Navy to flex muscles in western front wargames

NEW DELHI: India has amassed its western and eastern naval fleets on the western seaboard for intensive combat manoeuvres in the entire Arabian Sea, in what will be one of the largest maritime exercises in recent times. 

The warships, including aircraft carrier INS Viraat, Delhi-class destroyers, Kilo-class submarines and Talwar-class frigates, among others, are backed by Sea-Harrier jump-jets, IL-38 and Dornier-228 maritime reconnaissance aircraft and Kamov-28 and Seaking anti-submarine warfare helicopters. 

Many "assets" from IAF, Army and Coast Guard, including Jagaur maritime strike jets and Sukhoi-30MKI fighters, amphibious combat units and smaller warships are also being deployed for 'Tropex' or the theatre-level readiness and operational exercise. The largescale exercise's "actual tactical phase" will kick off on February 14. "Over 50 types of warships and scores of aircraft are taking part in it to sharpen combat skills as well as validate doctrines and concepts," said a source. 

That's not all. After the Tropex wargames in Arabian Sea, in keeping with its endeavour to build "interoperability" with foreign forces and further India's geo-strategic objectives, Navy will dispatch four frontline warships to the Far East in March-April for a series of exercises. 

The overseas deployment will see Indian warships undertake the 'Simbex' combat exercise with Singaporean Navy, 'Malabar' with US Navy south of Japan and 'Indra' with Russian Navy off Vladivostok. 

"Constructive engagement is our principle weapon during peacetime. The idea is to enhance security and stability in the entire Indian Ocean Region by engaging with regional and extra-regional maritime powers," a senior officer said. 

As for Tropex, the warships will practice operational concepts like "maritime manoeuvre from the sea", designed to ensure Navy is capable of favourably influencing the outcome of the land-air battle in the short, swift and high-tempo conflicts of the future. 

Then, the armed forces have also stepped up amphibious warfare drills to take the battle to enemy shores.

Indian Navy issued a tender for landing boats

Indian Navy issued an international tender for ten landing boats to be used for carrying of troops and vehicles from ships to the land, reports PTI. So far, it is uncertain what companies will compete in the tender. According to Indian military, new boats will be also used as troop transport ferries between Andaman Islands, Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep. 

Troop-carrying capacity of the boats should be at least 55 tons. Such boat must fit in Magar class or Shardulclass landing ships as well as INS Jalashwa amphibious transport dock. A boat must be capable to accommodate either 150 marines and one T-72 (T-90) main battle tank, or two infantry fighting vehicles, or two 2.5-ton trucks, or four light armored vehicles. 

New boats must not be more than 23-meter long, have a full-load speed up to 15 knots, and a out-of-dock service time at least one month (200 miles at full load). Boats should be powered with two diesel engines with water-jet propeller. Design of the boats must provide day-and-night operations. 

According to specifications, each boat should be armed with two machineguns; mount points of machineguns must be protected with armor plates. New boats will serve in Indian Navy for 20 years.

Damaged Indian frigate sank

Being damaged during exit of Mumbai port, an Indian frigate sank after an onboard fire, reports ITAR-TASS referring to Egyptian news agencies. So far, none official representatives have commented the accident. 

INS Vindhyagiri collided with commercial vessel North Lake while leaving Mumbai port on Sunday. As a result, the frigate's bow was damaged; the ship was towed to a naval base. This morning a fire occurred on board the warship. All crewmembers were evacuated. Firefighters failed to bring the fire under control. 

The ship had been in service since 1981.

Indian navy probes warship collision

Indian defence officials began a probe Monday into a collision between a warship and a merchant vessel near Mumbai, in the latest incident in the busy waters outside the city, an officer said.

The INS Vindhyagiri suffered damage and a fire broke out near the engine room as she returned to the city's naval dockyard on Sunday with the families of navy personnel on board.

"The cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained. That will only happen subsequent to the naval board of inquiry that will be set up," defence ministry spokesman Captain M. Nambiar told AFP.

Firefighters and military personnel battled thick smoke to bring the fire on the Leander class frigate under control as she was towed back to the dockyard from the busy shipping channel off India's financial capital.

Nambiar said the ship, which was commissioned in 1981, was listing in the dock's shallow waters because of damage to her hull but would right herself once pumping began.

Defence officials in New Delhi said that ammunition on board was cleared and that "all efforts" were made to contain the fire and flooding.

"Necessary measures have also been taken to prevent any spillage of oil from the ship," a statement said.

About 150 people were on board the vessel and had been on a short excursion when the collision happened with the Cyprus-flagged MV Nordlake, which was leaving Mumbai's Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT).

No one was injured, said Nambiar.

Six months ago, two cargo vessels collided off Mumbai, sending containers spilling into the sea, grounding one of the ships and causing it to list badly.

Shipping traffic into and out of JNPT and the Mumbai Port Trust -- which together handle about 40 percent of India's maritime cargo -- was severely disrupted after the waterway was closed due to the hazard.