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MODERNISATION / NAVAL AVIATION
The next 25 years promise to be even more exciting for the Indian Navy’s naval aviation arm as it plans to increase the number of aircraft in its inventory to 500 by 2050 from its current number of around 300 fixed and rotary wing aircraft and UAVs
Naval aviation is the tip of the offensive spear of the Indian Navy (IN) and has always been at the forefront of all naval operations in peace and war. Starting as a modest force with the Short SA.6 Sealand amphibious aircraft and the shore-based Fairey Firefly aircraft in 1953, it quickly graduated to carrierborne aircraft (British Hawker Sea Hawk and French Alize) with the induction of Vikrant in 1961. Vikrant and its airwing played an important role in the Liberation of Bangladesh in 1971 and this success has since then been an important driver for the growth of naval aviation in general and carrier-borne aviation in particular. The induction of maritime reconnaissance aircraft in the mid-1970s, after the transfer of the Super Constellation aircraft from the IAF, and their subsequent replacement by long range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare (LRMRASW) aircraft, the Ilyushin IL-38s from the Soviet Union in1977, considerably enhanced its versatility and capability. While the singleengine Aerospatiale Alouette III had been inducted for search and rescue and communication duties along with Vikrant in 1961, the 1970s also saw the induction of multi-role ship-borne helicopters with the Westland Sea King Mk 42A, subsequently upgraded in the 1980s to the Sea King Mk 42B and its commando version, the Mk 42C. Pilatus Britten Norman BN-2A-21 Islanders were inducted in 1976 for pilot and observer training.
The arm’s steady progress continued in the 1980s with the induction of the vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) Sea Harrier aircraft in 1984, which replaced the Sea Hawks. the TU-142M LRMRASW aircraft in 1988, which supplemented the IL-38s. The Soviet-built Kamov 25 ship-borne multirole helicopters with its unique contrarotating rotor design, had been inducted in the early 1980s concurrent with the induction of the Rajput class destroyers. These were supplemented with the more advanced Kamov 28s in the late 1980s, with the induction of the Ranvir class destroyers. The Dornier 228 twin turboprop aircraft, being manufactured under license by HAL, Kanpur, were inducted for short range maritime reconnaissance and aircrew training in 1991 (a contract for their Mid-life Upgrade was signed in 2024).
Indian Naval aviation is poised for an exciting period of growth in the years ahead with a range of inductions in all aspects of naval aviation
The first 25 years of the 21st century have seen a transformation in Indian Navy’s Naval Aviation. A major milestone was the induction of the first airborne early warning (AEW) helicopters, the Kamov 31s, along with the induction of the Talwar class frigates in 2005. These helicopters are a force multiplier at sea and are also capable of operating from both the IN’s aircraft carriers. The induction of the first MiG-29K carrier-borne aircraft in 2009, preparatory to the commissioning of the aircraft carrier Vikramaditya in 2013, was another significant milestone. A major enhancement in the Navy’s LRMRASW and airborne anti-ship capability occurred in 2009 when the first multi-role P-8I Boeing was inducted into the Indian Navy. Hawk Mk132 Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) aircraft were inducted in 2013 as the lead-in trainer for the MiG-29Ks. Ship-borne multi-role helicopter capability was re-invigorated in 2021, when the US Navy (USN) handed over the first two Sikorsky MH-60R ‘Sea Hawk’ helicopters to the IN as a replacement for the ageing Sea King 42Bs and Cs. The commissioning of the first indigenous aircraft carrier, Vikrant (in its second avatar) in 2022 marked the coming of age of naval aviation besides being a significant achievement in India’s shipbuilding capability.
The IN’s aviation arm has also played a significant role in building bridges of friendship and interoperability with friendly foreign navies. Dornier aircraft and ALH helicopters have been supplied to Mauritius, Seychelles and Maldivian Coast Guards and the Sri Lankan Navy by the Government of India. Training and maintenance of these aerial assets has been undertaken by the IN. Joint exercises with advanced navies include significant participation from naval aviation, helping in enhancing interoperability and building mutual confidence. Such exercises include the stand-alone deployment of P-8I aircraft for combined exercises to countries such as the US, Japan, Australia and Singapore, demonstrating the IN’s reach across the world.
The next 25 years promise to be even more exciting for the IN’s Naval Aviation arm as it plans to increase the number of aircraft in its inventory to 500 by 2050 from its current number of around 300 fixed and rotary wing aircraft and UAVs. A major forthcoming induction is the acquisition of Rafale carrier-borne fighter (22 single seater and four twin seater trainers), which will supplement the MiG-29Ks on board the IN’s aircraft carriers. Three specific trends would drive the coming transformation – the first being indigenisation, the second, unmanned aviation and the third being jointness between the three Services due to the introduction of common platforms, where feasible.
As far as indigenisation is concerned, the IN aims to reduce its current heavy dependence on foreign suppliers by investing in home-grown technologies and platforms. The journey towards indigenisation of naval aviation started in earnest at the turn of the century and the first fully indigenously designed and built helicopter capable of limited ship-borne operations was the HAL-manufactured Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), which was inducted in 2002. The initial versions of the Dhruv suffered from various drawbacks, especially limitations of rotor folding, which have been substantially overcome with the ALK MkIII, which was inducted in 2021. The holy grail for indigenous helicopters is the Indian multirole helicopter (IMRH), which has been in the works for about 15 years. As per opensource information, the ground test vehicle of the IMRH is expected to be produced by 2027, after which approval will be sought to develop the first few prototypes. Once this is obtained, it will require at least a decade of trails and weapon integration before it can be inducted as an operational unit. The ultimate milestone in naval aviation indigenisation is the carrier-borne aircraft. The IN has already carried out deck landing and launch trials of the Light Combat Aircraft (Navy), which is essentially a technology demonstrator, on both the Vikramaditya (in 2020) and Vikrant (in 2023). The next step in this programme is the Twin Engine Deck-Based Fighter (TEDBF) whose design is at an advanced stage and awaits government approval for proceeding with the construction of the first few prototypes. If approval is given in the near future to the IMRH and TEDBF, both these platforms should be flying by 2035 and could be inducted by 2040. Indigenous development of weapons and sensors for naval aviation platforms is also proceeding apace and the efforts should bear fruit in the coming decade.
The commissioning of the first indigenous aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant (in its second avatar) in 2022 marked the coming of age of naval aviation besides being a significant achievement in India’s shipbuilding capability
As far as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are concerned, the IN inducted its first UAVs, the Searcher Mk-II and the Heron, in 2002 after the Kargil War for short range maritime reconnaissance, search and rescue, battle damage assessment and over the horizon targeting purposes. While the Searcher Mk-II UAVs have been phased out of service in 2024, the Herons were planned to be upgraded to carry additional weapons and sensors, which now seems unlikely due to their limited residual life. A quantum leap in unmanned aviation took place with the induction of leased MQ-9B SeaGuardian high altitude long endurance (HALE) drones for maritime surveillance from the US in 2020. The exceptional performance of these platforms led India to conclude a contract with General Atomics for the purchase of 31 MQ-9B Predator drones (15 for the IN), which will also be capable of carrying weapon payloads. The induction of these drones commencing 2029 will provide a quantum jump in maritime intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. Two Heron 900 Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAVs, built under licence from Elbit, Israel by Adani Aerospace and Defence, and named Drishti 10 Starliner, were inducted in 2024. More such UAVs could be inducted subsequently. The IN has already inducted the short range indigenous ‘Spotter’ rotary UAVs on board ships for reconnaissance purposes and plans to introduce more rotary UAVs with higher endurance and load carrying capability, such as the multi-mission, utility, logistics & expedition (MULE) drones for carrying heavy loads (including casualties) in all weather conditions. Submarine launched drones are also under development.
Finally, the third driver, jointness, is already visible in the growing commonality of platforms, albeit with service-specific differences in equipment. This commonality already existed to some extent with platforms such as the Chetak and ALH helicopters and the MiG-29 and Dornier aircraft, as also the Heron and Searcher UAVs. The coming induction of Rafale carrier-borne fighters and Tata-Airbus C295 aircraft in the IN, as also common airborne weapons and sensors, will further increase the commonality, helping in synergising operations, training and logistics. Considerable scope for commonality also exists in the variety of UAVs planned for induction in the three Services.
Indian naval aviation is poised for an exciting period of growth in the years ahead with a range of inductions in all aspects of naval aviation. This ambitious expansion aims to strengthen the Indian Navy’s overall operational readiness and ensure it can effectively respond to diverse maritime threats. Perhaps the only aspect of naval aviation that remains to be covered is the long pending re-induction of sea planes, which will give a boost to aviation operations in our island territories and coastal regions and also provide options for logistics support, Special Forces operations and medical evacuation in the open oceans. Indigenisation too remains a relative laggard despite the intense efforts put in over the past two decades and requires to be monitored closely by all stakeholders to ensure that we develop truly indigenous aviation platforms by 2050. Nonetheless, the current focus on technological advancements, indigenous development and strategic expansion will ensure that the Indian Navy remains a formidable force in the region, ready to safeguard the nation’s maritime interests.