TO TURN THE INDIAN OCEAN INTO INDIA’S OCEAN : MY DREAM INDIAN NAVY OF 2040
By Colonel Awadhesh Kumar
INDIA NAVAL HISTORY
The MAURYAS only DOMINATED the WAVES and still total peace prevailed from Bay of Bengal to the Arabian sea for most of the 135 years of 320 BC to 185 BC. Trade, commerce and Cultural influence flowed not only over the land routes but across the seas from the Arab Peninsula to the Malay and right up to Sumatra thru the Java Sea.
The Chinese merchant ships too, peacefully bartered with the Indian merchants along the ports on the Laos and Cambodian coast. Towards West, trade and culture spread right up to the Mediterranean Sea Region. All the Mauryan ships were MADE IN INDIA and even the Matsya Yantra the navigational Compass was invented here.
The CHOLAS on the other hand RULED the WAVES, thus becoming the top most Military, Economic and Cultural Power in South Asia—South East Asia. The Chola Fleet represented the Zenith of Indian Sea Power. Established sometime around 300 BC. The Chola Dynasty started its dominance from 848 AD, with its Golden Period from 985 AD to 1030AD.
The decline commenced at the beginning of the 13th Century. At one time, the Chola Empire comprised/ dominated the area encompassing Maldives, Srilanka, Konkan coast up to Bhatkal, Lakshdweep, Malabar coast, entire East Coast of India, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and right up to Indonesia ( surprising why they did not go to Australia ! ). All the Chollan ships were MADE IN INDIA.
The PALLAVAS too dominated the WAVES both thru their Naval might and thru their soft cultural power for a major part of 275 AD to 370 AD. Here is a list of all the languages that owe their existence to the Pallavas as their Script have their root in the PALLAVA GRANTH: Tamil, Telgu,Tulu, Sinhalese, Thai, Malay and Bhasa Indonesia. All the ships of the PALLAVAS were MADE IN INDIA.
The MUGHALS from Akbar the Great to Aurangjeb held sway over the Indian Ocean just so that no King or Pirates dared to touch a ship flying a Mughul flag. All the Mughal ships were MADE IN INDIA. Even Kanhoji Angre the legendry Maratha Admiral, with his small flotilla proved that he was better than all the British Admirals, who could be mustered in the Arabian Sea.
When the decline of the Cholas was commencing, around that time, half way across the globe, the pesky Europeans had started foraging out of their coastline for more of looting than trading.
Over a period there was a struggle among Britain, France, Spain and Portugal for control of the seas around and over the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Finally Britain emerged the undisputed Dominator of the WAVES. However the World had to pay a heavy price during this struggle and even thereafter.
Over a period of nearly400 years, South America and Africa were totally devastated, in North America the natives were wiped out or restricted to RESERVTIONS, Middle East became a football ground and ball is still being kicked around today also. South Asia and South East Asia just about got away but looted heavily — This is in comparison to the peaceful trade and spread of culture together with Buddhism when Indians ruled the wave.
After the fall of the British Empire this mantle fell on the US of A… now under a challenge presently in the area where the Hans and Ming dynasties had peacefully co-existed and bartered with the Cholas and the Pallavas dynasties of India.
PASSION FOR THE NAVY
Why this sudden love for the Navy by a Pongo ( Naval term for the Army cadets). I have not done any tenure with the Integrated Defence Staff or with the Andaman and Nicobar Integrated Joint Command. Well Navy has been a passion right from the childhood. Thanks to IN, as a five year old, I had a huge collection of latest Japanese toys. My hero was my uncle, a young Naval Lt. Satish Kumar Singh.
He and Shri Jastwant Singh were course mates and thick friends at National Defence Academy. They had nearly ended their military career on eve of NDA passing out Parade by doing something which only cadets can do, but instead of relegation they were given severe verbal lashing by the then Commandant Gen Habibullah.
Major Jaswant Singh left the Army a few years later and went on to one day become the Defence Minister, Foreign Minister and later the Finance Minister too. S K Singh joined a small BAND OF BROTHERS to pioneer the Submarine arm of the Indian Navy. In 1968 they arrived in India with the first Indian submarine INS KALVARI from Vladivostok. In 1969 I was there with my uncle at Vishakapatnam to welcome INS KHANDERI, the second Indian Submarine to arrive from USSR.
I use to visit INS KALVARI, INS KHANDERI, INS AMBA and INS DEEPAK virtually on daily basis. In October 1971 while on a school trip from Patna to Mumbai we visited Western Naval command. Among other ships we were also taken on board the missile boats where I remember frentic but very purposeful activity being taken by the Naval personnels. A few weeks later these missile boats were going to become world famous by carrying out a daring strike on Karachi.
Thus when the time came to fill the NDA form, of course, the Navy was the first choice. However fate intervened during the medicals at Jabalpur MH. While undergoing the eye tests by the Eye Specialist, I mistakenly termed the Orange colour as yellow. I realized my mistake when two slides later the yellow colour was flashed and clarified the same to the Army doctor immediately, but he would have none of it. I had just started wearing glasses for distant vision prior to the Interview (SSB) call.
The doctor probed my eyes with all his instruments and from all angles for next two days and finally wrote UNFIT Naval Executive Branch and that’s how I became an Army cadet. However I was stuck with the Navy as my Divisional officer at NDA Echo Squadron was a Naval Officer LT AK Chopra and later in the sixth term LT Allan Rodrigues.
Rodrigues sir, was what NDA is all about. One small incident. One Saturday night we sixth termers were creating chaos. In walked the Duty Officer —-Lt Rodrigues…..how the hell we were to know that, he had volunteered at the last minute to let the actual one go to Pune to meet his fiancée. Within minutes all sixth termers were lined up.
The first two said that they were sleeping and were asked to break off immediately. As the third one I said “ yes we were creating chaos “. Out of the balance 27 cadets, there were 7 appointments and it included Battalion Cadet Caption V G Menon and Divisional Cadet Captain K G Krishna, both retired as Lt Generals and Cadet Sergeant Major B S Dhanoa, present IAF Chief.Out of 20 remaining another one was excused and rest accepted the charge.
For next several hours, 20 of us after changing into PT rig got “ Roggered “ in true NDA style, while the Appointments stood at attention in Drill Uniform. Next day we were called to the office and we thought, he was going to March us to the Squadron Commander.
However each of us was asked to sign a written counselling which read “ in spite of knowing that he may face severe punishment, the cadet had the moral courage to own up his mis- conduct and face the consequences. “ Well that was not the end of it,as later when we told him that we had a “ solid barakhana “ after the night PT, he “reprimanded” us for not inviting him, even though he was sleeping in the Duty Room itself. “ I could have provided some music with my guitar “.
He was an excellent guitar player……most of the people from Goa are. Around 35 years later, I saw a letter of his on the internet written to Mrs Amita Wattal, wife of Colonel Sanjiv Wattal, a Paratrooper and daughter of Late Capt M N Mulla, MVC of INS KHUKHRI. A letter worth reading. Then in 2016 while in Australia, by chance I read his name somewhere and contacted him on telephone.
He was in Auckland, New Zealand running a company. When I introduced myself, he did remember and we talked for good 20 minutes. In 2017 I did go to Auckland but at that time he was out of the country. Hopefully we should meet in 2018.
During our Fifth Term at the Academy, the Commandant, Rear Admiral M P Awati, Vir Chakra started a new Exercise SAGAR & PAHAR. Under this the Fifth termers got an opportunity to spend two days and one night on board a naval ship. The cadets were distributed over several ships of the Western Fleet and were presented with some thrilling display of our Naval Might while sailing in the Arabian Sea, I was on board INS UDAYGIRI.
We were finally disembarked somewhere near Karanja and then commenced our cross country hike back to Khadakvasla Valley in true Army style. I was commissioned in Jun 1978 and the same month Commander S K Singh, VSM took premature retirement. He passed away in 2010, thus unable to see the commissioning of the brand new KALVARI.
The next, I spent time with the Navy was in 1987..1988 during OPERATION PAWAN. We carried out many a recce and landings off Jaffna coast on the LCUs or the Gemini boats of the MARCOS (Marine Commandos). Lt Cdr Harsh Wadera of the MARCOS had been a term senior to me in the ECHO Squadron at the NDA. After SriLanka there was no interaction with the NAVY except for a year at DSSC, Wellington in 1990-1991.
I remember that my thesis at the Staff College, for my MSc degree was basically capture of a much talked about port on the lines mentioned in the book by Ravi Rikhey… THE FOURTH ROUND. Much later when I was dealing with parachute training at Agra, the MARCOS too came there for their basic and refresher courses.
However I have ALWAYS tried to keep myself updated on the IN as far as possible as a hobby. Once I was even complimented for this hobby of mine by a friend of my uncle who had the unique distinction of commanding both a nuclear submarine and an aircraft carrier. And that’s why this article.
THE DREAM NAVY
We must never forget history and learn from it We must always remember the fact that after all, only one country has an ocean named after it “The Indian Ocean”. Now it’s time once again for India to rule the waves not only for protecting its huge coastline of over 7500 km and exclusive economic zone of 23 lacs sq km but also to ensure tranquillity in all the oceans and seas of the world.
Our Navy has started growing but the growth is very slow.
Our national aim should be to have two full blue water Fleets commanded each by a Vice Admiral, namely the Arabian fleet and the Chola Mandal fleet, one on each coast by year 2030. With the growth, we need to raise a new naval Formation…Flotilla commanded by a Rear Admiral. This to my mind will be better than creating Task Forces at Fleet level. HQ Flotilla will be responsible to detail its TF as required. The broad Naval Organisation:
1. NAVAL HQ ASSETS
(a) No 1 Flotilla 14 ships [1 x Cruiser, 9 x Destroyers, 4 x Replinishment ships (RPS)
(b) Mine Counter Measure Squadron : 14 ships
(c) 2 x Amphibious Assault Squadron: each 1 x Amphibious Assault Ship…25000T, 1X LPD, 8X LST…6000T, 12 x LST…2000T, 16 X LCU
(d) TRAINING Squadron : 3xFrigates
(e) 2 x Carrier Battle Group [CBG] : 7ships each 1x Aircraft Carrier, 2 x Destroyers, 2 x Frigates, 2 x RPS
2. NAVAL COMMAND ASSETS
(a) 1 x Fleet 55ships: (2 x Flotilla )each with 1 x Cruiser, 3 x Destroyers, 3 x Frigates, 6x Corvettes, 4 x RPS ; 1 x CBG Flotilla as given above, HQ Fleet Sqn..1x Cruiser, 3 x Frigates, 4 x RPS]
(b) 1x Submarine Flotilla. 29 ships : 12 x Diesel Electric, 6 x SSGN, 3 X SSBN*, 11 x support ships (* under operational command of Strategic Force Command)
(c) 1 x Air Flotilla : 1 x LRMR Squadron, 1 x MRMR Squadron, 2 x Short Range MR Squadron, 1 x Amphibious Air craft Squadron, 1 x Search & Rescue helicopter squadron, 2 x fighter Squadron]
(d) Command Support Squadron : 6 ships [3 x Fleet Tankers, 3 x RPS…25000T]
(e) Command Reserve Squadron: 4 ships[1x Heavy Cruiser,3x Frigates]
(f) 2 to 4 HQ Naval Area each with4x Patrol Boats, 24 x ISV, 1 x Samundra Prahari Bal Bn
(g) Coastal Surveillance & Security Centre
i 2x Surveillance & Security Group [Rear Adm]
ii Coastal Defence Flotilla…. 64 ships : [16 x OPV, 16 x Light OPV…1000T, 32 x Patrol Boats…500T
iii 3 x SPB Bn
Each Naval Command to have a Fleet, a Coastal Surveillance & Security Centre, a Submarine Flotilla, an Air Flotilla, 2 to 4 Naval Areas, a Command Reserve Squadron, 2 or 3 Command Reserve Support Squadrons, Command Repair Dockyard and other required Support units and establishments.
The Fleet commanded by a Vice Admiral, to comprise, a Carrier Battle Group commanded by a Rear Admiral, 2 Flotillas each under command a Rear Admiral, a Fleet Reserve Squadron under a Commodore and a Fleet Support Squadron under a Commodore. Each Command to also have a full fledged Naval Dockyards for repairs and maintenance and also other miscellaneous, units.
By year 2040 we should aim to add two more blue water Fleets, one each to Southern Naval Command and A&N Command along with Coastal Surveillance + Security Centres.
10. Keeping in Mind the Mumbai 26/11 terror strike, proliferation of cruise and ballistic missiles and threat to our fishermen in our own waters, we need to quickly develop a system to fully secure both our coastline and coastal waters. We should never forget that actual subjugation of Indian Continent was done not by invaders coming through the land frontiers (they all got assimilated) but by those coming through the Sea…..British, Portuguese and French.
By year 2025 the coastline from Sir Creek in Rann of Kutch to Manadappam near Rameshwaram must be fully secured. Then by year 2035,we must secure the Eastern coast and the Andaman and Nicobar Coast. For this we need to develop Forward and Auxiliary operating bases and also establishes a chain of fully integrated long and medium range seaward looking radar bases along the coast.
In Co-ordination with these surveillance assets we need to add missile bases for anti-cruise missile defence, Air defence and anti-ship defence. We already have INS DWARKA on Gujarat coast and a new naval base at Porbandar INS SARDAR PATEL. Forward operating bases are required near Jakhau, Mandovi, Jamanagar, Diu, Hazira, Dahnu, Vijaydurg, Malpe, Mangalore and Tutticorin by 2025.
Thus there will be a need to raise a new Naval formation called ‘Coastal Surveillance and Security Centre (West) commanded by a Vice Admiral. This will comprise two Surveillance and Security groups each under a Rear Admiral, a Coastal Flotilla under a Rear Admiral and a Samudra Prahri Bal (SPB) brigade.
Each of the Naval Areas commanded by a Rear Admiral must be provided with Patrol boats, Immediate Support Vessels and a Battalion of SPB, for protection of Naval bases and other assets along the coastline, protection of Fisherman and Immediate Search and Rescue operation.
By 2025 even Karwar Base will start getting congested. Planning must commence for Flotilla level bases near Vijay Durg and Hazira. Later on two similar sized bases will be required in each of the other Commands along with auxiliary oerating bases.
11. Just like in the Army we have protective and listening elements ahead of the main defences; the IN also needs one Carrier Battle Group each, stationed at Mauritius and Vietnam. These will be in addition to the 4xCBGs with the respective Fleets.
Make In India My Dream Indian Navy
12. Presently we have just approx. 55 Major Combatants & 55 smaller one and around 50 Support Ships of all types. Our order book to Mazagaon Shipyard, GRSE, Goa Shipyard, Cochin Shipyard and Hindustan Shipyard consists of approx. 50 ships. These defence shipyards are doing a wonderful ‘Make In India’ but they are fully Stretched to the maximum.
In view of the projected growth up to 2040 we need to Involve and extend this Make In India to some of our well-equipped and established private shipyards namely L&T & Pipavav Shipyards. Immediate order needs to be placed on these Private Shipyards for construction of 32 Patrol boat of Super Dovra class type but more advanced with a weight up to 500 tones, 16 more OPV’s of Saryu Class, 16 light OPV’s of 1000 tones, 96 ISV’s for the Naval Areas under Western Naval command.
These ships will not only ensure a total protection but also give impetus and growth to our shipping industry, enhance GDP and create jobs. Make In India can only be achieved fully when our own Public and Private sector shipyards work hand in gloves.
13. Our Submarine construction is also on the slow side. We need to have a total of 48 Diesel Electric subs, 24 nuclear powered SSGNs and 12 nuclear powered SSBNs. To speed up the process and catch up with the Chinese, both L & T and Pipavav need to be involved in submarine construction too.
L&T can join hands with Hindustan Shipyard on the nuclear side and Pipavav can join Mazagaon on the conventional side. Immediate need is to place orders for 6x Kalvari type on Mazagaon and Pipavav. Start a second submarine line at Mazagaon and L&T based on Russian Amur.
We must ensure that the follow on to extended six of Kalvari type is a pure Indian design. In the foreseeable future we will be adding two more SSBNs to our ARIHANT and ARIGHAT. The next 8xSSBNs need to be of around 15000 ton with full ICBM capability. Even our SSGNs should have1000km BRAHMOS capability.
For actual peaceful World, Indian Ocean needs to be India’s Ocean.
