Over 20 Russian sailors were killed when a firefighting system went off during sea trials of a nuclear submarine in Russia's Pacific Fleet, Igor Dygalo, a senior navy commander was quoted as saying by the ITAR-TASS news agency on Sunday.
How will the navy's six Scorpenes fight, when their primary weapon -- the Black Shark torpedo -- is blocked by a ministry of defence ban on the company chosen to supply these? This gloomy scenario provides a heaven-sent opportunity to revisit the navy's torpedo purchase plan, handled without strategic vision and economic foresight.
After inducting advance fighter jets from China, Pakistan plans to buy six state of the art submarines from the neighbouring country in an apparent bid to boost its under-sea warfare capabilities. Islamabad is planning to buy six submarines outright with options of joint development of conventional submarines with China, The Express Tribune reported.
Vice admiral Srikant was due to retire on December 31.
The National Security Strategy document should flag all major issues concerning security strategy and provide guidelines to concerned departments to work out suitable action plans. Since the global and regional geopolitical canvas is dynamic, the NSS document should be deliberated at length before formulation and should be reviewed periodically, recommends Commodore Venugopal Menon (retd).
However, the navy remains tightlipped about progress of a proposal to acquire two Russian Akula (Bars) class type 971 Nuclear powered submarines, as part of India's nuclear deterrent based on sea, land and air platforms.
The Chinese and Pakistani navies at a naval base in Karachi on Saturday kicked off the 'Sea Guardians-3' exercise in the waters and airspace of the northern Arabian Sea in drills that include anti-submarine operations, Dawn News reported on the exercises which will end on Friday.
Modi lauded the Navy following the announcement that a woman officer would be commanding a Naval ship for the time time.
"By 2022, we plan to have 160-plus ship navy, including three aircraft carriers, 60 major combatants, including submarines and close to 400 aircraft of different types. This will be a formidable three dimensional force with satellite surveillance and networking to provide force multiplication," Navy chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta said.
The Indian Navy has constituted a high-level inquiry headed by an officer of the rank of Rear Admiral to look into the recent cases of submarine mishaps.
With this India joins the select group of countries which have a nuclear triad -- capable of delivering nuclear weapons by aircraft, ballistic missiles and submarine launched missiles.
Five sailors fell ill due to smoke inhalation and had to be hospitalised after smoke was detected on the INS Sindhuratna docked off the Mumbai coast on Wednesday morning.
The six 1,500-ton submarines, being bought from France, will be armed with French-made Exocet anti-ship missiles.
The government has withdrawn the tender for purchase of 98 torpedos for Scorpene submarines which a subsidiary of chopper scam tainted Italian defence conglomerate Finmeccanica had won during the UNited Progressive Alliance regime.
However, trials of the missile were awaiting the necessary platform, which will be identified by the Navy soon.
Violation of safety regulations could be the most likely cause of the explosions on submarine Sindhurakshak because of which it sank, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin has said.
Fire brigade sources claim that apart from Indian Navy submarine INS Sindhurakshak, there were two other submarines at the naval dockyard at the time of fire on Tuesday night.
India would receive its first new generation Nerpa Akula-II class nuclear attack submarine, which is undergoing sea trials in Russia, by the end of this year, a top Russian official has said.
The government has cleared the indigenous construction of seven stealth frigates and six nuclear-powered submarines to bolster naval power.
This will make the submarines capable of attacking surface targets at sea or on land.
The total allocation to the defence sector is 12.9 per cent of the total budget of the government of India for the financial year 2024-25.
The defence ministry has issued a request to original equipment manufacturers and vendors for information on such bombs, which could be used by Navy's fixed-wing aircraft.
In wake of the blasts on the INS Sindhurakshak, the Navy has ordered extensive checks on weapon-related safety systems on all its submarines, Defence Minister A K Antony told Lok Sabha.
India on Wednesday successfully carried out the maiden test firing of the over 290 km-range submarine-launched version of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile in the Bay of Bengal becoming the first country in the world to have this capability.
Russia has handed over a new nuclear powered submarine armed with torpedos and cruise missiles to India and the vessel has set sail for home with a mixed crew of Indian and Russian sailors. The Akula class nuclear attack submarine, which is on a ten-year lease to the Indian Navy, left its base on the Pacific coast earlier this week, bound for India, RIA Novosti and Interfax news agencies reported.
The reported test came amid escalating cross-border tensions, with the North threatening retaliation over the start of South Korea-US military exercises condemned by Pyongyang.
India on Thursday approved proposals for purchasing 26 Naval variant of Rafale jets from France and procuring three French-designed Scorpene class submarines, a day ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's wide-ranging talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.
AIP or Air Independent Propulsion system allows the vessel to stay underwater for a longer duration.
It is the first warship to have been named after a city from the Northeastern region, the approval for which was accorded by the President in April 2019.
India on Wednesday, rubbished reports that China's warships on anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden caught an ndian Navy submarine snooping on it in the international waters.
Russia indefinitely puts off delivery of nuke subs to India
The Indian Navy has appointed the first woman commanding officer in a naval ship in sync with its philosophy of 'all roles-all ranks' for female personnel, Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar said on Friday.
'Chinese are going bang, bang, bang building 30-35 reactors.' 'We should announce a programme of 50 new reactors and show that we mean business on the ground and not just announcements.'
Many countries including the United States and France have offered help to India in its ongoing operations to bring out bodies in the sunken submarine INS Sindhurakshak.
India, Japan and the US are set to focus on "anti-submarine warfare" by deploying "different machines" during the next round of their marine wargames named the Malabar Exercise, amidst increasing presence of Chinese underwater vessels in the strategic Indian Ocean region.
The proposals cleared by the DAC include new-generation anti-tank mines, air defence tactical control radar, heavy-weight torpedoes, medium-range maritime reconnaissance and multi-mission maritime aircraft, flight refueller aircraft and software-defined radios.
Saran delivered the second annual Raja Ramanna lecture at NIAS on Wednesday night.
British Navy is all set to launch its biggest-ever nuclear submarine that can fire guided-missiles to pulverise an enemy more than 1,600 km away.
In a major development, India is planning to buy 26 Rafale fighter aircraft and three Scorpene class conventional submarines from France.
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