India’s naval power in focus as West Asia war rages
The incident revived the spectre of big power contestation in the Indian Ocean which India has traditionally considered as its backyard
When an American submarine sank a warship of Iran in the international waters off the Sri Lankan coast in the first week of March, strategic analysts said the West Asia war, which began on February 28, had reached the doors of South Asia.
The incident revived the spectre of big power contestation in the Indian Ocean which India has traditionally considered as its backyard.
One of the most important lessons from the West Asia war is the risks posed to crucial shipping lanes and the need for ramping up the naval strength of a country. Secondly, India also looks at itself as a rising maritime power and a net security provider in the Indian Ocean region.
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Both the messages were driven home by two developments: India's induction of four warships, an offshore patrol vessel and a large survey ship into its navy between March 30 and April 3.
Indian media reports said that on April 3, India also inducted its third nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), INS Aridhaman, to enhance its sea-based nuclear deterrent capabilities. But there was no official word on this till the writing of this article.
The induction of the four warships was followed by the start of a more than a month-long voyage by an offshore patrol vessel from Mumbai carrying naval personnel of India and 16 maritime forces of "friendly" foreign countries on an operational deployment which will see the vessel visiting seven overseas ports including Chattogram.
All the four warships, including two stealth frigates, inducted into the Indian navy to its fleet between March 30, 31 and April 3 are purposed for anti-submarine operations with two of them specifically in shallow waters near the coast.
The two shallow water anti-submarine warships are designed to detect and counter submarine threats in near-shore zones where traditional platforms often face operational challenges, according to the Defence Ministry. Both are also equipped with advanced sonar and radar systems, along with lightweight torpedoes and anti-submarine rocket systems.
Their waterjet propulsion system improves its manoeuvrability while reducing acoustic signature, a critical factor in anti-submarine missions. Ond shallow-water anti-submarine vessel is also meant for low-intensity maritime operations along with mine warfare capabilities.
The frigates reflect a generational leap in indigenous ship design, stealth, survivability and combat capability. The potent weapons and sensors suite include BrahMos surface-to-surface missiles, along with rocket and torpedoes for anti- submarine warfare.
The first of eleven Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels (NGOPVs) was also launched March 31. A day prior to that, a large survey ship was delivered to the Indian Navy. The NGOPVs are indigenously-built ships which will augment the existing ten OPVs for multi-domain operations like defence and surveillance, search and rescue, protection of offshore assets and anti-piracy missions.
Among other capabilities of the survey ship, which has an indigenous content of over 80%, are collecting oceanographic and geophysical data for defence and civil applications.
A common feature of the warships and the survey ship is their high degree of indigenous content ranging from 75 to 80% in design and building. The names of the four warships are carry-forward from their decommissioned versions but the features and weaponry in the upgraded vessels reflect a leap from legacy into the future to redefine hard power.
The journey of offshore patrol vessel INS Sunayna carrying the navy personnel of India and other countries only served to amplify India's efforts to reinforce its India's commitment to regional maritime security and international cooperation. This, along with the recent visit of another Indian navy warship INSV Kaundinya to Oman, sent out the message that maritime security is most effective when it is built through cooperation.
Indian Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi said the coming together of 16 like-minded maritime countries for shared purpose and collective commitment is "rare and significant In a complex maritime environment."
