Indian Defence Review

Shin Meiwa US2

China has successfully completed on-water trials of its indigenous amphibious aircraft (AF600 or Kunlong) designed for search and rescue missions, which can also be used to transport troops and supplies in disputed waterways. The aircraft recently carried out its first water taxiing trials on a reservoir in central China’s Hubei province. Powered by four turboprop engines, the AG600 can carry up to 50 personnel for maritime missions and can scoop up 12 tons of water in 20 seconds. With a wing span of 37m, it has a maximum operating range of 4,500 km and is reportedly designed to take off and land in two-metre high waves.

With a maximum take-off weight of 53.5 tons the AG600, China claims is better than Japan’s ShinMaywa US-2 and Russia’s Beriev Be-200. Japan’s ShinMaywa US-2 at take-off weight of 47.7 tons has a maximum operating range of 4,700 km but can carry 20 passengers or 12 stretchers since it has a crew of 11 and considerable onboard electronic warfare equipment. However, the Russian Beriev Be-200 Altair with take-off weight of 37.2 tons has a maximum operating range of 3,300 km but significantly can carry 12 tons of water or 72 passengers. China signed a contract with Russia in June 2017 for purchase of four Beriev Be-200 Altair multipurpose amphibious aircraft, which are yet to be delivered.

According to analysts, the AG600 is almost ready to be fielded into the PLA. China has announced it will make the AG600 available to customers by 2022, implying commercial production would start earlier. Chinese companies and government departments have already placed 17 orders for the aircraft, which are expected to be delivered by 2022.

With Chinese militarization of the South China Sea complete, China is concentrating on Southern Pacific and is engaged in establishing naval bases and developing ports throughout the expanse of the Indian Ocean Region. In the Pacific, China is already posing a challenge to the US and allies. And, unmindful of the territorial claims of its neighbours, China is building up its military power at sea for use in conflict or to subdue dissent through coercion.

The AG600 will add to China’s capability to exercise more muscular approach at sea and islands. The fact that each AG600 can carry 50 passengers and China is importing four Russian Beriev Be-200 Altair with each capable of carrying 72 passengers provides considerable flexibility at sea.

China announced last year, it would deploy 100,000 marines overseas. China has expanded its Marine Corps and developed amphibious assault ships  and vehicles. Chinese marines are already deployed in ports like Djibouti and Gwadar. China is concentrating on enlarging its amphibious capability. China’s first 20,000-tonne Yuzhao-class (Type 071) landing platform dock (LPD) vessel entered service with the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) in late 2007. The Type 071 can hold up to four Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) and four or more helicopters, in addition to armoured vehicles and troops. Two more Type 071 were added in 2011 and 2012; all three based at China’s South Sea Fleet base in Zhanjiang.

On January 20, 2018, China launched its sixth Type 071 vessel Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard in Shanghai. It is the sixth ship of the class and joins the previous vessel, which was launched in June 2017, fitting out alongside.  PLAN has 56 amphibious ships including the Type 071. China is now building its largest amphibious ship, the Type 075, designed to carry 900 Marines with some 12 amphibious assault vehicles, 20-30 transport aircraft and short take off and landing (STOVL) aircraft, with ability to launch six helicopters simultaneously. 

The Indian Navy (IN) has no amphibious aircraft as of now. Faced with the growing menace of piracy at sea, Japan had offered to place two ShinMaywa US-1A aircraft (predecessor of ShinMaywa US-2) in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands free of cost, to be operated jointly by India and Japan for sea surveillance. The suggestion was made in 1997 during the visit of then Naval Chief, Admiral Vishnu Bhagwat to Japan who was the first Service Chief from India to be officially invited by the Japan Self Defense Forces (JMSDF). Admiral Bhagwat was shown the ShinMaywa US-1A aircraft, including its interior with the onboard equipment. Japan was looking at positioning such surveillance aircraft in various islands for collectively dealing with sea piracy and security in conjunction other countries. Ironically there was no response from India, which is not surprising as lack of strategic sense has been the hallmark of Indian policy makers.     

The Indian Navy has been looking at procuring Search and Rescue Amphibious aircraft, some 12-18 in number according to one report. Talks have been going on with Japan for past few years for acquiring the ShinMaywa US-2 aircraft, which are expected to be stationed in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. There were expectations that contract for the order would be signed in November 2016 but it was deferred by India.

On 21 March 2018, Japanese Ambassador to India Kenji Hiramatsu told media that talks on ShinMaywa US-2 amphibious aircraft were still on and but hoped there may be some progress on the issue during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Japan later this year. Though not in media, it is learnt that price negotiation is not the only issue, which could have been sorted out past so many years, but the hitch is transfer of technology (ToT) which India is insisting upon. One way out is to buy few ShinMaywa US-2 in fly-in condition (like the Rafale under import from France) and then go for ‘Make in India’ through strategic partnership with ShinMaya. After all, we never had the ToT for the BrahMos. India would also do well to look at the Russian Beriev Be-200 Altair amphibious aircraft considering each of these can accommodate 72 passengers.  

With increased Chinese footprints in the IOR, amphibious capability assumes importance for India. Safeguarding maritime interests is a key role for the Navy. We are endevouring to improve the amphibious capability but our Navy is still designed more for ‘Sea’ rather than for ‘Shore’ operations. There are no dedicated marines either. The central armed police forces are continuing to expand beyond numbers of the Indian Army but Navy’s case for a Marine Brigade has been gathering dust in the Ministry of Defence past two decades.

Navy’s amphibious capability consists of nine older tank landing ships (LST) of various sizes and capabilities. The Shardul class ships are latest ones which are hybrids of LST and Landing Platform Dock (LSD) design. They are an evolution of the Magar class amphibious landing ships. Shardul and Magar class can carry 10 armored vehicles, 11 armored personnel carriers and more than 500 troops. Post Navy’s experience in the 2004 Tsunami, Navy inducted the INS ‘Jalashwa’ (former USS Trenton – Austin-Class LPD), following which the DAC approved construction of four such vessels in India.

In July 2018, L&T in conjunction Navantia has offered an LPD to the Indian Navy as follow up to the request for information (RFI) sent out in 2011 under ‘Buy and Make (Indian)’. The L&T-Navantia offer is under ‘Make in India’ with ToT. Initially, three Indian firms (L&T, ABG and Reliance Defence) were selected but ABG was dropped last year due financial issues, after which MoD accorded in-principle approval for developing the program in December 2017. The ship offered by L&T-Navantia is designed to launch six medium sized helicopters or four heavy lift helicopters (like CH-47 Chinook) simultaneously and has 12 degree ski-jump ramp to launch short take-off and vertical launch (STOVL) aircraft. It can carry 12 helicopters and 12 STOVL aircraft and can operate at sea without replenishment for 50 days. However, there are two contenders for the program and when the construction will begin at the Indian shipyard and in what time-frame the four ships will be built and made available to the Navy is anybody’s guess.

The speed with which China is progressing its Maritime Silk Road (MSR) and concurrently building its power projection, including amphibious capability, in the Indo-Pacific poses a strategic challenge to all nations, specifically because China disregards global norms and is ruthless in achieving its ambition. India has not even optimized the defence potential of its own island territories. Our amphibious capabilities are being built but at too slow a pace because of various reasons; lack of focus, inadequate finances, procedure and red tape. This should be cause for serious concern.