India proudly celebrates the Indian Navy Day on December 4 to commemorate its fierce attack on Pakistan’s Karachi harbour during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.
The attack, carefully planned to inflict substantial damage, had the intended effect. The Soviet-origin Osa class missile boats, armed with Surface to Surface Styx missiles, hit three Pakistan Navy ships including an ammunition carrier, and worse, the port’s fuel storage tanks. It was fire all over, and I recall the news reports with pictorial coverage of the destruction there.
The Pakistan Navy Headquarters was also located at the Karachi Port, and in the confusion that followed, it mistakenly asked the Pakistani air force to attack one of its own ships.
Notably, the Osa missile boats had been acquired by the Indian Navy only a few months earlier in 1971 itself, and designated Vidyut (Lightening) Class.
India won the Bangladesh Liberation War, and the impressive success of Indian Navy’s Operation Trident is marked as the Navy Day.
That’s history.
But December 4 is also the day to plan for the future, the challenges thrown by the rapid evolution of Warfare Systems, Precision Missiles and Disruptive Technologies. Quantum computing powering the control systems and Artificial Intelligence (AI) have already introduced a non-stoppable revolution in Warfare and Defence.
Significantly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has observed that “Technology is galloping and the character of Warfare is changing.” This indicates that fast modernisation of the armed forces is at the top of Government’s agenda. There is also emphasis on building indigenous capabilities, by ensuring Transfer of Technology while importing equipment towards Make in India.
The Indian Navy’s leadership certainly has this vision in mind.
According to Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh Tripathi, the Indian Navy has a comprehensive development plan envisaging not just new-gen technologies but induction of more conventional diesel-electric submarines, nuclear powered and nuclear armed submarines, shipboard Rafale-M combat jets, long range missiles, and more than 90 ships in the coming years.
Most of these are to be Made in India.
The pace of induction is ambitious. Impressive: Within 2025, One Ship Every Month. Apparently, the Ministry of Defence, and the apex CCS (Cabinet Committee on Security) are in a Fast Forward mode.
India has sufficient experience in building nuclear submarines and there should be enough expertise at DRDO (Defence Research & Development Organisation) and the DEA (Department of Atomic Energy). The second indigenous SSBN (Nuclear Powered Nuclear Armed) submarine, INS Arighaat, was commissioned in August. It’s a higher variant of India’s first ballistic missile submarine INS Arihant.
The Navy Chief made one significant point: The role of private industry and MSMEs. In fact, the Navy itself is reaching out to talented youngsters, who had ideas but didn’t know how to go about in building an industry.
Admiral Tripathi’s stated vision for a strong Indian Navy should be seen as a Promise to the country also.
India Strategic greets the Indian Navy on this occasion with the nautical Blessing: Fair Winds and Following Seas.
— Gulshan Rai Luthra
