A naval superpower in the making.

The INS Viraat, India's 28,700 ton Centaur-Class Aircraft Carrier, launching a VTOL Sea Harrier jet fighter. The INS Viraat should remain in service until 2012.

India is one of the only countries in the region with a blue-water navy ('blue-water is a term used to describe navies capable of operating across 'deep waters' and therefore of projecting their power far from their coastline, in opposition to 'brown-water' navies, which are confined to the littoral and incapable of sustaining an expeditionary deployment) and is the only Asian Navy which currently deploys an aircraft carrier.

A growing portion of India's defence budget is being allocated to the Indian Navy, which has become a symbol of the country's growing assertiveness in the Indian Ocean. India has ambitious plans for the modernization, and expansion of its Navy, which by 2020 will be comprised of approximately 140 vessels. Half of these will be assigned to the defense of the littoral, the other half will form an expeditionary force of frigates, destroyers and corvettes around two or three aircraft carrier groups. The ultimate goal of the Indian Naval planners is to be able to simultaneously project force via these carrier groups on both its eastern and western seaboards. Having two carriers constantly operational, however, requires a third carrier which would be kept in reserve, enabling it to rotate with one of the others when it goes under maintenance.

Plans also include a drastic upgrading or increase in the Indian Navy's submarine assets, fighter planes, amphibious assault ships, and helicopters specialised in ASW (anti-submarine warfare) or in the transport of auxiliary forces, such as the Indian Navy's MARCOS commandoes. (see upcoming article)

The Indian Navy currently has several major armament programmes underway. Here is a brief overview of the most important, the carrier and submarine programmes.

Aircraft Carriers:

Two more aircraft carriers are to join the Indian Navy, hopefully before 2015. The 26 year old ex-Admiral Gorshkov, a 47,750 ton Kiev-Class Carrier, purchased from Russia, was expected to join India's armada in 2008/2009, thus enabling the 49 year old Centaur-class Viraat to retire. Unfortunately after a series of delays; due to the loss of the original blue-prints, the alleged discovery that the ship required 2,400 km of recabling instead of 700 and subsequent Russian demands for another 1.2 billion USD; the delivery is not now expected until 2012. This frustrating turn of events has soured Indo-Russian relations, and forced the Indian Navy to spend hefty sums in order to extend the ageing Viraat's life for another few years and equip it with a new air surveillance radar.

India is also building a smaller, indigenous aircraft carrier, the 37,500 ton IAC, (Indigenous Aircraft Carrier), at Kochi, which has also been delayed until at least 2014, due, in part, to steel acquisition problems.

Conventional Submarine assets:

India's submarine force remains relatively small (about 16 boats) and will not undergo a significant increase in numbers over the next few years. Planners are hoping, however, to replace the ageing Sindhughosh class subs with six French, but locally built, Scorpene diesel-electric boats by 2017. Unfortunately it seems that here also delivery plans have been pushed back. India plans to fit both its conventional and nuclear powered submarines with the Brahmos supersonic cruise missile, that it co-developed with Russia, and that is currently being adapted for underwater use.

Nuclear Submarine assets:

India's incapacity to build nuclear powered submarines, whether it be SSNs (nuclear-powered submarines with conventional weapon systems) or SSBNs (ballistic missile submarines) has long been a source of frustration. Both SNAs and SSBNs would provide an enormous boost to the Indian Navy's strategic capabilities.

SSNs:

Even the most advanced diesel-electric submarines cannot remain more than a few days submerged at a time, whereas nuclear submarines can operate under the surface almost indefinitely. This makes an enormous difference, as submarines are valued above all for their ability to function undetected.

The Indian Navy signed an agreement with Russia in 2004 to lease the Akula-class SSN Nerpa, which is currently under construction, and should arrive in INdia in 2009. The SSN Nerpa will not only be used in military operations but also as a training vessel for the submariners who will operate India's indigenously built nuclear submarines, currently being assembled in Vishakhaptnam, the headquarters of India's Eastern Fleet.

The ATV, or Advanced Technological Vessel, is a 6,000 ton SSN with a 80 Mw nuclear reactor, and is believed to be closely modelled on the Soviet 670A series that the Indian Navy leased for three years from the USSR in the 1980s. The ATV has long been cloaked in secrecy(Indian officials denied its very existence until recently) and has been under development since at least 1974. It is scheduled to be operational in 2010, but many experts believe that its launching may be delayed.

SSBNs:

SSBNs are the missing link in India's quest for the 'nuclear triad of deterrence'.
The expression 'nuclear triad' refers to a nuclear arsenal composed of three different components, which supposedly provide the best form of deterrence:

• long-range strategic bombers
• land-based ballistic missiles
• ballistic missile submarines

Submarine launched ballistic missiles are considered the best form of deterrence in the triad, as they provide a better 'second-strike capability' as they are, by nature, the most difficult to locate and destroy in a preemptive strike.

India is currently finalising the Sagarika submarine-launched missile, that was successfully launched from an underwater pontoon off the coast of Vishakpatnam in February 2008. Although details surrounding the project as well as the test are somewhat obscure, reports indicate that the Sagarika missile has a range of approximately 750km, and that the IN plans to fit it to the ATV .

Other expansion/modernization plans:

India's acquisition of the USS Trenton and of its six modernised UH-3H SeaKing Helicopters made the headlines last year. With a displacement of 16,900 tons, the former US vessel, now renamed INS Jalashwa, is an amphibious assault ship which can host more than 1000 troops and 100 small vehicles. It comes equipped with landing craft, which will enable the Indian Navy to launch marines in covert ops, or conduct evacuation missions.
India is also procuring and constructing more advanced frigates and destroyers, which will be equipped with Brahmos supersonic cruise missiles and Israeli Barak-I missile defense systems.
Newly procured Mig 29k fighters and Ka-31 airborne early warning helicopters will provide support to maritime operations, and India is also bolstering its maritime surveillance capabilites by acquiring more surveillance aircraft as well as UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles).

India is already one of the most powerful navies in the region. With these ambitious plans of expansion and modernization of its fleet, it could well become one of the foremost maritime powers in the world.