naval exercise off Goa-PM
May 6, 2006
BY MRITYUNJAY BOSE
The otherwise calm of an evening sea view deep in the Arabian Sea was shattered as Sea Harrier jump jets swooped in the blue skies and fired rockets – making perfect hits on targets. Similarly, marine commandos slithered down from Sea King helicopters to carry out a secret mission. After some time, a live surface-to-surface missile was fired from one of the ships, which was intercepted by an anti-missile. Before all this, a submarine lurked into the ocean to check on unsuspecting enemy. Also small weapons with a burst of fire neutralized targets.
This was not a war or conflict situation. All this was in fact part of a war game hosted on Friday and Saturday by the Western Fleet for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh – who sailed on INS Viraat, the aircraft carrier. The PM, his wife Gursharan Kaur, top officials of the PMO and Defence Ministry were exposed to various facets of Naval life and operations during the two days to showcase the might of the Indian Navy in all the three dimensions. More significantly, the Western Naval Command (WNC) – the sword arm of the Indian Navy – displayed the skill, dedication and resolve of its officers and sailors who labour in a hostile environment for long durations to operate and maintain these intricate machines.
Watching the drills from the deck of INS Viraat, the PM was impressed with the exercise – as he also kept in touch with the outside developments. "The Prime Minister took keen interest in the activity. He also asked about our difficulties and assured help," this is how Admiral Arun Prakash, the Chief of Naval Staff puts it. Besides the aircraft carrier, two Delhi-class destroyer ships INS Mumbai and INS Mysore, INS Brahmaputra, one Talwar-class ship INS Tabar, replenishment tanker INS Aditya, two Godavari-class ships INS Ganga and INS Gomati, submarine INS Sindhuraj, Leander-class frigate INS Dunagiri and different aircraft including Sea Harrier, Sea Kings (bravos and charlies), Kamov-31, Kamov-28 and Chetak took part in the exercise.
CARRIER OPERATIONS
This was perhaps the most interesting part of the exercise. In fact a dozen fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft were launched from the carrier within a span of few minutes displaying the reaction time during war-like situations. Six British-origin Sea Harriers – capable of vertical and short take off and landing – displayed the capabilities of their run and fire. Defying basic laws of physics, the aircraft of the White Tigers squadron took off from the flight deck of the carrier and carried out a 10 degree dive at a speed of 1,000 kmph and fired flares used to ward off heat seeking missile aimed at the fighter. In another awesome demonstration, the Harriers – which is a pride of the Indian Navy – flew at over 900 kmph just at a height of 450 ft executed a bomb burst with razor-sharp precision. The PM was highly impressed the way the Harrier reduced the speed to zero and carried out a vertical landing smoothly.
FLOATING PMO
For nearly 24 hours, INS Viraat, which is the flagship and a command platform, was a sort of floating PMO. While the PM witnessed the exercise, he also kept a track of what is happening in the country and elsewhere. "There was a direct link maintained with New Delhi -- as the PM sailed in the Arabian Sea," said PM's media advisor Sanjay Baru, who was also aboard the ship. On Friday before embarking on the ship, Dr Singh addressed the neeting of Board of Governors of Asian Development Bank and later met Goa Governor S C Jamir and Goa Chief Minister Pratapsinh Rane at INS Hansa, the naval aviation hub at Goa and also attended a programme Goa campus of BITS-Pilani. He embarked on the carrier by a Sea King flight on Friday and spent the night on board the ship meeting the top naval brass which included Admiral Arun Prakash, Vice Admiral Sangram Singh Byce, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Western Naval Command and Rear Admiral Anup Singh, the Fleet Commander. "It was a real honour to have the PM on board," said Captain SPS Cheema, the Commanding Officer of INS Viraat.
SUBMARINE DEMO
Submarines the 'silent sentinels of the deep' – displayed their potent might and sea denial capabilities as the exercises commenced. INS Sindhuraj carried out diving and surfacing maneuvers. They lurked into the dark depths of the ocean and approached the 'enemy' unseen and unheard before delivering a deadly blow on the unsuspecting enemy.
MISSILE CORVETTE DEMO
Two missile corvettes simulated a surface-to-surface SSM attack by opening their missile container doors and indicating the launching of a SSM by firing a Vary's pistol fire. The Pralaya-class is the latest of the missile corvette induction in our navy and can carry Uran SSMs. These are ships of the illustrious 'Killer Squadron', which achieved glory during the 1971 Indo-Pak war by bringing the Pakistani navy to its knees.
ANTI-MISSILE CAPABILITY
One of the most interesting features of this exercise was the live missile firing. From INS Gomati, a surface-to-surface missile was fired in the darkness of the night – which traveled at a lightening speed. But the ships of the fleet tracked her down and the Israeli-made Barak missile was fired from INS Ganga intercepting the missile in the air and bringing her down. The Prime Minister was extremely impressed with this part of the exercise and the precision and reaction time took to bring the hostile missile down.
MULTISHIP UNDERWAY REPLINISHMENT
Indigenously-built tanker INS Aditya undertook replenishment of the carrier as well as INS Tabar, while the three ships sailed at the same speed. In fact, the endurance and reach of the Western Fleet, is increased manifold by replenishments at sea with fuel, fresh water, rations and spares. This procedure saves time and effort since the ships do not have to return to their base ports and hence the persistence of the fleet is enhanced.
WHAT CHOPPERS CAN DO
Various facets of helicopter operations were also shown during the exercise. Marine Commandos, the special forces of the navy operate in the air, at sea and under the water and their presence hjas been ominous for belligerents from the Dal lake in Kashmir to Sri Lanka. These special troops slithered from Sea King commando carrier and they carried out their 'mission'. Indian Navy's latest helicopter acquisition – Kamov-31 of the Falcom squadron displayed their early warning capability. Anti-submarine capability was displayed by Sea King bravo as their carried out a dunk demo by lowering a sonar body to locate 'enemies'. At the same time Sea King of Harpoons squadron and Chetak dropped depth-charges to carry out an underwater 'explosion' and neutralize an 'enemy' submarine.
NET-CENTRIC NAVY
Efforts are on to develop the Indian Navy to be net-centric. "We are working towards it," Indian Navy chief Admiral Arun Prakash told defence correspondents on board INS Viraat. "We have several ships, aircraft and submarines – at a stage all may be spread over several miles. Being net centric helps a lot," he said. "Connectivity and transfer of data (on a real time basis) helps a lot," he said.
(This report was first published in The Maharashtra Herald, Pune)
BY MRITYUNJAY BOSE
The otherwise calm of an evening sea view deep in the Arabian Sea was shattered as Sea Harrier jump jets swooped in the blue skies and fired rockets – making perfect hits on targets. Similarly, marine commandos slithered down from Sea King helicopters to carry out a secret mission. After some time, a live surface-to-surface missile was fired from one of the ships, which was intercepted by an anti-missile. Before all this, a submarine lurked into the ocean to check on unsuspecting enemy. Also small weapons with a burst of fire neutralized targets.
This was not a war or conflict situation. All this was in fact part of a war game hosted on Friday and Saturday by the Western Fleet for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh – who sailed on INS Viraat, the aircraft carrier. The PM, his wife Gursharan Kaur, top officials of the PMO and Defence Ministry were exposed to various facets of Naval life and operations during the two days to showcase the might of the Indian Navy in all the three dimensions. More significantly, the Western Naval Command (WNC) – the sword arm of the Indian Navy – displayed the skill, dedication and resolve of its officers and sailors who labour in a hostile environment for long durations to operate and maintain these intricate machines.
Watching the drills from the deck of INS Viraat, the PM was impressed with the exercise – as he also kept in touch with the outside developments. "The Prime Minister took keen interest in the activity. He also asked about our difficulties and assured help," this is how Admiral Arun Prakash, the Chief of Naval Staff puts it. Besides the aircraft carrier, two Delhi-class destroyer ships INS Mumbai and INS Mysore, INS Brahmaputra, one Talwar-class ship INS Tabar, replenishment tanker INS Aditya, two Godavari-class ships INS Ganga and INS Gomati, submarine INS Sindhuraj, Leander-class frigate INS Dunagiri and different aircraft including Sea Harrier, Sea Kings (bravos and charlies), Kamov-31, Kamov-28 and Chetak took part in the exercise.
CARRIER OPERATIONS
This was perhaps the most interesting part of the exercise. In fact a dozen fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft were launched from the carrier within a span of few minutes displaying the reaction time during war-like situations. Six British-origin Sea Harriers – capable of vertical and short take off and landing – displayed the capabilities of their run and fire. Defying basic laws of physics, the aircraft of the White Tigers squadron took off from the flight deck of the carrier and carried out a 10 degree dive at a speed of 1,000 kmph and fired flares used to ward off heat seeking missile aimed at the fighter. In another awesome demonstration, the Harriers – which is a pride of the Indian Navy – flew at over 900 kmph just at a height of 450 ft executed a bomb burst with razor-sharp precision. The PM was highly impressed the way the Harrier reduced the speed to zero and carried out a vertical landing smoothly.
FLOATING PMO
For nearly 24 hours, INS Viraat, which is the flagship and a command platform, was a sort of floating PMO. While the PM witnessed the exercise, he also kept a track of what is happening in the country and elsewhere. "There was a direct link maintained with New Delhi -- as the PM sailed in the Arabian Sea," said PM's media advisor Sanjay Baru, who was also aboard the ship. On Friday before embarking on the ship, Dr Singh addressed the neeting of Board of Governors of Asian Development Bank and later met Goa Governor S C Jamir and Goa Chief Minister Pratapsinh Rane at INS Hansa, the naval aviation hub at Goa and also attended a programme Goa campus of BITS-Pilani. He embarked on the carrier by a Sea King flight on Friday and spent the night on board the ship meeting the top naval brass which included Admiral Arun Prakash, Vice Admiral Sangram Singh Byce, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Western Naval Command and Rear Admiral Anup Singh, the Fleet Commander. "It was a real honour to have the PM on board," said Captain SPS Cheema, the Commanding Officer of INS Viraat.
SUBMARINE DEMO
Submarines the 'silent sentinels of the deep' – displayed their potent might and sea denial capabilities as the exercises commenced. INS Sindhuraj carried out diving and surfacing maneuvers. They lurked into the dark depths of the ocean and approached the 'enemy' unseen and unheard before delivering a deadly blow on the unsuspecting enemy.
MISSILE CORVETTE DEMO
Two missile corvettes simulated a surface-to-surface SSM attack by opening their missile container doors and indicating the launching of a SSM by firing a Vary's pistol fire. The Pralaya-class is the latest of the missile corvette induction in our navy and can carry Uran SSMs. These are ships of the illustrious 'Killer Squadron', which achieved glory during the 1971 Indo-Pak war by bringing the Pakistani navy to its knees.
ANTI-MISSILE CAPABILITY
One of the most interesting features of this exercise was the live missile firing. From INS Gomati, a surface-to-surface missile was fired in the darkness of the night – which traveled at a lightening speed. But the ships of the fleet tracked her down and the Israeli-made Barak missile was fired from INS Ganga intercepting the missile in the air and bringing her down. The Prime Minister was extremely impressed with this part of the exercise and the precision and reaction time took to bring the hostile missile down.
MULTISHIP UNDERWAY REPLINISHMENT
Indigenously-built tanker INS Aditya undertook replenishment of the carrier as well as INS Tabar, while the three ships sailed at the same speed. In fact, the endurance and reach of the Western Fleet, is increased manifold by replenishments at sea with fuel, fresh water, rations and spares. This procedure saves time and effort since the ships do not have to return to their base ports and hence the persistence of the fleet is enhanced.
WHAT CHOPPERS CAN DO
Various facets of helicopter operations were also shown during the exercise. Marine Commandos, the special forces of the navy operate in the air, at sea and under the water and their presence hjas been ominous for belligerents from the Dal lake in Kashmir to Sri Lanka. These special troops slithered from Sea King commando carrier and they carried out their 'mission'. Indian Navy's latest helicopter acquisition – Kamov-31 of the Falcom squadron displayed their early warning capability. Anti-submarine capability was displayed by Sea King bravo as their carried out a dunk demo by lowering a sonar body to locate 'enemies'. At the same time Sea King of Harpoons squadron and Chetak dropped depth-charges to carry out an underwater 'explosion' and neutralize an 'enemy' submarine.
NET-CENTRIC NAVY
Efforts are on to develop the Indian Navy to be net-centric. "We are working towards it," Indian Navy chief Admiral Arun Prakash told defence correspondents on board INS Viraat. "We have several ships, aircraft and submarines – at a stage all may be spread over several miles. Being net centric helps a lot," he said. "Connectivity and transfer of data (on a real time basis) helps a lot," he said.
(This report was first published in The Maharashtra Herald, Pune)
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