Theme : Bilateral, regional and global grouping involving India and affecting India’s Interests, significance of Maritime security etc
Paper:GS - 2
TABLE OF CONTENT
- Context
- Indian Navy
- Operation Trident
- Background of Navy victories
- Evolution of Navy
- Some Issues
- Road Ahead
Context : On December 4, India celebrates Navy Day to acknowledge the role of the Indian Navy and commemorate its achievements in ‘Operation Trident’ during the 1971 Indo-Pak War.
Indian Navy :
- The Indian Navy was established in 1612 by the East India Company.
- It is headed by the President of India as its Supreme Commander.
- Indian Navy’s Motto is – Sam no Varunah– means that the God of water, Varuna, should be auspicious unto us.
Operation Trident :
-
It was a counter-attack by the Indian Navy on the Karachi harbor during the Indo-Pakistan war in 1971.
-
India used anti-ship missiles for the first time during this operation and destroyed the Pakistani destroyer ship PNS Khaibar.
-
The Indian Navy’s three warships – INS Nipat, INS Nirghat and INS Veer – played an important role in the attack.
Background of Navy victories :
- The navy of 10th century South Indian Emperor Rajendra Chola vanquished the Sumatra-based Sri Vijaya thalassocracy to establish Chola power across present-day Malaysia and Indonesia.
- The resolute and visionary zamorins of Kozhikode: led by the captains of the Kunjali Marakkar clan to eject the Portuguese from Malabar.
- The 17th century Maratha “sarkhel” or admiral Kanhoji Angre’s Konkan fleet ceaselessly defeated the British, Dutch and Portuguese.
Evolution of Navy :
- In 1736, Bombay’s Lovji Nusserwanji Wadia: Wadia master shipbuilders constructed superb merchantmen and warships for the British.
- The first modern, Indian-built merchant vessel, MV Jalusha, joined Seth Walchand’s Scindia Steam Navigation Co. in 1948.
- Mazagon Docks: delivered the first, license-built frigate, INS Nilgiri, in 1972
- Cochin Shipyard Ltd.(in 2013): launched India’s largest indigenously designed and built warship-an aircraft carrier-INS Vikrant
Some Issues :
- The ship’s major systems, including gas-turbine engines, guns, missiles and radars, are imported.
- Foreign origin of aviation-related facilities such as workshops, aircraft lifts, arrestor-wires and landing-aids, vital for flying operations.
- The case for IAC-2 remains in limbo: even as China awaits the third ship in its carrier-building programme and envisions a carrier-led Indian Ocean task force.
Road Ahead :
- The hiatus between ordering, launch and commissioning of Vikrant: It may be excessive by international standards but this prolonged gestation would serve a purpose if the invaluable experience gained and the priceless skills are acquired.
- Indigenously designed, destroyers and frigates, stealthy in form, fielding long-range sensors and heavily armed with missiles, guns and anti-submarine weapons are being delivered at a slow but steady pace by domestic shipyards.The Voids in mine counter-measures, amphibious-lift and fleet-support capabilities need to be fulfilled.
- Project-75: Government must urgently green-light Project 75 (I) so that serial production of submarines can commence.
- Aerial surveillance: With PLA Navy units now frequently prowling the Indian Ocean, aerial surveillance and anti-submarine warfare assume strategic dimensions.
- Recent inductions of US-built, shipborne helicopters and maritime-reconnaissance aircraft: They will boost the Indian Navy’s surveillance and anti-submarine capabilities but also enhance interoperability with partner navies.
- Political leadership’s regional/global aspirations: the service has a significant contribution to make, whether as a Quad member or as the regional “net security provider
- Maritime vision: The national security elite should conceive a comprehensive “maritime vision”, and articulate it.
FAQs :
-
What are Origins of the Indian Navy ?
ANS.
- The Indian Navy was established in 1612 by the East India Company.
- It is headed by the President of India as its Supreme Commander.
- Indian Navy’s Motto is – Sam no Varunah– means that the God of water, Varuna, should be auspicious unto us.
-
What was Operation Trident ?
ANS.
- It was a counter-attack by the Indian Navy on the Karachi harbor during the Indo-Pakistan war in 1971.
- India used anti-ship missiles for the first time during this operation and destroyed the Pakistani destroyer ship PNS Khaibar.
- The Indian Navy’s three warships – INS Nipat, INS Nirghat and INS Veer – played an important role in the attack.