INDIAN ARMED FORCES CHIEFS ON
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SP's Naval Forces - August-September 2021

Issue Features

• 

  LEAD STORY
  Indian Navy’s Aircraft Carrier Goal and Programme
  By Admiral Sunil Lanba (Retd)

  The question we need to ask is this: Do we want to be a regional power and have the capability to be counted in the Indian Ocean and the larger Indo-Pacific? If yes, then we need to invest in maritime capability and a potent Navy. There is a need for air power at sea and it is here and now.

• 

  AIRCRAFT CARRIER
  Vikrant on Sea Trials
  By Lt General P.C. Katoch (Retd)

  Vikrant is also known as the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier 1, or IAC-1. It will be the second ship to bear the name ‘Vikrant’. The first Vikrant was the first aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy that served in the 1971 Bangladesh war and was decommissioned in 1997.

• 

  MARITIME SECURITY
  ‘Enhancing Maritime Security Cooperation’
  By Ayushee Chaudhary

  Chaired by the Indian PM, UNSC’s high level open debate about the maritime domain was attended by several important country representatives and members of the council over extensive discussion

• 

  SOUTH CHINA SEA
  India’s Strategic Entry in Dragon’s Backyard
  By Saloni Salil

  In a major message to Beijing, Indian Navy made its presence felt in the waters of the South China Sea in August when a task force of four warships sailed on a two-month deployment that included Malabar 2021 naval exercises with India’s QUAD partners

• 

  SOUTH CHINA SEA
  Indian Navy Participates in Naval Exercise Malabar
  

  Indian Navy (IN) participated in the sea phase of Exercise Malabar 2021 from August 26-29, 2021 along with the US Navy (USN), Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) and the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

• 

  OEM INTERVIEW
  “BAE Systems is proud to be a founding partner of defence manufacturing in India”
  

  In an interview with SP’s Naval Forces, Ravi Nirgudkar, Managing Director India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka - BAE Systems, outlines the company’s support to Indian government’s ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make in India’ policies

• 

  GEOPOLITICS
  Geopolitical Shifts Could Unfold Post T-Afghanistan
  By Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha (Retd)

  China is entering this space created by the withdrawal of US troops. It will like to swiftly maneuver in order to gain significant advantage towards solidifying its continental strategy driven by BRI.

• 

  BI-LATERAL
  India-Australia 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue
  By Lt General P.C. Katoch (Retd)

  Both India and Australia agreed to work jointly to realise full potential of the bilateral Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP)

• 

  MODERNISATION
  Landing Platform Docks
  By Lt General P.C. Katoch (Retd)

  After a lapse of over a decade, MoD now has again revived the project to indigenously build 4 x LPDs for the Indian Navy

• 

  NAVAL WARFARE / WEAPON SYSTEMS
  Rosoboronexport Showcased Latest Russian Shipbuilding Products at IMDS 2021
  

  Rosoboronexport JSC (part of the Rostec State Corporation) presented the latest models of Russian naval equipment and coastal surveillance and defence system to foreign customers during the tenth anniversary International Maritime Defense Show (IMDS 2021) in St. Petersburg.

• 

  NEWS
  Defence Minister Rajnath Singh comisions indigenously built Indian Coast Guard Ship Vigraha
  

  Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Ship Vigraha, seventh in the series of Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs), was commissioned by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in Chennai on August 28, 2021.

• 

  NEWS
  Indian Navy signs contract with BEL for suply of Naval Anti drone system
  

  The Indian Navy (IN) has signed a contract on August 31, 2021 with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) for supply of the first indigenous, Naval Anti Drone System (NADS) with both hard kill and soft kill capabilities.

• 

  NEWS
  GRSE signs MoU with French Naval Group to manufacture surface ships
  

  It was reported on September 12, 2021 that to move from ‘Make in India’ to ‘Make from India’, Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd., (GRSE), Kolkata, has signed a MoU with Naval Group, France...

• NEWS
  Indian Navy to conduct Regattas and Sail Parade comemorating Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav
  

  As part of commemorative activities of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, Indian Navy under the aegis of Indian Naval Sailing Association (INSA) has planned to conduct Sailing regattas and a sail parade by Sailing boats...

• NEWS
  Boeing demonstrates Advanced Maned-unmaned Teaming Concepts
  

  A Boeing-led team has demonstrated manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) capabilities in a virtual environment using the Navy’s MQ-25™ Stingray™ unmanned aerial refueler, the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne command-and-control aircraft and the F/A-18 Super Hornet.

• 

  NEWS
  Appointment
  

  Vice Admiral S.N. Ghormade, assumed charge as the Vice Chief of Naval Staff at a formal ceremony held on July 31, 2021 at South Block, New Delhi.

• 

  Editorial
  By Jayant Baranwal, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

  In the lead article, former Naval Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba, makes a cogent case for Aircraft Carriers in the Indian Navy, especially the induction of a second aircraft carrier, in spite of the programme facing many headwinds.