Russia launches Indian Navy’s third missile frigate

KALININGRAD (BNS): Indian Navy's third and final Talwar-class guided missile frigate, INS Trikand, has been floated out at Russia's Yantar shipyard in Kaliningrad on Wednesday.

The new frigate, being built under project 11356, was launched in the presence of Indian and Russian government and defence officials.

With almost sixty percent of the warship's construction work over, including its weapons complex, it will now enter the final stage of production, the shipyard said.

The Yantar shipyard was awarded a $1.6 billion contract in 2006 to build three modified Talwar class (also known as Krivak III class) guided missile frigates for the Indian Navy.

While the fist ship, INS Teg, was floated out in November 2009, the second vessel, INS Tarkash, was launched in June, 2010. Both the ships are getting ready to undergo sea trials in the coming months.

The new class of Talwar frigates will be equipped with BRAHMOS supersonic cruise missiles which will replace the 3M-54E Klub-N anti-ship missiles installed on the original three Talwar-class frigates presently operated by the Indian Navy.

Russia had built and delivered the original three frigates – INS Talwar, INS Trishul and INS Tabar – to Indian Navy between 2003 and 2004 under a 1997 contract.

The other armaments to be installed on each of the new frigate would be a 100-mm gun, a Shtil air defense system, two Kashtan air defense gun/missile systems, two twin 533-mm torpedo tubes, and an anti-submarine warfare helicopter.

The three new frigates are slated to be handed over to India between 2011 and 2012.

India to build 34 naval ships, submarines

NEW DELHI (PTI): Marking a modernisation spree, Indian Navy is constructing 34 ships and submarines and is in the process of acquiring aircraft, destroyers and missiles to equip it to meet all challenges.

Addressing top Naval Commanders here, Defence Minister A K Antony on Wednesday said thrust was being given to indigenous capabilities while modernising the force.

"Thirty-four ships and submarines are in various stages of construction at different shipyards. A large number of contracts have been concluded for acquisition of aircraft, destroyers, fleet tankers, jet trainers, missiles, UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) and radars," he said.

Navy Chief Admiral Nirmal Verma on Tuesday said almost all the naval ships planned to be inducted in the next 15 years would be built in India.

Besides inducting new assets, India is also focusing on revamping its indigenous ship-building capabilities.

As part of this, Antony last week commissioned the first-of-its-kind and the biggest ship-lift system at Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), which will significantly reduce the time and effort in repairing ships and constructing new ones.

With a Rs 800 crore and four-phased modernisation plan, GSL is expected to augment its capacity to fabricate and construct steel, aluminium and hull of the naval vessels to nearly three times.

Indian Navy's 3rd Talwar class frigate to be launched Wednesday

KALININGRAD (BNS): Russia’s Yantar shipyard will float out Indian Navy’s third Talwar-class guided missile frigate, INS Trikand, on Wednesday.

The new class of warship, being built at the Baltic Shipyard in Kaliningrad, under Project 11356, will be launched in the presence of high level Indian and Russian defence and other officials, according toRus Navy.

The Yantar shipyard was awarded a $1.6 billion contract in 2006 to build three modified Talwar class (known as Krivak III class in Russia) guided missile frigates for the Indian Navy.

It had floated out the first warship, INS Teg, in November 2009. The vessel entered sea trials in March this year. The second vessel – INS Tarkash – was launched in June, 2010. 

The new class of frigates has been designed to accomplish a wide range of missions, primarily finding and eliminating enemy submarines and large surface ships. 

With a displacement of 4,000 tons and speeds of 30 knots, the new frigate will be armed with BRAHMOS supersonic cruise missiles. 

Each warship will also be equipped with a 100-mm gun, a Shtil air defence system, two Kashtan air defence gun/missile systems, two twin 533-mm torpedo tubes, and an anti-submarine warfare helicopter. 

Russia expects to deliver all three frigates to the Indian Navy in 2011-2012.

Indian Navy presently operates three Talwar class frigates – INS Talwar, INS Tabar and INS Trishul – which were handed over to it by Russia in 2003-2004 under a 1997 contract.

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India’s first shiplift system to start on Saturday

NEW DELHI (PTI): India's 'Shiplift System', first of its kind in defence ship building yards in the country and the largest in the region, will become operational on Saturday when the Rs 400 crore project in Goa is dedicated to the nation. 

The commissioning of the shiplift facility by Defence Minister A K Antony on May 21 will coincide with the launching of third in the series of Naval Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) indigenously designed and being built by Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL). 

"The first two phases of GSL's modernisation programme, including the shiplift system, have been completed in record 28 months. The four-phased plan with a budget of Rs 800 crores aims to create capacity in the shipyard for production of cutting edge technology warships," Defence Ministry officials said here.

Along with the Shiplift system, two ship-repair berths, a transfer area for ships and Shiplift Piers have also been constructed at the GSL.

After completion of modernisation programme, GSL would be able to fabricate steel and aluminium required for shipbuilding and hulls for the vessels at nearly three times that of the present capacity.

The same day, Antony will also inaugurate an integrated defence-civilian township at Karwar in Karnataka with 326 dwelling units under "Project Seabird", also known as Karwar Project.

India developing Karwar as 3rd major naval base on west coast

NEW DELHI (PTI): India is moving fast to set-up its third major naval base after Mumbai and Cochin on the western coast at Karwar in Karnataka. 

Defence Minister A K Antony will inaugurate an integrated defence-civilian township at Karwar on May 21 with 326 dwelling units under "Project Seabird", also known as Karwar Project. 

"The township will accommodate defence and civilian employees posted at Karwar. It is part of the Project Seabird which was aimed to transform Karwar into a state-of-art major naval base on western coast with docking facilities for an aircraft carrier-size vessel," Navy officials said.

Completed at a cost of Rs 2400 crore approximately, the phase one of the project has seen commissioning of base ship INS Kadamba in 2005 and a ship-lift facility in 2006 along with a hospital and the township which would be inaugurated on Saturday. 

"Presently, 10 different ships of various class and size are based at Karwar, biggest of them being a tanker-vessel," the officials added.

The foundation stone for Project Seabird was laid down by the then Prime Minister Rajeev Gandhi in 1986, but the plan went through massive delays because of financial crunch.

The Defence Minister will also inaugurate a ship-lift facility for constructing naval vessels at Goa Shipyard Limited. He would be accompanied by Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Nirmal Verma and other senior officers of Western Naval Command.

Indian Navy operationalises JOCs at three naval commands

NEW DELHI (PTI): To improve coordination among agencies involved in maritime security, Indian Navy has operationalised Joint Operation Centres at its three Naval Commands and in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

It has also put in place Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to conduct joint maritime drills. 

"JOCs have been established at Western, Eastern and Southern Naval Commands and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Navy has also issued a set of SOPs to coordinate with Indian Coast Guards (ICG) and other stake holders in maritime security," Defence Ministry officials said here. 

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Indian Army, Air Force joint exercise to start tomorrow

JAIPUR (PTI): A six-day long joint exercise of the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force will begin Monday in the deserts of Bikaner and Suratgarh near Pakistan border.

'Vijayee Bhava', the May 9-14 inter-services exercise, will involve tank to tank wars, helicopter operations and others, Army officials said.

Personnel from both the services are practising for 15 days to successfully carry out the drill.

According to the Indian Army, it has conducted 10 major exercises near the Pakistan border in the last six years and this exercise will boost synergy between the Indian defence forces.

"Battlefield tactics for warfare are being practiced in the exercise which also aims at fine-tuning the concept of Cold Start doctrine," an official said. Cold Start was a military doctrine developed by the Indian Armed Forces in 2004 and involves joint operations between the three main services Army, Navy, and Air Force.

Indian Navy concludes exercise 'Sagar Kavach'

NEW DELHI (PTI): Seeking to enhance coordination between agencies involved in the country’s coastal and maritime security, the Indian Navy has completed a two-day exercise – Sagar Kavach – off the coast of Goa and Maharashtra.

“The exercise was a drill for all the stake holders in maritime security. It was a periodic exercise aimed at improving coordination between Navy, Coast Guard, customs, port authorities and marine police,” an Indian Navy official said here. 

Navy and Coast Guards participated in the exercise with ships, aircraft and ground forces, while other agencies put forward their required resources to ensure a foolproof coordination.

“Such exercises are conducted every few months. The idea is to hold it with two neighbouring states to find out the loopholes and plug them and ensure a smooth coordination between them,” the official said.

The latest exercise, which concluded Thursday, was conducted under the overall command of newly appointed Western Naval Commander Vice-Admiral DK Joshi.

Vice Admiral Joshi new Western Naval Command chief

MUMBAI (PTI): Vice Admiral D K Joshi Saturday took charge as the chief of the Western Naval Command headquartered in the metropolis.

He succeeded Vice Admiral Sanjeev Bhasin, who retired from the Navy after four decades of illustrious service.

"A specialist in anti-submarine Warfare, Vice Admiral D K Joshi assumed Command of the Western Naval Command at a ceremonial parade at `INS Shikra' here," said Defence Assistant PRO Narendrakumar Vispute.

Joshi has commanded the guided-missile corvette `Kuthar', Guided-Missile Destroyer `Ranvir' and the aircraft carrier `Viraat'.

He is a graduate of the Naval War College, USA, an alumnus of the College of Naval Warfare, Mumbai, and the prestigious National Defence College, New Delhi, Vispute added.

Joshi has held several important staff appointments.

His last two appointments were as Commander-in-Chief of Andaman & Nicobar Command (CINCAN) and Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC), he said.