Navy

The 7th Indian Navy Frigate of P1135.6 class was launched on 28 Oct 2021 at Yantar Shipyard, Kaliningrad, Russia in presence of Shri D Bala Venkatesh Varma, Ambassador of India (Moscow) and senior dignitaries of the Russian Federation and officials of the Indian Navy. During the ceremony, the ship was formally named as ‘Tushil’ by Smt Datla Vidya Varma. Tushil is a Sanskrit word meaning Protector Shield.

Based on an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) between the Government of Republic of India and Government of Russian Federation for construction of two ships of Project 1135.6 ships in Russia and two ships in India at M/s Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), the contract for construction of two ships was signed between India and Russia in Oct 18.

The construction of these ships is based on Indian Navy’s specific requirements to meet the entire spectrum of naval warfare in all three dimensions of Air, Surface and Sub-surface. The ships with a potent combination of state-of-art Indian and Russian Weapons and Sensors are equipped to operate in Littoral and Blue waters, both as a single unit and as consort in a naval task force. They feature “stealth technology” in terms of low radar and under water noise signatures. These ships are being equipped with major Indian supplied equipment such as Surface to Surface Missiles, Sonar system, Surface Surveillance Radar, Communication Suite and ASW system along with Russian Surface to Air Missiles and gun mounts.

Mr Ilya Samarin, Director General, Yantar Shipyard, Kaliningrad, in his address dwelt upon the challenges faced by the Shipyard in executing the complex shipbuilding project. Despite challenges posed by the ongoing pandemic, production of the ships was continued by utilisation of innovative solutions. He thanked the Indian Government for their unstinted support and reiterated shipyard’s commitment to deliver the ships as per contractual timelines. Shri D Bala Venkatesh Varma, Ambassador of India (Moscow), highlighted the long standing tradition of Military Technical Cooperation between India and Russia. He acknowledged the efforts put in by the Yantar Shipyard to ensure that the ship was launched as per contractual timelines overcoming the challenges imposed by COVID-19.

The 28th edition of Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) was conducted from 02 to 04 Sep 21.

            The Indian Navy was represented by Guided Missile Destroyer INS Ranvijay with a ship borne helicopter, ASW Corvette INS Kiltan and Guided Missile Corvette INS Kora and one P8I Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft. Participants from the RSN included one Formidable Class Frigate, RSS Steadfast, embarked with an S-70B naval helicopter, one Victory Class Missile Corvette, RSS Vigour, one Archer Class Submarine and one Fokker-50 Maritime Patrol Aircraft. Four F-16 fighter aircraft of the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) also participated in the exercise during the Air Defence Drills.

            Initiated in 1994, SIMBEX is the Indian Navy’s longest uninterrupted bilateral maritime exercise with any foreign navy. Sustaining the continuity of this significant engagement despite the challenges of the ongoing pandemic further underscores the strength of bilateral defence ties between both countries. Despite these constraints during the planning stages, both navies could achieve seamless and safe execution of several challenging evolutions including live weapon firing and advanced naval warfare serials, including anti-submarine, anti-air and anti-surface warfare drills. The scale and complexity of the drills is ample testimony to the interoperability achieved between both Navies.

            This year’s edition of SIMBEX is also a special occasion as it takes place during the ongoing celebrations of the 75th year of India’s independence. The success of SIMBEX-2021 is yet another demonstration of the mutual resolve on both sides to strengthen the bilateral partnership further in the years ahead.

       Owing to the ongoing pandemic-related constraints, this year’s SIMBEX was planned without any physical interactions as an ‘at-sea only’ exercise hosted by the RSN in the southern fringes of the South China Sea.

India-Singapore Defence relations remain a very significant aspect of the overall bilateral relationship and cover a very wide spectrum of collaboration from conventional military-to-military exchanges to HADR and cyber security. Both navies have a representation in each other’s Maritime Information Fusion Centres and have also recently signed an agreement on mutual submarine rescue support and coordination.

H.E. Mr. Ram Nath Kovind, the Hon’ble President of India, awarded the President’s Colour to Indian Naval Aviation at the ceremonial parade held at INS Hansa, Goa on 06 Sep 21. During the occasion, a Special Day Cover was released by the Postal Department. The ceremony was attended by the Governor of Goa, Raksha Mantri, Chief Minister of Goa, Chief of the Naval Staff several other civil and military dignitaries. The President’s Colour is the highest honour bestowed on a military unit in recognition of its exceptional service to the nation. The Indian Navy was the first amongst the Indian Armed Forces to be awarded the President’s Colour on 27 May 1951 by Dr Rajendra Prasad, the then President of India. Subsequent recipients of the President’s Colour in the Navy include Southern Naval Command, Eastern Naval Command, Western Naval Command, Eastern Fleet, Western Fleet, Submarine Arm, INS Shivaji and the Indian Naval Academy.

            Indian Naval Aviation came into being with acquisition of the first Sealand aircraft on 13 Jan 1951 and commissioning of INS Garuda, the first Naval Air Station, on 11 May 1953. Arrival of the armed Firefly aircraft in 1958 added an offensive punch, and the naval aviation steadily expanded its inventory to become an integral part of a formidable Navy. The year 1959 saw the commissioning of Indian Naval Air Squadron (INAS) 550 with 10 Sealand, 10 Firefly and three HT-2 aircraft. Over the years, a variety of rotary wing platforms have been added as well, ranging from the Alouette, the S-55, Seaking 42A and 42B; the Kamov 25, 28 and 31; the UH3H; the Advanced Light Helicopter and the latest in the line, the MH60R. Maritime reconnaissance (MR) also grew steadily with induction of the Super-Constellation from the Indian Air Force in 1976, the IL-38 in 1977 and the TU 142 M in 1989. Induction of Dornier 228 in 1991 and the state-of-the-art Boeing P 8I aircraft in 2013 marked the entry of modern high-performance MR aircraft.

            The world witnessed the Carrier arm of Indian Naval Aviation coming of age with the induction of INS Vikrant, the first Aircraft Carrier, in 1957 and integral Sea Hawk and Alize Squadrons subsequently. INS Vikrant with its aircraft played a crucial role in the liberation of Goa in 1961 and again in the 1971 Indo-Pak war, where its presence on the Eastern seaboard proved decisive. Induction of INS Viraat along with legendary Sea Harriers in the mid-1980s strengthened Carrier operations of the Navy, which transformed into a reckonable force with the arrival of MiG 29Ks on the mighty INS Vikramaditya in the last decade.  The Indian Navy’s Carrier capability received significant fillip with sea trials of the indigenously built aircraft carrier, the new avtaar of INS Vikrant, commencing this month.

            Today, Indian Naval Aviation boasts of nine air stations and three naval air enclaves along the Indian coastline and the in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Over the past seven decades, it has transformed into a modern, technologically advanced and highly potent force with more than 250 aircraft comprising Carrier-borne fighters, maritime reconnaissance aircraft, helicopters and remotely piloted aircraft (RPA). The Fleet Air Arm can support naval operations in all three dimensions and will remain the first responder for maritime surveillance and HADR in the Indian Ocean Region. Naval aviation has distinguished itself during operations such as Op Cactus, Op Jupiter, Op Shield, Op Vijay and Op Parakram to name a few. It has also spearheaded HADR operations on behalf of the Indian Navy, providing relief to numerous IOR nations in addition to our countrymen, Op Castor in 2004, Op Sukoon in 2006, Op Sahayam in 2017, Op Madad in 2018, Op Sahayta in 2019 and the recently conducted rescue operations off Mumbai during Cyclone Tauktae in May 21 being examples.

            Naval Aviation has been at the forefront in inducting women into the fighting arm of the Navy, and making them work shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts. Naval Aviators have been decorated with one Mahavir Chakra, six Vir Chakras, one Kirti Chakra, seven Shaurya Chakras, one YudhSeva Medal and a large number of Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry) over the years. Award of President’s Colour is testimony to the high professional standards and stellar operations performance of Naval Aviation, which has distinguished itself in service to the nation.

As part of her ongoing overseas deployment, INS Tabar entered Alexandria harbour in Egypt on 03 Sep 21.  The ship was received by officials from the Egyptian Navy and the Indian Defence Attache.

Mr. Ajit Gupte, Ambassador of India to Egypt paid a visit to the ship and was provided a walk around and  briefing on activities related to the ship’s deployment.

Later, in the evening, a reception was hosted onboard, for which Rear Admiral Ayman al-Daly, Commander of Alexandria Naval Base, was the Chief Guest. The event was attended by a number of senior officers from the Egyptian Navy,  the Alexandria government and a large number from the Indian diaspora. In addition, Commanding Officers and officers of Hellenic Navy ships Hydra and Lesbos and Cyprus Navy ship Andreas Loannides, which are visiting Alexandria for Exercise Bright Star with Egypt, were also present for the reception.

INS Hansa, the Indian Navy’s premier air station, was celebrated its diamond jubilee on 05 Sep 2021. The Naval Jet Flight set up at Coimbatore in 1958 with Sea Hawk, Alize and Vampire aircraft, was later commissioned as INS Hansa on 05 September 1961. After the liberation of Goa, Dabolim airfield was taken over by the Navy in Apr 1962 and INS Hansa shifted to Dabolim June 1964.

Commissioned as a modest air station with only a few aircraft, INS Hansa has increased its prowess over the last six decades and is presently operating over 40 military aircraft, clocking an average yearly flying of over 5000 hours. The air station also supports civil aviation by handling domestic and international flights 24×7, with an average of 29000 flights in a year.

INS Hansa is the abode of the Indian Navy’s frontline air squadrons – INAS 310 ‘Cobras’ with Dornier-228 aircraft, INAS 315 ‘Winged Stallions’ with the long range maritime patrol aircraft IL-38SD, INAS 339 ‘Falcons’ with the airborne early warning Kamov-31 helicopter; INAS 303 ‘Black Panthers’ and INAS 300 ‘ White Tigers’ with the supersonic carrier-borne MiG 29K fighters, and INAS 323 ‘Harriers’ with ALH Mk III helicopters. The air station will soon operate the Boeing P8I long range maritime reconnaissance aircraft with the commissioning of INAS 316.

Cmde Ajay D Theophilus, Commanding Officer, INS Hansa said, “Over the years, the base has represented a crucial segment of the Navy’s combat power. Aircraft from Hansa augment the security of entire western seaboard significantly, including offshore assets, and undertake extensive surveillance to neutralise threats at and from the sea. The base has also provided substantial aid to civil authorities in the form of search and rescue, HADR, flood relief, community activities and numerous Vande Bharat flights.

INS Hansa is the host for the prestigious event of presentation of President’s Colour to naval aviation by the Hon’ble President of India on 06 September 2021. The event coincides with the diamond jubilee of INS Hansa and the liberation of Goa.