[BITList] Indian navy showcases rising might

[John Feltham]

November 12, 2008

Indian navy showcases rising might


NEW DELHI, India (AP) -- The helicopter carrying Indian commandos  
swooped in low over the distressed Saudi Arabian chemical tanker,  
firing its machine guns and sending three speedboats filled with  
pirates fleeing for the lawless Somali coast.

Indian Naval Ship INS Nashak, with Missile Launchers, takes part in  
exercises off Porbandar coast in 2006.


Twenty minutes later they rescued a nearby Indian ship, navy officials  
said, foiling another hijack attempt by a different band of pirates in  
east African waters of the Indian Ocean.

Tuesday's rescues, by forces based on an Indian warship patrolling  
some 2,900 kilometers (1,800 miles) from their home port, mark a  
significant step for the South Asian giant, which is determined to  
translate its growing economic strength into global military and  
political clout.

"India now has the demonstrable capacity to project force beyond its  
border," said Ashok Mehta, a retired Indian army general and leading  
strategic analyst, adding that this was the first time commandos had  
been used so far from Indian shores.

At the heart of this effort -- which has seen the country of 1.1  
billion people become a nuclear power and actively campaign for a seat  
on the United Nations Security Council -- is a program to expand the  
navy from traditional coast guard duties to one of the world's largest  
sea forces.

Speaking at a recent conference, Indian naval chief Adm. Sureesh Mehta  
vowed that the navy would ensure "a secure and peaceful environment in  
the Indian Ocean region and further India's political, economic,  
diplomatic and military objectives."

In the process, India is acquiring the biggest visible symbols of  
naval power -- aircraft carriers -- and nuclear submarines.

India plans to have three aircraft carriers at sea in the next decade  
-- a refurbished Russian one and two made locally.

India is also leasing an advanced Russian Akula-class submarine and  
designing a homegrown version, the Advanced Technology Vehicle, which  
is expected to begin sea trials in the next two years after long  
delays as Indian engineers struggled to miniaturize their nuclear  
reactor to fit inside the hull.

India's attempts to secure nuclear submarines surfaced this week after  
20 people were killed in an accident on a Russian submarine undergoing  
sea trials Saturday in the Sea of Japan. Russian and Indian media  
reports said the craft was destined for India, though the Indian navy  
refused to comment and Russia insisted the sub would be commissioned  
in its own navy.

However, India's navy chief said last month that a Russian submarine  
would be used to train the crews that will, eventually, man Indian  
nuclear subs.

India currently operates 16 diesel-powered submarines.

Nuclear submarines, which can cruise undetected for long periods  
undersea, have been nuclear deterrents since the early days of the  
Cold War -- virtually assuring that a country that possesses them can  
respond to a nuclear attack.

In part, India's efforts are in response to moves by China. The two  
countries are increasingly competing for influence over vital Indian  
Ocean shipping lanes, and India fears China's large and increasingly  
sophisticated submarine fleet.

The U.S. military says China already has eight nuclear submarines,  
three of which are believed to be able to launch nuclear weapons.

While Indian and Chinese relations are the closest in decades, the  
Indian military also harbors a long-standing mistrust of China dating  
back to a brief 1962 border war in which China routed India's forces.

But even as it waits for its aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines,  
the Indian navy has been slowly expanding its scope of operations. It  
played a major role in rescue operations during the 2004 tsunami and  
sent warships to rescue Indians trapped in Lebanon during the 2006 war  
between Israel and the Hezbollah guerrilla group.

They have also embarked on a series of joint maneuvers with other  
navies active in the area, particularly the United States.

But Tuesday's missions against pirates marked the first time the navy  
had fired shots in anger so far from home to protect India's overseas  
interests.

The Indian warship, the INS Tabar, was dispatched to the Gulf of Aden  
in October after a spike in piracy and hijackings off the coast of  
Somalia, which is caught up in an Islamic insurgency and has had no  
functioning government since 1991.

As of Monday, there have been 83 attacks this year in Somali waters  
and 12 vessels, including a Ukrainian freighter loaded with tanks and  
weapons, remain in the hands of pirates. Many of the ships were Indian  
or had Indian crews.

While several other countries sent warships to the region, India was  
particularly worried. Much of India's trade and the energy supplies  
vital to fueling India's economy flow through those waters.

The patrols "are intended to protect Indian merchant vessels from  
being attacked by pirates and also to instill confidence in our large  
seafaring community," the navy said in a statement.

And it seems that Indian ships may become regular sights in faraway  
ports.

"We operate from the Strait of Malacca to the Gulf of Aden," said navy  
spokesman Commander Nirad Sinha. "Ours is a growing, developing navy."





ooroo

If you don't hear the knock of opportunity - build a door.

Anon.



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