Thanks Mark…looking forward to your report. 🙂

American amphibious warship ‘Trenton’ all set to be inducted into Indian navy

June 29, 2006
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As the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal comes up at Capitol Hill, back home, another deal is getting close to being sealed. It is New Delhi’s acquisition of the USS Trenton, an American amphibious warship which was offered to the Indian Navy last year. With Washington’s crucial letter of acceptance (LoA), South Block is set to close the deal by early next month.

The warship, currently undergoing a complete refit at Norfolk, Virginia, and capable of carrying close to 1,500 personnel, will be delivered to the Navy in early 2007. Following the Indo-US strategic frameworksigned last year, the ship was offered to the navy as a quick symbolic reflection of the new diplomatic relationship.

A team of Indian officers from all possible warship departments, including engineering, electrical, communications, navigation, aviation and technical, will shortly be sent to the United States to familiarize itself with what will be the navy’s second largest ship after aircraft carrier INS Viraat. Meanwhile, a nomenclature committee has already been set up by the navy to decide on a suitable name for the Austin-class Trenton. It will be finalised soon after South Block signs on the dotted line and sends its approval back to the Pentagon.

The Indian Navy is acquiring the ship, commissioned by the United States Navy in 1971, for Rs 200 crore, a sum that covers training costs for Indian personnel. The navy’s eagerness to induct the Trenton is also seamlessly in line with its post-tsunami ethics of being looked at as a force that can deliver massive amounts of relief material or big troop numbers across large distances. The implications of force projection across the region would be huge, considering that the Trenton will augment an existing amphibious capability of the navy.

The navy has also expressed interest in purchasing six muti-role maritime mission helicopters for use off the warship’s deck, a deal likely to be concluded before the Trenton sails to Indian shores early next year.

Elp, the “Chicoms” as you call the Chinese so derisively, do not need Israel to access America’s latest technology.

They have IBM, Motorola, TI, Qualcomm, GE, GM, BA, Microsoft, etc. etc. moving entire production lines, semiconductor fabricators and R&D centers over there.

So, you’re saying with the technology they’re gleaning from the companies above they could build an F-35 knockoff?

And their space program? Thank Boeing, LocMart and Loral for solving their launcher and satellite problems.

Well, I suppose one out of three ain’t bad…but in reality, the main culprits were the ones sitting in the White House during most of the 90’s.

So before you try to blame some small country – take a look at what’s happening in your own backyard. After all, while you are busy writing these comments, some smart “Chicome” is about to take your job – courtesy of your very own American mega-corporation 😀

Actually, most American jobs don’t go to “smart” Chicoms, but rather to those who have little to no education and can be trained to do low-tech manufacturing jobs for far less than what the labor unions here will allow.

Carry on.

This thread is starting to omit a slight odour…