Indian Defence Review

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:-

The new weapons were:-

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 Gorshkovs 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:-

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.

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.