When MV crew were unable to provide power supply for the pumps, Lt Cdr Neeraj Kumar and his team proactively took matters into their own hands, searched all nearby compartments, identified compatible supply breakers and rigged up direct electrical tapping from those points to energise the pumps. After two hours of sustained de-flooding of the forward hold using the pumps operationalised by Lt Cdr Neeraj and his crew, the list of the MV was observed to gradually reduce and by 0315h on 09 June 2016, the list had reduced to five degrees and the MV was declared out of the danger by the Master.

Military leadership, courage in adversity and ability to overcome all odds displayed by Lt Cdr Neeraj Kumar are in the best traditions of the naval service. Technical and seamanship skills as well as sheer guts displayed by the officer ensured successful rescue of a Merchant Vessel in distress at sea and saved the lives of all 14 MV seamen of Indian nationality. For his intrepid leadership and bravery, Lt Cdr Neeraj Kumar is awarded Nao Sena Medal (Gallantry).

DKS/AC                                

        The Navy’s famous sailing vessel Mhadei, skippered and crewed by an all-women crew of naval officers for the very first time, entered Chennai Port today, after participating in the International Fleet Review 2016. The sail boat had left Visakhapatnam on 09 Feb and is scheduled to make stops at Chennai and Kochi ports enroute before reaching her home port at Goa.

Lieutenant Commander Vartika Joshi, a Naval Architect, was appointed as the first woman Skipper of Mhadei on 08 Feb just prior to her return voyage. The boat is crewed by Lieutenants P Swathi, Pratibha Jamwal (Air Traffic Control specialists), Vijaya Devi and Sub Lieutenant Payal Gupta (both Education officers). The sixth member of the crew, Lieutenant B Aishwarya is an Engineer and is expected to join the boat next month.

The women officers are training to form an all-women crew that would attempt to circumnavigate the Globe next year. Mhadei will remain at the Ports of Chennai (13-16 Feb) and Kochi (23-26 Feb) on her return journey. She will eventually return to Goa on 02 Mar. This is the first all-women crew to man any ocean-going sailing boat of the Navy. All the crew members are volunteers and are driven by their passion for adventure and a love for sailing and the seas.

DKS/CKP                                                                                                                             08/16

To facilitate expeditious investigation in the matter, the Apex court has directed Kerala Police to continue with the investigation by constituting a special investigating team comprising officials of Kerala Police headed by a DIG level officer and to complete the investigations preferably within three months.

The Indian Navy strongly denies the allegations made by Ms. Sujatha Ravi Kiran. The Kerala Police has also denied any influence by the Indian Navy in the investigation.

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DKS/CKP 35/16

English Rendering of Prime Minister’s statement after the Relief Operations Review Meeting in Cyclone-hit Vizag on 14, October, 2014

Indigenously built guided missile stealth frigates, IN Ships Satpura and Sahyadri, commanded by Captain AN Pramod and Captain KS Rajkumar respectively, INS Shakti, a sophisticated fleet support ship, commanded by Capt Gagan Kaushal and INS Kirch an indigenous guided missile corvette commanded by Commander Sharad Sinsunwal are participating in this deployment.

The visits to each port will last four days and are aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and enhancing inter-operability between the navies. During the stay in harbour, various activities such as official calls and professional interaction between naval personnel of both the nations have been planned. PASSEX has also been planned at sea with the host navies. In addition to showing the Flag in this region of vital strategic importance to India, these ships will also participate in MALABAR-16, a maritime exercise with the US Navy and JMSDF.

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Maritime interaction between India and Thailand has been growing steadily with frequent port visits, participation in multilateral exercises and training exchanges. Under the broad ambit of this strong maritime relationship, the two navies have been carrying out CORPATs along the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) twice a year since 2005, with the aim of keeping this vital part of the Indian Ocean Region safe and secure for commercial shipping and international trade. The CORPAT has also strengthened understanding and interoperability between the navies and facilitated institution of measures to prevent unlawful activities at sea as well as conduct Search and Rescue (SAR) operations.

The 22nd edition of the CORPAT would include participation of one warship and one Maritime Patrol Aircraft from both sides with the Closing Ceremony being held at Port Blair, Headquarters Andaman and Nicobar Command (HQANC) from 25-27 Apr 16. The Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Andaman and Nicobar Command, Vice Admiral BK Verma, AVSM and Rear Admiral Warongkorn Osathanonda, Commander, Phangnga Naval Base, 3rd Naval Area Command, of the Royal Thailand Navy will be the Senior Officers at the Closing Ceremony.

India and Thailand have traditionally enjoyed a close and friendly relationship covering a wide spectrum of activities and interactions, which have strengthened over the years. The 22nd edition of CORPAT would bolster the already strong bilateral relationship between the two nations and contribute significantly to enhancing maritime security in the region.

DKS/CKP

The decision to deploy the ships was taken by the government late in the night, on 20 May 16 in response to the request for assistance from Sri-Lankan government. Both the ships of the Southern Naval Command were made ready within six hours after directives were received. The ships, in addition to providing the relief material, would also be participating in the rescue and relief efforts.

Two Dornier aircraft are also standby at Kochi for any emergent requirement.

The swift action of deployment of ships reinforces Indian Navy’s commitment to reach out the countries in the region during the times of crisis.

Koc/35/May 16