In the four decades since independence, the nation’s naval air arm had grown substantially to emerge as a prominent fighting force. By 1991, the combat capability of the Air Arm had leapfrogged from the primitive expertise of the 1950s to the cutting edge technology of the 1980s.

Click to buy: Transition to Guardianship: The Indian Navy 1991-2000

In step with the increased capability of their sensors and weapons, the tactics and missions of naval aircraft and helicopters began to match those of the advanced navies.

In January 1995, it was decided to keep Vikrant in ‘Safe to Float’ state. In keeping with that decision, no more refits/dry dockings were planned.

The new sensors fitted were:-

• Dunking sonars in the Kamov and Seaking Mk 42 B helicopters.
• Latest sonobuoys in the Seakings Mk 42 B, the ILs and the TUs.
• Magnetic Anomaly Detectors (MAD) in the ILs and Kamovs.
• ESM in the Seakings Mk 42 B and Dorniers.
• Tail radar warners in the Sea Harriers, the ILs and the TUs.
• Modern radars in all types of aircraft and helicopters.

The new weapons were:-

• French Matra Magic air-to-air missiles for the Sea Harriers.
• British anti-ship Sea Eagle missiles for the Sea Harriers and Seakings.
• Italian A 244 S and Russian anti-submarine homing torpedoes in helicopters.
• Anti-submarine depth bombs in the Kamovs.

Three new naval air stations were commissioned. They added to completeness of surveillance area over sea covered by maritime reconnaissance aircraft. At the older air stations, the Air Traffic Control facilities were modernised and runways lengthened and strengthened to operate heavier aircraft (both by day and night).

Subsequently, she (Vikrant) was converted into a museum and has remained berthed in the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai, open to the public. In due course, she will be grouted into the sea-bed off the shore in South Mumbai.

The latest simulators were acquired for training Sea Harrier pilots, TU ASW teams and Seaking Mk 42B maintenance personnel.

New aircraft maintenance workshops were set up at Kochi for the Seakings, at Goa for the Sea Harriers, the Russian ILs and the Kamovs, and at Arakkonam for the TUs.

Training syllabii were updated and training facilities expanded. A site was identified at Bangalore for a spacious new Naval Air Technical School to facilitate practical training of air technical personnel at HAL and with the Air Force technical establishments.

Aircraft Carrier Developments

Vikrant and her Air Squadrons

Vikrant with her Seahawk and Alize squadrons were commissioned in 1961. In the forty years that had elapsed since then, both Vikrant and her aircraft had aged considerably. The Seahawks were phased out in 1978. The Alizes, despite their refurbishment, were afflicted by the non-availability of critical spares, which were no longer under production in France. The last launch of Alizes from Vikrant took place on 02 Apr 1987.

It was decided that until the new graving dock was commissioned in Mumbai, Viraat would be docked in Cochin Shipyard.

Vikrant underwent two modernisation refits — the first from 1979 to 1981 and the second from 1987 to 1989 in preparation for embarking the new Sea Harrier Vertical/Short Take Off and Land (V/STOL) fighter aircraft and the new Seaking Mk 42B ASW/ASV helicopters that had replaced the Alizes for anti-submarine tasks. The 9¾ degree ski-jump was fitted during the 1987–89 refit and the carrier was declared operational after its successful trials. In 1991, Vikrant underwent a short 6-month refit, which was followed by another 14-month refit from 1992 to 1994. She remained operational thereafter, flying Sea Harriers, Seakings and Chetaks until her final sea outing on 23rd November 1994.

In January 1995, it was decided to keep Vikrant in ‘Safe to Float’ state. In keeping with that decision, no more refits/dry dockings were planned. She was laid up alongside and decommissioned on 31 January 1997. This marked the end of a glorious chapter of the Navy, she having seen the transition from conventional carrier-borne aircraft to V/STOL modern technology aircraft like the Sea Harrier.

The “White Tigers” were to demonstrate their potential in the ground attack role for the first time on 05 Nov 1987 when they dropped 1000 pound and cluster bombs.

Subsequently, she was converted into a museum and has remained berthed in the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai, open to the public. In due course, she will be grouted into the sea-bed off the shore in South Mumbai.

Viraat

In 1985, Britain offered India a 40-year old aircraft carrier, Hermes, for outright purchase. By this time, the first batch of the Indian Navy’s Sea Harrier fighter aircraft had already been in service for over a year. The Navy had long felt the need for a second aircraft carrier to ensure operational availability of at least one, in a time of conflict. The Navy has undergone the unfortunate experience of not having the carrier available during combat on two earlier occasions. During the1965 War, Vikrant was under refit and in the 1971 War she was afflicted by cracks in her boilers that restricted her speed.

The Navy assessed the magnitude of the refit that Hermes would require. This meant determining the minimum requirements of new equipment and systems that were essential for providing an all weather, day and night capability for air operations, estimating the stowage and supply arrangements (for the new air to surface and air to air missiles, which were entering service) and negotiating how much all this would cost.

The Modernisation Phase at Naval Dockyard Mumbai lasted till April 2001.

In April 1986, an agreement was signed with Britain to acquire the Hermes at a cost of £63 million sterling. This amount included the cost of refit, spares, stores and services. The ship was towed to Plymouth for a 12-month refit.

It was decided that until the new graving dock was commissioned in Mumbai, Viraat would be docked in Cochin Shipyard.

The Hermes was commissioned as INS Viraat in May 1987. She arrived off Bombay on 21st August 1987 where Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi boarded her, much as his grandfather Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had welcomed Vikrant twenty-six years earlier in 1961.

The Sea Harriers embarked a month later in September. The “White Tigers” were to demonstrate their potential in the ground attack role for the first time on 05 Nov 1987 when they dropped 1000 pound and cluster bombs. Viraat remained operational thereafter.

In 1990 and 1991, for the first time, both Vikrant and Viraat were operational with their air groups comprising Sea Harrier V/STOL fighters and Seaking MK 42B ASW/ASV helicopters.

The Navy thoroughly examined Gorshkov’s material state, assessed the magnitude of the modernisation and refit that would be required and identified the essential requirements of new equipment, weapons and systems.

Viraat’s first docking in 1991 was followed by a second short docking in 1995 for repairs. Between October 1998 and April 2001, the carrier underwent refit and modernisation in two phases with an operational cycle in between:-

• Phase I. Medium Refit and Dry Docking at Cochin Shipyard from May 1999 to November 2000.
• Phase II. The Modernisation Phase at Naval Dockyard Mumbai lasted till April 2001. During this phase, Viraat was fitted with new indigenous air warning and navigation radars, coloured tactical displays, data link, log, echo sounder, communication equipment, upgraded air conditioning and the refurbished Carrier Controlled Approach (CCA) radar that had been re-appropriated ex-Vikrant.

Acquisition Of Russian Aircraft Carrier — Gorshkov (Vikramaditya)

This 44,500 ton, steam propelled Russian aircraft carrier was the second of the series of three 2nd generation aircraft carriers, Minsk, Baku (later renamed Gorshkov) and Ulyanov that the Russians had built to succeed their 1st generation Kiev class carriers. Baku was commissioned in 1987, served in the Soviet Black Sea Fleet and later in Russia’s Northern Fleet. She was operational until 1992.

After the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, Russia started reducing the size of its Navy due to financial constraints and offered the Gorshkov to India. The acquisition of Gorshkov formed part of the joint Indo–Russian Protocol on Military Technical Cooperation signed in December 1994. Reportedly, the financial aspects were unusual — Gorshkov ‘as is, where is’ would be free; India need only pay for the cost of refit and the aircraft.

Nearly 80% of its equipment was to be replaced with modern equivalents; she was expected to serve the Navy for over two decades.

The Navy thoroughly examined Gorshkov’s material state, assessed the magnitude of the modernisation and refit that would be required and identified the essential requirements of new equipment, weapons and systems.

Of the two aircraft on offer, the Indian Navy after evaluation short-listed the Short Take Off but Arrested Recovery (STOBAR) MIG 29 K aircraft for the Gorshkov. This aircraft would take off from ski jump just as the Sea Harrier, but land using the arrester wires, like the Sea Hawk. Gorshkov was expected to operate two new types of aircraft.

• MIG 29 K fighter aircraft (quite different from MIG 29B of IAF) armed with the latest air-to-air, anti-ship and air-to-surface precision guided munitions.
• Kamov 31 “Airborne Early Warning” helicopters, in addition to the Kamov 28 ASW helicopters already in Naval service.

As was done for the two aircraft carriers, the Gorshkov would require an extensive modernisation and tropicalisation refit in Russia before she could be inducted into the Navy. Evaluation of the material state of the Gorshkov commenced in the mid 1990s. Nearly 80% of its equipment was to be replaced with modern equivalents; she was expected to serve the Navy for over two decades. The negotiations regarding the costs and scope of modernisation, of refit and of the fitment of the latest sensor and weapon systems took time to resolve.1

Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) Project2

The Indigenous Aircraft Carrier project first took shape in 1979 and CCS approval was accorded in May 1999. Discussions on design collaboration were held with shipbuilders in Europe who had built aircraft carriers for their Navies.

The acquisition of Gorshkov formed part of the joint Indo–Russian Protocol on Military Technical Cooperation signed in December 1994. Reportedly, the financial aspects were unusual

In 1988, a design consultancy agreement was signed with DCN of France to teach the intricacies of aircraft carrier design to the team of Indian naval architects. DCN was also required to carry out a technical audit of Cochin Shipyard and identify the facilities that would require to be augmented for constructing the ADS. In 2000, approval was accorded for the ADS to be built in Cochin Shipyard.

Sea Harrier Fighter Aircraft

Acquisition and Role of Sea Harriers

V/STOL aircraft had been under development in Britain since the end 1960s for the Royal Air Force. The Royal Navy intended to acquire the naval version, the Sea Harrier. (In July 1972, a Harrier had come to India and landed and taken off from Vikrant to establish, prima facie, that
V/STOL aircraft could operate from Vikrant’s flight deck).

In the years after 1972, the Indian Navy kept track of the development of the British Sea Harriers. In 1977, the Navy obtained approval, in principle, for the acquisition of the Sea Harriers as replacements for the Seahawks. In 1979, the Indian Navy placed an order for six Sea Harriers and two Sea Harrier Trainers for delivery in 1983.

The first three Sea Harriers (603,604 and 605) took off from Britain on 13 December 1983 and after overnight halts in Malta, Egypt and Dubai landed at Goa on 16 December. After a brief maintenance period, the first Sea Harrier landed on Vikrant’s deck on 20 Dec 1983.

Three more Sea Harriers (601, 602 and 606) and the first trainer (651) arrived in 1984. With arrival of the second trainer (652) in 1985, the delivery of the first batch of eight Sea Harriers was complete.

The second batch of aircraft consisted of 17 flights (607–623 and two trainers 653 & 654) were delivered between 1989 and 1992.