ASIAN DEFENCE: Submarine

Showing posts with label Submarine. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Russian submarines are hunting down British Vanguard submarine

3:44 AM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

Russian submarines are hunting down British Vanguard boats in a return to Cold War tactics not seen for 25 years, Navy chiefs have warned.A specially upgraded Russian Akula class submarine has been caught trying to record the acoustic signature made by the Vanguard submarines that carry Trident nuclear missiles, according to senior Navy officers.British submariners have also reported that they are experiencing the highest number of "contacts" with Russian submarines since 1987.If the Russians are able to obtain a recording of the unique noise of the boat's propellers it would have serious implications for Britain's nuclear deterrent. Using its sophisticated sonar, the Akula would be able to track Vanguards and potentially sink them before they could launch their Trident D4 missiles.

Indian Navy Officer Dies in Operation to Rescue Sailors

3:25 AM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

An Indian Navy officer died due to head injuries while saving other sailors who had fallen into the sea from a submarine off the coast of Mumbai this morning."Lieutenant Commander Firdaus D Moghal, Executive Officer of Indian Naval Submarine 'Shankush', died in an accident off Mumbai while saving the lives of fellow personnel who had fallen in the sea," Navy officials said here.The Shankush, a German-origin HDW 'Shishumar'-class diesel-electric submarine, was on a planned exercise in sea when it developed a defect which necessitated the maintenance crew to come out on the casing and attempt repairs, they said.

First Two Project 75I Scorpene Submarines will be Built at a Foreign Shipyard

8:34 AM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

Top sources in the ministry have told Business Standard that its apex defence acquisition council has decided to exclude Indian private shipyards from the construction of six submarines for the Indian Navy under Project 75I. Instead, the first two submarines will be built at a foreign shipyard.Project 75I initially envisaged all six submarines to be built in India. The MoD-owned Mazagon Dock Ltd, Mumbai, was to build three; Hindustan Shipyard Ltd — recently acquired by the MoD from the Ministry of Shipping — would build one; while Indian private sector shipyards L&T and Pipavav would compete to build two. But the navy’s insistence on having the first two submarines built abroad has torpedoed the private sector shipbuilders out of the picture.

Only 7 out of 16 Submarines in Indian Navy are Operational

1:33 AM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

By Saurabh Joshi

The CAG said in its report that not only were many of the 16 Indian submarines at the end of three-fourths of their life, but that only seven of them were actually operational, with nine undergoing repairs and refit. Two of the submarines, INS (Indian Naval Ship) Vela and INS Vagli, both Foxtrot-class, are due to be decommissioned this year and next year.The report reads, “75 per cent submarines in the IN fleet have already completed three fourths of their estimated operational life. It is pertinent to mention that only 7 out of 16 submarines in IN are operational and 9 submarines are under refit/repair as of October 2009.

As of November 2009, Padeyes fitment has been completed in 11 out of 16 submarines out of which only 4 SSK (Diesel Electric Attack) submarines have been certified by USN for mating with US DSRV for a period of three years effective from 20 December 2007 and of which at least 2 are presently under refit. Two of the serving Foxtrot submarines, on which Padeyes were fitted, INS Vela and INS Vagli, would be de-commissioned in 2010 and 2011 respectively”.The CAG report has also pointed out that any actual submarine rescue would depend on the presence of a USN DSRV, which would take at least 72 hours to get to station from its nearest base, and for the services of which, an agreement was not even in place. “The DSRV is to perform rescue operations on submerged or disabled submarines.

Russian Nuclear Submarine K-152 Nerpa Handed Over to India

12:17 PM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

Scorpene Submarines Delivery Delay to Affect Indian Navy's Force Levels

12:12 AM ASIAN DEFENCE 1 comment

The delay in delivery of Scorpene submarines is likely to have an impact on the envisaged under-water force levels of the Indian Navy, Government told the Lok Sabha on Monday. The gaps in the submarine capacity were being addressed by modernising and upgrading the weapon and sensor systems on theexisting fleet, Defence Minister AK Antony said in a written reply.

These steps have significantly increased the combat worthiness, he said.In 2004, India had signed a contract with France for supply of six Scorpene submarines, which were to be built in Mumbai’s Mazagon Dockyards.

Iran's Navy Gets Four New Iranian-Built Submarines

1:34 AM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

Maritime Exercise RIMPAC Wraps Up

3:51 PM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

ountry "Orange" ignores all diplomatic and political requests to cease operations in country "Green," and a sea battle ensues.That was the framework for the final "free play" tactical phase of Rim of the Pacific war games Sunday through yesterday as the big 40-day maritime exercise wraps up in Hawaii waters.RIMPAC is advertised as interoperability practice between allied nations, but real-world threats are never far behind.Diesel electric submarines from Japan and South Korea stalked the U.S. aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan in the final phase -- simulating a growing undersea worry as nonallied nations build up their stock of quiet subs in the Pacific.Five submarines, more than 170 aircraft and about 20,000 personnel took part in RIMPAC, which involved the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.

Indian Media Reveal Details of Royal Navy Submarine Operations

10:07 PM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

Defence chiefs were furious after the Indian authorities disclosed that Royal Navy submarines were taking part in secret naval war games off the coast of Goa.The whereabouts of British warships is usually kept a closely-guarded secret, with Ministry of Defence officials refusing to confirm even which ocean a particular vessel is operating in.But hours before the games began, the Times of India published full details of the exercise, in which the "hunter-killer" Trafalgar Class HMS Talent was tasked with tracking down the Indian sub INS Shankush.In a further breach of security, the newspaper even named the commander of the UK task group, Commodore James Morse, who headed a nine-member British Navy team which took on an 11-man contingent from India under the leadership of the commander of the INS Talwar, Captain M A Hampiholi.

Six New-Generation Submarines for Indian Navy Worth Over Rs 50,000 crore

11:53 PM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

If you thought the Rs 42,000 crore project to procure 126 multi-role fighters for the IAF was the "mother of all defence deals", think again. The stage is now being set for an even bigger project—this one worth over Rs 50,000 crore for six new-generation submarines for the Indian Navy.

The Defence Acquisitions Council (DAC), chaired by defence minister A K Antony, has finally decided that three of the six submarines will be constructed at Mazagon Docks (MDL) in Mumbai and one at Hindustan Shipyard Ltd (HSL) in Visakhapatnam, with the help of a foreign collaborator.

"The other two submarines will either be imported from the foreign vendor directly or constructed at a private shipyard in India. Fresh estimates show each of these six diesel-electric submarines will cost almost Rs 8,500 crore," a source said.

Indian Plans to Bolster Its Army, Air Force and Navy to Counter China’s Rising Military Prowess

1:53 AM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

For too long Delhi’s policymakers have watched idly as China’s military prowess has grown, says Nitin Gokhale. Not anymore. India is now mid-way through raising two mountain divisions for the north-eastern border area with China. The goal is to plug existing gaps in India’s preparedness along the Arunachal Pradesh-China frontier, and the two divisions, consisting of about 20,000 well-armed troops, will include a squadron of India’s armoured spearhead—Soviet-built T-90 tanks and a regiment of artillery.The Indian Air Force has over the past year deployed 36 Su-30MKI, its most advanced multi-role fighter aircraft, to Tezpur in the country’s north-east in response to the People’s Liberation Army Air Force’s seven airbases in Tibet and southern China.

Indian Navy is working to build and acquire new, varied and potent platforms including an aircraft carrier, nuclear submarines, stealth frigates and long-range maritime reconnaissance planes. But the most surprising revelation to many analysts was India’s public admission that it was inducting a Russian Akula-class Type 971 nuclear submarine into its forces, in addition to an indigenously designed and built submarine, earlier called the advanced technology vessel but now officially named the INS Arihant (The Destroyer). India has announced in May that India will go one step further by testing the 5,000-kilometre range, nuclear-capable Agni IV missile in 2011.

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Indian Navy to buy submarine mine laying equipment

11:56 PM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

The Navy is planning to buy Submarine Mine Laying Equipment (SMILE) to augment existing capabilities of its conventional fleet.It has issued a Request for Information (RFI) to vendors and manufacturers seeking details in this regard, a Navy officer said in New Delhi on Sunday.The SMILE, according to the RFI, should be capable of laying 24 ground mines and withstand maximum underwater speeds of the submarine.The basic design of the SMILE should comprise components and sub-systems such as two independent magazines capable of housing at least 12 mines each.

Two Submarines of Indian Navy Suffered Damage in a Collision

11:20 PM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

Two submarines of the Indian Navy suffered minor damage in a collision at a jetty in the Mumbai harbour when one of vessels was attempting parallel berthing with the other. There was no injury to any Navy personnel during the incident and Navy officers at the headquarters in New Delhi termed the incident as a minor one. "It is a minor incident that took place 10 days ago.

A submarine was attempting a parallel berthing alongside another, which is a routine practice, at the Navy jetty in the Mumbai harbour," a Naval officer told PTI. Since there was no damage to any equipment or weapon system, the Navy said a minor repair to the submarine would be carried out locally.

Though officially the Navy refused to respond to queries on the incident, officers said these types of minor incidents do take place regularly when attempting parallel berthing. The officers, however, refused to identify the type of submarines that collided. Navy at present has 16 submarines in its fleet, of which 10 are Kilo class submarines bought from the Russians, four are HDW types and another two are Foxtrot class.

One of the Foxtrot class submarines is due to be decommissioned from the Navy this month. Navy plans to induct six more submarines into its fleet in the next five years under the Scorpene project currently underway in Mazgaon Docks, a Defence Public Sector Undertaking, in Mumbai. It is also looking for a follow-on project for the Scorpenes and is currently searching for a second production line for the same for which private shipyards too are being considered.

Press Trust of India

Royal Malaysian Navy's KD Tun Razak Submarine Enters Malaysian Waters

6:14 AM ASIAN DEFENCE 1 comment

KD Tun Razak, the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN)'s second of two Scorpene submarines, entered the national waters, Thursday.The submarine, which was launched by Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Nur Zahirah on Oct 8, 2008, is heading for the Lumut naval base for an official homecoming ceremony, Friday.Malaysia acquired both Scorpene submarines at the cost of RM3.4 billion in 2002 and they were built jointly by France's DCNS and Spain's Navantia.

INS Sindhurakshak to be Delivered in Severodvinsk for Refit

2:46 AM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

Indian diesel electric submarine Sindhurakshak (stands for "Sea Giant") will be delivered to Zvezdochka shipyard (Severodvinsk) for modernization late July, said Nadezhda Scherbinina, the head of Zvezdochka press service.According to her, a dock vessel with the submarine on board sailed off Indian port last weekend and laid a course for Severodvinsk. "Estimated time of the cruise is 40 days", specified Mrs. Scherbinina.Delegations of Zvezdochka shipyard and Indian defense ministry signed a contract on June 4 in Delhi providing overhaul and modernization of INS Sindhurakshak which will take 2-2.5 years.

Severodvinsk is World Most Silent Nuclear-Powered Submarine: Russia

9:37 PM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

In spite of being built for 17 years, nuclear-powered submarine Severodvinsk will be armed with most advanced weapons and, perhaps, will become the world most silent sub, said Capt 1 rank Alexei Poteshkin, Northern Fleet (NF) submarine force executive officer."State trials of the submarine will be held this year. Hopefully, upon their results Severodvinsk will be recognized the most advanced and silent – which is the main feature of submarines – ship in the world", said A. Poteshkin at Tuesday's press conference.

US and European Aerospace Companies are Recognising India as Critical Market

2:33 AM ASIAN DEFENCE 3 comments

The aerospace and defence sector in the country is growing leaps and bounds and is fast emerging as a key participant in the Asia-Pacific region. The US and European aerospace companies are now recognising India as a critical market as well as a potential manufacturing partner.Major procurement programmes are going to take place in next few years. India is seeking to acquire some of the most globally advanced systems for its Navy — SLBM nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers, Army — large numbers of T-90 main battle tanks and other assets to equip eight divisional sized battlegroups) and Air Force — Su-30 advanced fighter aircraft and a follow-up state of the art air superiority fighters in about 2017. Overall, the acquisitions budget will grow from around $17 billion in 2011 to $19.20 billion in 2015, an increase of nearly 15%.

New Generation Submarine for the Russian Fleet

4:20 PM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

Russia is facing a very challenging task to modernize its naval forces. To achieve this, the country’s experts are working on a program for military and civil ship building. To launch a series of Severodvinsk-class submarines is one of the priorities of this program, the President Dmitry Medvedev said attending the official float-out ceremony at the port of Severodvinsk.The fourth generation Severodvinsk, the Yasen (Graney) class submarine, was built at the Sevmash shipyard. Graney class nuclear submarines are designed to launch a variety of long-range cruise missiles with nuclear warheads, and effectively engage submarines, surface warships and land-based targets. The new submarine's armament includes 24 cruise missiles, and is also equipped with eight torpedo launchers, as well as mines and anti-ship missiles such as SS-N-16 Stallion.

Russia to float out new nuclear submarine after delay

3:37 PM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

Russia on Tuesday launches a new nuclear-powered multipurpose attack submarine after a short delay caused by technical reasons, the Sevmash shipyard said.The construction of the Severodvinsk, the first Project 885 Yasen (Graney) class submarine, began in 1993 at the Sevmash shipyard in the northern Russian city of Severodvinsk but has since been dogged by financial setbacks. Russia planned to float out the submarine on May 7 to mark the 65th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in May 1945.

Bulava (SS-NX-30) Test Launches Postponed Until November

5:50 PM ASIAN DEFENCE No comments

Russia will carry out its next test launch of the troubled Bulava ballistic missile in the third quarter of the year, a deputy defense minister said on Monday."In the third quarter launches will resume. The first will be from the nuclear Dmitry Donskoy submarine. Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said in May that Bulava test launches had been postponed until November.Only five of 12 Bulava launches have been officially reported as being successful. The Bulava (SS-NX-30) is a three-stage liquid and solid-propellant submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM).