China’s attempts to change the status quo on the Royal Line of Control (LAC) and the Covid-19 pandemic complicated the security situation, with the Indian Navy deploying its P-8 Poseidon aircraft and Heron drones for surveillance in the northern borders, said the naval chief. Admiral Karambir Singh said Thursday.
Singh said at the annual press conference ahead of Navy Day on December 4 that air power at sea is an essential component of naval operations and that the Indian Navy is committed to acquiring a third aircraft carrier, a measure which would also be in line with that of the country. ambition to become a $ 5 trillion economy.
The Navy, he said, is prepared to face the challenges arising from the pandemic and China’s attempts to change the status quo on the northern borders, which have “significantly increased the complexities of the security situation.”
The Navy’s P-8I maritime surveillance aircraft and Heron UAVs were deployed to northern bases to monitor LAC’s Ladakh sector in accordance with requests from the Army and Air Force, it said. Two MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones, lasting about 33 hours, have been rented from the United States to fill gaps in Navy capabilities, he added.
Although Chinese research and fishing vessels are operating in regional waters, none of them have violated India’s maritime borders and only three warships of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy have been present in the Gulf of Aden in the Indian Ocean region for anti-piracy operations since 2008.
With the Navy’s second carrier, the indigenously built INS Vikrant, which will begin sea trials next year, Singh emphasized the need for a third carrier to project naval power “here and now.” The Navy is working on gathering technical information before formally approaching the government to authorize the acquisition of a third aircraft carrier, he said.
“Air operations are an integral part of naval operations. Air power at sea is required here and now. The Navy is about reach and sustenance, ”Singh said, adding that the project’s power at sea dovetails with the government’s plans to make India a $ 5 trillion economy.
“If you want to be a $ 5 trillion economy … you have to go outside. The Navy does not want to be tied to the coast. For that, aircraft carriers are absolutely essential, ”he said.
The Navy is working with the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) on a carrier-based multi-role fighter jet to replace its MiG-29s. This work will build on lessons learned from indigenously built light combat aircraft and the Navy expects local carrier-based fighters to join service in the 2030s, Singh said.
Indigenization is a key part of the Navy’s acquisition of warships and the 24 surface ships and submarines installed in the last six years were built in India, while 41 more ships are being built in the country’s shipyards , said. The Project 75I-class submarine program is also underway, as the Navy has identified suppliers and partners to build six submarines, and Smash-2000 rifles are also being procured to protect ships against drone attacks, he added.
Despite the disruption caused by the pandemic, the Indian Navy participated in 13 bilateral and multilateral drills this year and training of naval personnel from friendly countries resumed in November. Thirteen countries have been invited to send representatives to India’s information fusion center at Gurugram and three foreign liaison officers have joined, with three more expected soon.
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