Feature 4 | INdIa
Ambitious Indian programmes slow to
deliver
India’s ambitious naval construction programmes have recently been the
focus of much media attention, given the slippages in almost every high
profile programme. This article provides an update on the various naval
programmes that are currently underway at Indian yards.
I
n order to stabilise force levels at 140 vendors, along with a lack of shipbuilding for doubling the cost of modernisation,
ships, the Indian Navy has outlined a steel for certain projects. These all point ostensibly for under-estimating the scope of
requirement of 132 new ships and 12 to a lack of proper long term planning and work involved. Delivery is now postponed
submarines in the form of a 15-year Maritime project management. from late 2008 by several years.
Capability Perspective Plan (MCPP), which Currently, more than 40 naval vessels Warship construction in India is primarily
covers the period 2007-2022. Of the 144 are on order at various Indian shipyards. the domain of state-owned Public Sector
vessels required, a significant portion will be The list comprises an aircraft carrier (IAC), Unit (PSU) shipyards, such as Garden
acquired via indigenous construction. The three P-17 Frigates, three P-15A destroyers, Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE),
MCPP is expected to be approved by the four P-28 ASW corvettes, four naval OPVs, Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL), Mazagon Docks
Indian government in the next two years, an 10 fast attack craft, a Landing Ship Tank, six Ltd (MDL), Hindustan Shipyard Ltd (HSL),
earlier plan for a 195 ship navy having been survey vessels, a sail training ship, six P-75 Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL), and a few
deemed unfeasible. SSKs, and two nuclear submarines. Orders privately-owned yards that have delivered
However, realising the goals of the MCPP for an AOR and eight MCMVs will also be minor patrol craft and yard craft.
is proving more difficult than expected due placed shortly, and, in addition, in the near It was only in 2004 that India’s largest
to a widening gap between demand and term, orders for at least four ASW corvettes, privately-owned shipbuilder, ABG
supply, and almost every major warship three DDGs, 4-7 FFGs, and six more SSKs Shipyards, won a contract to build three
programme in India having been delayed*. are expected. large pollution control vessels for the Indian
The reasons for the delays are six-fold, In addition to these, three modified Project Coast Guard. Other private players include
and include piecemeal orders, concurrent 11356 frigates, an aircraft carrier (Gorshkov), Indian engineering giant Larsen and Toubro
design and construction of warships, and a Project 971 Akula nuclear submarine (L&T), which is very actively involved in the
delay in finalisation of system and system will be acquired or leased from Russia from Indian defence aerospace market, and has
interfaces for developmental equipment, 2008-2014, although the saga of Gorshkov indicated a strong interest in entering the
delays in ordering of weapon systems, non- continues, high level negotiations having naval shipbuilding market.
performance of some of the indigenous resumed again over recent Russian demands Naval vessels built in Indian yards
The carrier Viraat
photographed
during Exercise
Malabar 2007. The
Indian Navy wants
to have three
operational carriers
by 2022.
22 Warship Technology January 2008
WT Jan - p22+23+24+25.indd 22 08/01/2008 10:29:27
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