Indian navy – news folder July 2007

won’t A319 cost more since it doesn’t have any assured customers? unlike
P-8s main customer is USN with a large requirement.

Precisely. Who is willing to integrate more stuff that IN needs would most likely decide the outcome.

The Boeing 737 in Indian service maybe more a less a civilian aircraft. Yet, it is still in service with the Indian Military. So, they have first have knowledge of the type. Let’s also not forget the common infrastructure, maintenance, and support that could be shared between the two types. The 737 has also been built in far greater numbers. …

Respecfully,

Scooter

The original Boeing 737 & Boeing 737NG between them have been built in greater numbers than the A320 series, but so what? When you’re talking about thousands of both types, that isn’t an issue. And as original B737s are scrapped, the numbers in service tilt more and more towards the A320, which outnumbers the 737NG in numbers built, rate of building & numbers on order. But again, with thousands of each built, which is built in more thousands is not significant. Let’s just accept that for either, availability of support is not a problem.

Who said IAF?? I said IA and AI (Air India and Indian airlines, now merged). Yes it would be the same trying to integrate Brahmos on B737 or A-320 but EADS will be more receptive that americans (I am guessing) and if IN has to choose between harpoon and exocet, exocet is in service (scorpene, sub launched but still closer than harpoon).

I am not saying P-8a will be rejected but B737 with the airforce influencing the navy to buy the same platform is ********. AI and IA use Airbus A320’s so maintenance is no biggie. USN and IN use different weapon systems, Harpoon vs Brahmos/Uran, AIM-120/9 series versus Derby/R-77/ Python. How well can Indian systems be integrated etc will play into it. EADS offer is not far behind as you seem to think.

I’ve looked at several sites and can’t find Airbus 320’s in IAF Service? Regardless, my point in short is the Boeing 737 has more advantages than the other types under consideration. With far more in service around the world. This would provide India a great deal of work both Military and Commercial. As for weapons I am really lost in your reasoning as both the 737 and A320 are Western Types. Clearly, it wouldn’t be any easier to intergrate the Brahmos (for example) on the A320 than the 737……….just my two cents. Like I said time will tell………….:rolleyes:

I am not saying P-8a will be rejected but B737 with the airforce influencing the navy to buy the same platform is ********. AI and IA use Airbus A320’s so maintenance is no biggie. USN and IN use different weapon systems, Harpoon vs Brahmos/Uran, AIM-120/9 series versus Derby/R-77/ Python. How well can Indian systems be integrated etc will play into it. EADS offer is not far behind as you seem to think.

The VIP squadron B737 are basically civilian jets. India also operates A320, that doesn’t mean EADS design will win. The P-8A might have more backing due to confirmed orders but a lot of politics would go into it. IN doesn’t want Harpoon or Exocet but Brahmos integrated on the MPA’s also what AAM’s does the IN want? (R-77, Meteor, Derby, Astra, Python most likely)

The Boeing 737 in Indian service maybe more a less a civilian aircraft. Yet, it is still in service with the Indian Military. So, they have first have knowledge of the type. Let’s also not forget the common infrastructure, maintenance, and support that could be shared between the two types. The 737 has also been built in far greater numbers. I wouldn’t be surprised “if” India selects the P-8A it would gain considerable work from the project. (i.e. both Military & Commercial) As for weapons almost anything could be adapted………..with the current political climate with Russia. It is almost inevitable that India will purchase Western Equipment. Possibly is large numbers…….:D

Sorry, think what you may but my money is on the P-8A!:D

Respecfully,

Scooter

The VIP squadron B737 are basically civilian jets. India also operates A320, that doesn’t mean EADS design will win. The P-8A might have more backing due to confirmed orders but a lot of politics would go into it. IN doesn’t want Harpoon or Exocet but Brahmos integrated on the MPA’s also what AAM’s does the IN want? (R-77, Meteor, Derby, Astra, Python most likely)

Indian Navy RFPs for maritime patrol aircraft soon, to develop rotary wing UAVs
http://www.domain-b.com/defence/sea/indian_navy/20071205_maritime.html

India already operates both Civilian and Military Versions of the Boeing 737. That combined with the interest shown thus far in the P-8A Program. I would say it has to be the favorite and more than likely the wiiner. Of course time will tell…………….. 😀

Indian Navy RFPs for maritime patrol aircraft soon, to develop rotary wing UAVs
http://www.domain-b.com/defence/sea/indian_navy/20071205_maritime.html

05 December 2007

The Indian Navy is set to float a global tender for maritime reconnaissance aircraft (MRA), Indian Navy chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta has said. Admiral Mehta also said that along with MRA””s the Navy was also looking at developing and inducting a rotary wing unmanned aerial vehicle in order to enhance its surveillance capabilities.

According to Adm Mehta the navy was in talks with state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the development of the rotary-wing unmanned aerial vehicle.

””We have completed our evaluations of various long range maritime patrol aircraft and a request for proposals (RFPs) should go out very soon,”” Mehta said ahead of the annual Navy Week celebrations starting from Tuesday.

The MRA””s are intended to replace the ageing fleet of eight Soviet-era Tupolev Tu-42s which are on the verge of completing their service life.

According to reports, the Indian Navy has already observed trials of MRA derivatives of the Airbus A-319 manufactured by EADS, Spain, and the Boeing P-8A Poseidon in the US sometime in July this year. These trials however involved simulations on the Airbus A-320 and the Boeing-737 platforms of representative flight profiles and mission system evaluations, as neither of the MRA derivatives actually exists.

The Boeing P-8A is scheduled to fly in late 2009, with operationalisation of the aircraft set for 2013. The EADS platform is expected to be ready around the same time.

Both manufacturers would also partner Indian companies to jointly develop communications, data-link and identification friend-or-foe (IFF) equipment keeping in mind New Delhi””s policy of indigenising its defence requirements.

In an attempt to further boost India-US strategic partnership, the Pentagon also has pledged to make additional technical, military capabilities available to New Delhi as the P-8A enters into service with the US military.

Other likely bidders for the Indian Navy contract are Israel Aerospace Industries and Elta Systems with a Dassault Falcon 900 business jet derivative, Lockheed Martin with a refurbished P-3C Orion, and a Russian aerospace consortium with the upgraded Ilyushin Il-38SD.

Though the Navy was more interested in longer range MRAs, currently under development, it however was ””seriously considering”” acquiring two or three of the existing shorter range aircraft as an interim measure to plug a vital operational void in patrolling India””s vast coastline, officials said.

According to these officials, the navy””s existing surveillance assets are insufficient to monitor the country””s 7,516 km coastline, 1,197 island territories and the 2.01 million sq km exclusive economic zone.

Apart from the Tu-42s, the navy currently operates two Il-38 MRAs upgraded to IL-38SD standards and equipped with the Sea Dragon system, 15 Dornier 228-101 aircraft and 12 Israeli Searcher and Heron-II unmanned aerial vehicles. Another three upgraded IL-38SDs are expected to join service by end-2008.

Rotary wing UAV
As for the rotary-wing UAV, Adm Mehta said that the Indian model would be based on a helicopter that the HAL was already manufacturing.

””I had personally initiated this project, based on a running helicopter that the HAL has indigenised. We chose HAL because we believe it can deliver a machine better than any other in the world,”” Mehta added.

The new machine could be based on the Lancer light attack helicopter, which HAL has derived from the Cheetah helicopter already in service with the armed forces for decades. The Cheetah is the HAL version of the French Aerospatiale Lama SA 315 helicopter.

‘There Has Been a Realisation That Building Warships in India is Not Purely a Shipyard Activity Alone’

Chairman and managing director, Mazagon Dock Ltd, Vice Admiral S. K. K. Krishnan AVSM, VSM

What is the update on the Scorpene Submarine Project?

We completed one year of preparatory work in December 2006 and commenced production of the first boat from 14 December 2006. The preparatory period was utilised to train our welders and fabricate two trial sections, which will qualify our fabrication procedures. The production of the first boat has increased the quantum of work considerably and this is testing our own in-house capabilities as well as that of our subcontractors engaged for bending and pressing certain special sizes of steel. We have fully acquired the necessary skills for all aspects of pressure-hull fabrication. The quality of our work is also under close scrutiny by our collaborators, since they stand guarantee for the first two submarines being produced by us. A small team from our collaborators is stationed here to advise us as required and also provide on-the-job training in certain specific areas. All quality requirements are being met. Like in all such projects, there are some areas of non-conformity, which are being checked and addressed. Occasionally, such matters are being referred to the shipyard in France for a detailed design analysis and clarifications. The technical data package is being made available through a dedicated line established for the purpose. This information will come in stages as we progress production.

Shipyard personnel including a team from the navy are being periodically trained in correctly exploiting the technical data package. This package is the main conduit for technology transfer and has to be fully understood and exploited correctly. It provides for downloading necessary information and clarifying any issue directly on line with the design team in France. We have also started ordering equipment and material required for the project. Initial procurement is mostly steel and weld consumables. For other equipment and material, we are receiving Purchase Order Specifications (POS) from the collaborators and in consultation with the navy, who are the ultimate users, we have placed orders on the eligible manufacturers. At this stage, all such items are being ordered mostly on European firms. Simultaneously, we are also enhancing our capability within the existing workshops and are creating additional facilities as part of the shipyard modernisation plan.

Could you please elaborate on what is meant by mastering the fabrication technique?

Fabrication involves rolling and forming the plates required for the pressure hull of the submarine and manufacturing the pressure hull and other internal parts to a high degree of accuracy. As the steel being used is highly alloyed it is difficult to work with. Most of the metal forming work is done in-house. Some portion of bending of plates, where we do not have the required capacity, is being outsourced through industry in Mumbai. All welding and fabrication work, however, is entirely done in-house. We had sent some of our welders to France for training and now we have established our own system of qualifying welders. The subcontractors with whom we work for bending plates as well as our own welding qualification procedures are monitored and approved by our collaborators. Manufacturing frames for the submarine has stabilised as a continuous production process. Wrapping plates correctly around these frames is more time-consuming and somewhat difficult to achieve considering the accuracies involved.

Considering that the first two submarines are to be constructed completely to the Armaris’ specifications, have you got all the drawings for this from them?

Drawings come as part of the technical data package. As I mentioned earlier, these do not come at one time. So far we have received three stages of technical data package and they have always been on time as per the project schedule.

Is there any slippage in delivery of the equipment and materials?

Equipment and materials are ordered based on purchase order specifications provided by the collaborators. These purchase order specifications are tailor-made to suit the requirements of our submarine and are prepared in France. They are then dispatched to us based on the project schedule. Procuring these items from vendors in Europe is not always very easy. All the items are not coming from the collaborators, although they are helping us in locating the correct manufacturers. The volume required is quite low especially since we are making provisions for indigenisation in some of the cases. With all these factors put together, we do worry about timely availability of items. So far there are no major problems. However, we are concerned about the process and are doing our best to ensure timely availability of equipment.

Will you be able to meet the deadline of 2012 for the first submarine?

Completing the first submarine in six years is indeed a tough task. Even the French, for an identical submarine in their own facilities, took six years. It should be recalled that they had shared their work with Navantia of Spain. Hence, completing the entire work here in new premises is indeed a very difficult task. We have, however, taken on this as a challenge. For the second and subsequent submarines, we would have gone past the learning curve and will be able to do better than the first one.

Is the shipyard modernised enough to build the Scorpene Submarine?

The in-house facilities like welding stations have been refurbished during the preparatory period and are now available for series production. As part of the modernisation for submarine construction, we have to create an additional wet basin outside the submarine dock to berth the submarines during series production. This wet basin will be available by 2010. We are also creating an additional cradle assembly workshop and some stores for the submarine project. These do not have any special equipment or facilities and will also get ready by 2010. In the interim, for the first two submarines, we have allotted adequate space within the shipyard to progress the work.

Are you optimistic about delivering one submarine every year?

The first submarine, of course, will be the most difficult task. Thereafter delivering them one per year should not be difficult. More than our efforts, the production schedule will largely depend on timely availability of equipment and material. If we get that right, we should be able to meet the project schedule.

Will there be any escalation in cost?

No. There are no such indications currently in the project.

To round up this Scorpene issue, will it be correct to say that the project is on track with adequate modernisation underway?

Yes. The shipyard is prepared to the level required right now and future augmentation is on track.

What is the update on Project 15A and in what respect is it different from Project 15 Delhi class destroyers?

Project 15A is vastly different from the Delhi Class Destroyers. Except for the fact that the underwater hull form and the propulsion system are being maintained as it is, almost everything else has changed including layout of compartments as well as upper deck features. The weapon systems are also totally different and so is most of the electronics. Hence, the ship is substantially different and we have to remake every single production drawing afresh. It is, therefore, not exactly a repeat order. This has been a great learning experience for us and we are improving and innovating all the time. For example, to better utilise the time of the ship on the slipway, we have introduced a new concept of pontoon-assisted launching. Previously, we were forced to launch ships of this class with only 30 per cent completion due to limitations of depth of water available. In collaboration with a Russian shipyard, we are now designing a procedure for pontoon-assisted launching, which will allow us to launch the vessel after completing 50 per cent work on the slipway. This will make a major difference to all future shipbuilding projects in this shipyard. Compared to Delhi Class Destroyers, Project 15A will have many more indigenous systems including the BrahMos in its weapon package.

The other major work that is going on at MDL is Project 17. Can you share some details on this?

Under Project 17, we are building three stealth frigates of ‘Shivalik’ Class, the first of which will be delivered to the Indian Navy by end of the next year. Individual equipment trials have already started for the first ship and the ship will proceed for sea trials by mid next year. This is a very unique platform with a new propulsion system and many state-of-the-art electronic systems. When she joins the fleet, this ship will provide a significant punch to the fighting arm of the navy.

What are the other projects underway at MDL at the moment?

We are also undertaking major modernisation of two SSK class submarines. This project is undertaken jointly with Naval Dockyard, who have laid down the exact scope of work to be done by us. They concentrate on refurbishment of certain equipment and systems, whereas we remove and replace all equipment and systems and also undertake the entire modernisation work package. Currently, one submarine is undergoing modernisation refit and the second one will start soon.

With all this work going on, what are the challenges before MDL which need to be addressed?

From a shipyard, which was mostly undertaking building of just one class of ships in the past, MDL has now graduated to managing three major projects: Scorpene Submarine, P-17 and P-15A. In addition, we are also modernising two submarines and building a large dredger for the Dredging Corporation of India Ltd. From next year, we will be building two multi-purpose supply vessels for export. Managing all these major projects through individual project management teams is indeed exciting. The skill level of our workmen is well-known and the reliability of the platforms built by us has always met the stringent requirements of the customer. We now want to maintain the same momentum and parallelly build two types of major surface vessels and one series of submarines on a continuous basis for the navy. Now that we have stabilised on destroyer and frigate designs, we look forward to receiving orders for series building, so that we can have a stabilised level of work in the yard and have a lasting arrangement with our outsourcing partners. The current system of ordering three ships at a time is not a cost-effective method of building ships. It automatically brings in far too many changes in design and reduces the volume in number of equipment and systems that we order at a time. The shipyard has to contend with a cyclic order book which creates serious imbalances in production.

We are also undertaking a major modernisation of the shipyard, which will substantially increase our capacity by the year 2010. Then, we will be able to take up modular construction with each module weighing up to 250 tons. This will automatically imply that our detailed design and equipment ordering will have to be far more complete before commencing any project, so that we can actually outfit each module substantially. Such modular construction, combined with pontoon-assisted launching that I mentioned earlier, will help us pre-outfit ships in ideal conditions of our workshops. All this will improve quality of our workmanship and also result in reducing the build periods. We are also implementing an ERP system to marry all the independent legacy systems we have. The new arrangement will simplify many of our internal procedures and activities. We have overhauled our procurement procedures and are currently on a dedicated mission to improve our efficiency in this vital aspect. We have committed to the ministry and the navy to improve our workmanship and procedures in a few select areas of shipbuilding activities. As per the new arrangement, our improvement in these activities will be monitored and if desired levels are achieved, it would enable us to earn marginally more profit. That indeed is an incentive.

There has been a greater realisation by all concerned that building warships in India is not purely a shipyard activity alone. With the large extent of indigenous content in our ships, each project is indeed a developmental activity with a large number of equipment and systems parallelly developed by diverse agencies, when the ships are being built by the shipyard. Although this leads to somewhat longer build periods, the advantages that accrue have their own significance. There is a greater realisation of difficulties faced by the shipyard and hopefully in the future we will come to a situation where we can have series production of a large number of ships with most of the equipment and systems having been frozen, so that they can be ordered and installed as per schedule. We at MDL firmly believe that we are not merely building ships but are actually contributing to the cause of nation-building, an activity in which each worker in MDL takes immense pride.

‘The Way We Design Ships Today Has Undergone a Sea Change’

Director General Naval Design, Naval Headquarters, Rear Admiral M.K. Badhwar VSM

What projects are you working on at present?

We have four new design projects with us. We are designing the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) which is being built at the Cochin shipyard. We have a stealth destroyer project of the Kolkata Class and a stealth frigate project called the Shivalik Class. Both of these are being built at Mazagon Dock Ltd (MDL), Mumbai. The design of the Shivalik Class frigates is complete and all three ships of this class have been launched and work has commenced. We expect all the three Shivalik Class ships to be delivered to the navy by 2009-2010. We also have an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) corvette project. The design work is in full swing and this corvette will be built at the Garden Reach Shipyard in Kolkata. We have also started work on another project, which is not an entirely new design but an offshoot of the Shivalik Class frigates and the Kolkata Class destroyers. The good thing about this design project is that given the earlier experience, we hope to finish this much faster.

What foreign collaborations have you entered into for the designing of IAC?

The main hull has been designed by us in-house. Similar arrangement is there with all the ship systems, except for the propulsion system. The ship will be powered by four LM-2500 gas turbines and being a large ship there is a fairly long shafting line. Since we have not worked on such a large ship earlier, we decided to seek help from a foreign designer who has experience in designing aircraft carriers. For the propulsion system integration of IAC we are taking help from Fincantieri of Italy. They are also designing a similar aircraft carrier with the same package. They are therefore validating our original design and helping us with new designs.

As the displacement of the aircraft carrier kept changing, what effect did it have on the design and the time frame of the IAC?

Earlier, we were talking only of our existing Sea Harriers to operate; so the displacement was 19,000 tons. Later as the indigenous Light Combat Aircraft was making progress, we were asked to redesign to accommodate the LCA. After this, there were the operational considerations to have a larger aircraft to operate from the carrier in addition to the LCA. Therefore, we finally settled for a 37,500 ton displacement for the IAC.

Will you be operating the MiG-29K from the IAC?

We will operate whichever aircraft the government decides on. Any 22 ton aircraft which comes in the large category will be able to operate from the IAC. The carrier will be flexible enough to operate the indigenous LCA as well as the large category aircraft that we may eventually procure. Design work on the present configuration of the IAC started seriously only in 2000. I can say that 50 per cent of the design is completed. The rest of the design effort will go concurrently with the ship construction. The Cochin Shipyard is very confident that it will be able to meet the stipulated deadline of 2014 for the delivery of the IAC.

Tell us more about Project 17, which is the stealth Shivalik class frigate.

The design work on Project 17 started around 1993 when the Indian Navy felt a need for a stealth ship. We therefore picked up skills to ensure that the detection of the ship is minimal. The stealth requirements refer to low radar cross-section (RCS), low acoustics and low infra-red signature. We did not enter into any collaboration for this. The work was done in-house; however, we sourced certain components from outside and also sent our officers for capsule training abroad. For example, a group went to Germany for low RCS, another to Canada for low infra-red signature and yet another to the UK for low acoustics signature. The design work on the Shivalik is completed and production work at MDL is going on. You have to appreciate that sealing design of a warship unlike a commercial ship is never done completely before production. The reason for that is, unlike a merchant ship whose design is dictated by economic considerations and do not change, a warship has to keep abreast of the latest sensors, weapon systems and technology. Therefore in case of a warship the production and design always happen concurrently. Hence, we work very closely with the shipyard for the construction of a warship which is a time-consuming process.

What about the destroyers that are being made at MDL?

We had the successful Delhi Class destroyers which proved their mettle across the world. We therefore got the sanction from the government for three more destroyers with proven hull and propulsion system of the Delhi Class. In the Kolkata Class, we have redesigned the portion of the ship above the water to give it stealth capability and of course the sensors and the weapon systems have been changed. These have either been built indigenously or are being done in collaboration with outside countries. The first Kolkata ship has already been launched at MDL early this year and the second and third is under different stages of construction. The first Kolkata Class destroyer would be handed over to the navy in 2010.

What special skills have been acquired by your directorate in the last five years?

The way we design ships today has undergone a sea change. Ten years ago we used to do the drawing using pencil and baton. Now we work on computer aided designs. We are using new software. We are using finite element methods for design of ship structure, apart from 3-D modelling techniques. We are also using computational fluid dynamics in solving hydro dynamic and aero dynamic problems. Earlier, we were handling one design at a time, but today we are handling four and in the future there may be a possibility of working on many more designs simultaneously; hence, the need to upgrade our technological skills. We have formed specialist groups who can enhance vertical specialisation. These small cells in the directorate are specialists of a very high order in specific areas like structural design, propulsion systems and air-conditioning. We have a ship system group, stealth group, a power generation and distribution group and so on. In addition to these, we are in the process of setting up more specialised groups. All this has changed the very dimensions of the design groups.

What limitations are you facing at the design directorate to accomplish the above changes?

For one, nobody can ever be satisfied with the expertise one has. We have qualified people, but maybe more are required. Regular foreign collaboration is another option that we need to consider very seriously. As the design field and especially with the coming of the IT sector, is an expensive area, there is a need to work with foreign collaborators for faster and better synergised work. This is the reason most of the European countries are now collaborating with one another for the design of warships. At the recent EuroNaval exhibition we did get offers from foreign designers which we have passed on to the government for its consideration. We are certainly thinking in this direction as we have our core strengths and this will help us tie up with foreign designers.

I must tell you that the changes that have happened in the design directorate in the last 10 years are many. Earlier we used to send the designs by post; today we do so through computers. I have direct connectivity with MDL and I am working to establish connectivity with other shipyards. We have video-conferencing; so price negotiations are done on video. In short, there is a much greater involvement of the shipyards in ship designing. In the future, I am looking at a common computer model, which would enable people located at different places to work on the same model at the same time. I am definitely looking at consolidating our recent gains so that we can produce more with fewer resources.

What is the strength of the design directorate?

Here, at directorate of naval design, we have 120 design students, of which 80 are uniformed personnel and the rest are civilians. We also have 300 plus draftsmen. The good thing about naval designing and why it has been successful is that the user is involved in the ship designing right from the beginning.

From Force

On the Rise
Signs of prosperity are visible even outside the gates of Mazagon Dock Ltd: In the small restaurants with cheerful exteriors in green and orange, which have replaced the shanty tea-shops of five years ago; in the air-conditioned glass front two-room reception complex where visitors can browse through a range of newspapers and magazines including the in-house ‘Mazdock News’ as they wait for their appointments, a far-cry from the cubby-hole resembling the railway enquiry counter in a mofussil town; and in the bustle of impending deadlines inside various yards, where not so many years ago the workers hung around despondently in the grip of underemployment-induced slumber.

However, it is not only the prosperity that is evident at Mazagon Dock Ltd (MDL). With full order-books and consequently funds, MDL, despite a much leaner and meaner work force is bursting at the seams. Foreign experts, of Russian and French origin, move around purposefully with Indian workers, making MDL perhaps the busiest defence shipyard in India at the moment. For the first time in its history, MDL is constructing three different types of big ticket items for the Indian Navy: three Project 15A destroyers, the follow-on of the successful Delhi class, the biggest ever to be built in India; three Project 17 stealth frigates, another first not only for MDL but Indian shipbuilding as well; and six Scorpene submarines in collaboration with the French. As if these were not enough, MDL is also modernising two SSK submarines, which it had built way back in the eighties with German collaboration. On the non-navy side, it is building a state of the art dredger incorporating German technology for the Dredging Corporation of India.

From the 11th floor window of the MDL guest house, one gets a bird’s eye view of the steel carcasses of the destroyer Kolkata, which was launched last year, and two stealth frigates of the Shivalik class in different stages of construction. Towered by tall cranes, the size of the destroyer, registers only from close quarters, especially from the upper deck of Shivalik, which will be handed over to the Indian Navy next year. The Shivalik series has been inspired by the Talwar class stealth frigates which were built by the Russian shipyard to Indian specifications after the navy decided that it could not afford to wait the time an Indian shipyard would have taken. With a touch of irony, an MDL official points out that as it turned out, even at the hands of the Russians, Talwar was delayed by nearly a year, which was only a year less than what it would have taken MDL. But that is history. The Indian Navy has now placed the order for three frigates, the first of which has been named Shivalik and will be ambitiously ahead of the Talwar class.

A first of sorts for MDL, there is a lot of excitement about Shivalik, which will have a Kirloskar-made diesel engine, as well as General Electric’s gas turbine. While the diesel engine will provide it with stealth, the gas turbine will give speed to the agile machine. That apart, the Shivalik frigates will have a technologically advanced weapon and sensor suite. In terms of networking it will have Assymtotic Integrated Ship Data Network, which, in simple terms means that all information traffic on the ship would travel on a single network. This gives users all information on their fingertips, thereby ensuring efficiency and timeliness of operations. At the final stages of construction, Shivalik is now undergoing trials of various systems and sub-systems. As one walks through the ship, carefully picking the way through a maze of loose wires and pipes (since the ship is still in the wet basin, both power supply and air-conditioning is being provided externally), superior technology stares one in the face. The gun, missiles and other weapon systems are all in place as are the avionics suites, electric packages and sensors.

Some of the living quarters are also ready, with bunk beds, shelves and mirrors. Those which are not have markings all over to point out the place where a painting will hang, or where the bar must be placed. An engineer, in charge of the ship, who leads the exploration of Shivalik, refers to it as ‘she’ as if it was a living being and talks about it affectionately from the time the first steel plate for the ship was cut to the present when it is almost ready to be handed over to the navy. “Handing over of the ship is heartbreaking,” he says. “A ship takes nearly five to seven years to build, so you tend to develop a bond with it as you see it grow gradually from a single steel plate to a mammoth vessel”. His affection and enthusiasm is shared by all those who are busy doing something or the other inside the ship as each man in charge of a particular section takes pride in describing what he is doing and how important it will be for the ship when it finally sails in the high seas.

In sharp contrast, the follow-on of the Delhi class ships, the first of the Project 15A destroyer, Kolkata, lies forlorn almost like an abandoned ship. The work on the ship has got delayed because of the delay in procuring the shafting system. According to chairman and managing director of MDL, Vice Admiral S. K. K. Krishnan, the delay was not caused by the much-maligned work culture which has come to be known as the hallmark of a public sector undertaking, but because the Ukrainian firm on which it had placed the order was bought over by a Russian company.

Says Admiral Krishnan: “The Ukrainians kept pleading for more time, which caused the delay. Finally, we placed the order with a Russian firm, and it is likely to deliver the shafting system by the end of next year.” Allegations of incompetence and awry delivery schedules are something that Admiral Krishnan is hoping will become history, as MDL, which now enjoys the status of a mini-Ratna, strives to not only meet its deadlines on all big ticket items but also turn around to a profit-making PSU. Its annual report for 2006-2007 marks a substantial profit that led the shipyard to pay ‘Rs 23,218 lakh to the Central Exchequer by way of Income Tax, Service Tax, Custom, Excise Duty, FBT and Dividend.’

However, till its future deliveries start, INS Delhi and its two sister ships, INS Mysore and INS Mumbai, will continue to hog the limelight as the biggest ships to be built not only at MDL but India. Though MDL handed over INS Delhi to the Indian Navy in 1997, it continues to be its pride as much as it is for the Indian Navy. With a displacement of over 6,500 tons, Delhi was a leap in faith for both the builder and the user and gave a momentum to indigenous warship-building in India. “Even today, whenever we exercise with friendly navies or make port calls on other countries, INS Delhi arouses a lot of interest and appreciation because of its size, types of weapons and sensors,” says its current commanding officer Captain Chandra Shekhar Azad. The vessel stands out even from a distance in all its resplendent glory at the naval jetty in Mumbai.

INS Delhi was MDL’s biggest challenge. It was envisaged as the most ambitious project ever undertaken both by the directorate of naval design and the shipyard as it integrated a vast range of sophisticated foreign and Indian anti-ship, anti-aircraft and anti-submarine weapon systems and sensors, which in itself was a complicated process. Moreover, the destroyer, for the first time, incorporated a huge indigenous element. As Captain Azad says: “Our anti-submarine warfare system is wholly indigenous and perhaps the best for these waters. Similarly, the sonars and the electronic warfare system, Ellora, manufactured by Bharat Electronics is also comparable to the best in the world.” Delhi is also fitted with Barak close-in weapon system and can house two helicopters. “While in all respects, Delhi is a powerful ship, but if I had a wish-list of equipment that I wanted on-board then topping it would have been Computer Aided Action Information Organisation (CAAIO) instead of the present Action Information Organisation (AIO) that we have followed by data-linking,” says Captain Azad.

While data-linking is an ongoing process and MDL will be incorporating it in future platforms, the new destroyers have only taken the basic design of Delhi. In all other respects, they will be completely different packing, a more futuristic and lethal punch than their predecessors. In terms of weapons and missiles, they will house the indigenous BrahMos, new surface-to-air missiles for which Defence Research and Development Organisation is collaborating with Israel, as well as better gun, rocket launchers and torpedoes. All the lessons that have been learnt during the building of Project 15 ships will be applied in 15A.

With its yards full, MDL is certainly a busy place right now. But as everybody involved in ship-building knows, the key is to maintain the momentum and continuously fine tune the acquired skills. Only then can it partner the Indian Navy in realising its ambitious dreams.

Crux 1: For the first time in its history, Mazagon Dock Limited is constructing three different types of big ticket items for the Indian Navy: three Project 15A destroyers, three Project 17 stealth frigates and six Scorpene submarines.

Crux 2: Chairman and managing director of Mazagon Dock Limited, Vice Admiral S. K. K. Krishnan hopes that allegations of incompetence and awry delivery schedules are something that will soon become history as the mini-Ratna strives to not only meet its deadlines on all big ticket items but also turns around to a profit-making PSU.

Crux 3: INS Delhi was the biggest challenge for Mazagon Dock Ltd as it was envisaged as the most ambitious project ever undertaken both by the directorate of naval design and the shipyard as it integrated a vast range of sophisticated foreign and Indian anti-ship, anti-aircraft and anti-submarine weapon systems and sensors.

Not too good news from GoI press release:

DELAY IN NAVAL PROJECTS
——————————————————————————–

16:46 IST
Rajya Sabha

Two Indian Navy projects namely the stealth frigate project (P-17) and destroyer (P-15A) are under execution at Mazagaon Docks Ltd (MDL), Mumbai to meet the delivery dates of 2008-2009 and 2010-2012 respectively as per the delivery schedules.

The construction of six Scorpene submarines at MDL slated for delivery between 2012-2017 is expected to be completed as per schedule.

The construction of Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) is progressing with the scheduled “launch” of the ship in 2010 at Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL). However, the final delivery of the ship may be delayed from the earlier likely delivery in 2012. Adequate funds are provided to CSL for the project. The project is reviewed at various levels for early completion.

The overall progress of repair and re-equipping of the ship, ex-Admiral Gorshkov, in Russia is slow. The Russian side has submitted a revised Master Schedule indicating a delay in the project. The Russian side has attributed the delays to “Growth of Work”. Issues relating to the slow progress are taken up between the two countries at appropriate level.

This information was given by the Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in a written reply to Shri Dharam Pal Sabharwal in Rajya Sabha today.

DM / YR

Hey, does anyone know when the first MiG-29K’s are going to be handed over to the Indian Navy. I read an article saying that it going to be in November but the months almost up. So does anyone know?

a funny little side note that I noted on the map you just showed, Wanshan..a tribute to India’s secularism..:)
a Muslim graveyard (kabrastan) right next to a Jewish cemetary and just a little further up, a Hindu crematorium..

errm People may disagree if that is what Nehruvian Secularism is all about (As In the context of India) , so it will be better if such points are avoided as we obviously cannot talk on about it here, nothing up personal; entirely my opinion.

http://frontierindia.net/india-designed-warship-technologies-to-boost-indian-navy-preparedness/

http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=32287

From the general news thread that also should be here.

Govt Tows Admiral Gorshkov

Russia’s government is raising money to complete the upgrade of Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier that was ordered by India. Industry and Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko has proposed to Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov to cover a portion of costs by another export contract. Simultaneously, India has been notified of the need to reconsider the Admiral Gorshkov contract in view of increasing its value.

Industry and Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko has addressed Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, seeking his help to sort out the problem of upgrading Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier. The delivery of the vessel has been put off by over three years, while the cost of the ship soared by $380 million “less potential penalty,” Khristenko told Serdyukov via a letter of August 22.

The contract is executed by Sevmash Production Association and it needs the government’s support to fulfill the obligations. The state could back up the enterprise by contracting it to construct two diesel-electric submarines of Project 636 ordered by a foreign client. Then, Sevmash will be able to transfer some funds “to offset money shortage” generated when re-equipping Admiral Gorshkov, Khristenko said. According to the sources, the two submarines mentioned by the minister have been ordered by Venezuela.

India got the hull of Admiral Gorshkov (renamed to Vikramaditya) free of charge in 2004 on condition that the aircraft carrier would be upgraded at Sevmash. The contract budget is roughly $1.5 billion. Of this amount, about $700 million is to be spent for the vessel, while the remainder will go to buy 16 MiG -29KKUBs. Shelving the dates of Admiral Gorshkov’s handover from 2008 to 2011 or 2012 is being currently negotiated.

In Military and Industrial Commission, they say Sevmash has promised to allocate roughly 2 billion rubles ($89 million) from the submarine contract to complete the upgrade of Admiral Gorshkov. But this amount won’t solve the matter. They need up to $1 billion in addition and the talks with India are underway to step up the contract budget.

http://www.kommersant.com/p818496/India_Gorshkov_shelf/

Unicorn

I’ld take that with a BIG grain of salt. There would have been news coverage.
Besides, that wiki post says “the ship is expected to be commissioned into service by October 2007″, not that is actually was commissioned.

Shivalik was scheduled as followed (from Bharat Rakshak);
Laid Down – 11 July 2001
Launched – 18 April 2003
Commissioning – September 2007.

Yet, on April 18 2003 the Beeb already reported
“India trials stealth frigate”, thus confusing launch (=hull hitting the water) with commissioning (=entering service).

See: http://www.wikimapia.org/#lat=18.969184&lon=72.849028&z=18&l=0&m=a&v=2

Why do you think there was a follow up order for 3 more Talwar class ships? Because the P17s were coming along as planned?

more P17 infos: http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=73443

a funny little side note that I noted on the map you just showed, Wanshan..a tribute to India’s secularism..:)
a Muslim graveyard (kabrastan) right next to a Jewish cemetary and just a little further up, a Hindu crematorium..

The pics from the wiki/google earth are very old i have seen them 3 years ago……the latest pics are from NDTV but not INS Shivalik, they were INS Satpura and INS Sahyadri.

Perhaps the first set – with copyright 2006 – are 3 years old but the second set – with copyright 2007 – are newer. The last one shows 4 ships building: 3 P17 and the first P 15A. Which places that picture well beyond the keel laying date of september 2003. (However, this pic came onto Google earth in 2007 so those images you could not possibly have seen 3 years ago). The P 15A vessel (to be named Kolkata) was launched on 30 March 2006. The NDTV is new also and shows the P15A in dock and a P17 along the quay.

The shipyards cannot fulfill IN’s orders because the morons take too ******* long and IN also loves to change specs as it pleases. High time they got into habit of fixing the specs on time and paying for it. Shipyards should demand a price escalation of 25 % every time they revise their design.:dev2: