Indian Navy (IN) News and Discussion

[Jon K]

And for the poor chaps who might have to go to Russia to do the work, I hope they pay them well, and I hope its not another one of the -10 degree Celsius weather.

Just now the temperature in Severodvinsk is -5 C, the average is -16, but it isn't unusual to have temperatures below -40 C, with record low of -45C. So adjustment might be hard. As for language differences etc. the Finnish shipyards are working with a lot of Polish welders who don't speak anything but Polish and still turning out ships respected for their quality.

But, in my humble Finnish opinion, I can't understand how anyone can survive, or at least enjoy life at over +35 except in Sauna / Banya...

 

[Firehorse]

There are already many Indians in northern Russia undergoing nuclear submarine-related training, so sending more workers to a shipyard isn't beyond their ability- and southerners adopt to cold easier than norterners to heat.
Even if the CV-63 was to be given to the IN, IMO they would still want to finish Goshkov, unless the Russians have reduced prices on other weapons deals by the same amount as India already paid them. IMHO, if the CV-63 was to be transferred at all, more logical recipient would be Australia, which is going to get new F-18 anyway.

 

[Salty Dog]

An interest group in the State of North Carolina is looking seriously at the carrier Kitty Hawk as a museum next to the battleship North Carolina in Wilmington.

Not far from Wilmington is Kitty Hawk where the Wright Brothers carried out their early flight experiments.

 

[Ozzy Blizzard]

An interest group in the State of North Carolina is looking seriously at the carrier Kitty Hawk as a museum next to the battleship North Carolina in Wilmington.

Not far from Wilmington is Kitty Hawk where the Wright Brothers carried out their early flight experiments.

I think thats a more realsitc home for kitty hawk rather than operating in the IN. They dont have the facilities, they dont have the aircraft to truely utilise the vessels capabilities, they dont have any experiance with CATOBAR, they dont have the funds to keep the god damn thing maintaned. A 3 cat 80 000t supercarrier is a maintinance & logistical HOG at the best of times, but when you've got one that is at the end of its service life it will be a maintainers nightmare. Its alot more trouble than its worth for the IN, specially since they wont be operateing a USN sized CAG. Invincable + more sea harriers would have been a more realistic option, but i guess they've had enough of STOVL + Harrier and its on to STOBAR.

 

[kams]

, they dont have any experiance with CATOBAR,

nitpick..IN has long history of operating CATOBAR, their first carrier, INS Vikrant was CATOBAR.

 

[swerve]

... they dont have any experiance with CATOBAR, ....

As Kams says, not true. 28 years operating catapults & arresting gear. No recent (last 19 years) experience, but a demonstrated ability to take on, from scratch (i.e. with no experience whatsoever) a CATOBAR carrier & operate her successfully, plus current experience of operating a STOVL carrier, putting them in a better position than when they first embarked on carrier ops in 1961.

Apart from that, I agree that Kitty's not suitable, but it doesn't matter, since she isn't on offer. Oh - and if the Indians were (e.g.) contemplating a French-built scaled-down CATOBAR CVF derivative & Rafales, I'd have no qualms about their ability to operate it.

 

[contedicavour]

Well well so no Kitty Hawk transfer and the Gorshkov isn't arriving until the end of sea trials ie in 2012. 4 more years with a decrepit 1950s light CV... India must hope it doesn't need carriers for a while ...

cheers

 

[Salty Dog]

Well well so no Kitty Hawk transfer and the Gorshkov isn't arriving until the end of sea trials ie in 2012. 4 more years with a decrepit 1950s light CV... India must hope it doesn't need carriers for a while ...

cheers

As their present carrier is not CATOBAR capable, I wonder how the IN will employ their Mig-29Ks they are to receive this year?

 

[swerve]

As their present carrier is not CATOBAR capable, I wonder how the IN will employ their Mig-29Ks they are to receive this year?

Land-based, until Vikramaditya finally arrives. And they'll practice arrested landings in the USA.

BTW, the MiG-29Ks are for STOBAR, not CATOBAR, though AFAIK they could be modified for catapult launch.

 

[contedicavour]

Indian MIG29Ks training with USN and USMC F18s... that will be a sight worth watching ! Eventually they'll get so used to the F18s that they'll buy them in the Air Force new fighter contest...

cheers

 

[Salty Dog]

Indian MIG29Ks training with USN and USMC F18s... that will be a sight worth watching ! Eventually they'll get so used to the F18s that they'll buy them in the Air Force new fighter contest...

cheers

That is an interesting point. IN AV-8 pilots already train in the USA for carrier qualifications.

The USN fixed wing carrier pipeline is done in three phases: is basic, intermediate, and advanced with the latter being final carrier quals (in the T-45).

I wonder if IN pilots will carrier qual in the USA or carrier qual in Russia. Russian training will also depend on the Adm Kusnetsov availability which may be quite rare.

French and Brazilian carrier pilots conduct advanced phase and carrier quals with the USN.

 

[kams]

Land-based, until Vikramaditya finally arrives. And they'll practice arrested landings in the USA.

BTW, the MiG-29Ks are for STOBAR, not CATOBAR, though AFAIK they could be modified for catapult launch.

IN is building (or will build this year) a Land based arrested landing strip in Goa.

 

[swerve]

That is an interesting point. IN AV-8 pilots already train in the USA for carrier qualifications. ...

I wonder if IN pilots will carrier qual in the USA or carrier qual in Russia. Russian training will also depend on the Adm Kusnetsov availability which may be quite rare....

India does not have any AV-8s, any more than it operated B-57s! It has Sea Harriers. Experienced IN SHAR pilots are in the USA right now (& since 2006, IIRC) re-training for arrested landings, in preparation for the MiG-29K. They qualify on US carriers.

 

[Salty Dog]

India does not have any AV-8s, any more than it operated B-57s! It has Sea Harriers. Experienced IN SHAR pilots are in the USA right now (& since 2006, IIRC) re-training for arrested landings, in preparation for the MiG-29K. They qualify on US carriers.

Thanks for correcting me mate!

 

[contedicavour]

A strip fitted with arrested landing gear onland is hardly a good training platform for Navy pilots... unless the Indians have built it on some huge hydraulic platform that can simulate the rolling seas

Even if the IN has Sea Harriers and not AV8B IIs, the 2 jets are so similar I'm not astonished IN pilots train with USMC. The Italian navy pilots also qualify with the USMC colleagues btw.

cheers

 

[kams]

A strip fitted with arrested landing gear onland is hardly a good training platform for Navy pilots... unless the Indians have built it on some huge hydraulic platform that can simulate the rolling seas

Even if the IN has Sea Harriers and not AV8B IIs, the 2 jets are so similar I'm not astonished IN pilots train with USMC. The Italian navy pilots also qualify with the USMC colleagues btw.

cheers

Why do Indian pilots need to train with US for Sea Harriers?

 

[contedicavour]

Why do Indian pilots need to train with US for Sea Harriers?

Well they'd better train somewhere ... the RN has retired the Sea Harriers, so they could train in the UK on the RAF planes (the joint RAF/RN squadron) or with the USMC in the US. This would probably make more sense as the AV8Bs operate in air to air operations as well as supporting Marines and even anti-shipping...
or of course they could come to Italy after all the IAC carrier is a close cousin of our Cavour carrier but at the moment we only have 17 operational AV8B Plus ...

cheers

 

[harryriedl]

Well they'd better train somewhere ... the RN has retired the Sea Harriers, so they could train in the UK on the RAF planes (the joint RAF/RN squadron) or with the USMC in the US. This would probably make more sense as the AV8Bs operate in air to air operations as well as supporting Marines and even anti-shipping...
or of course they could come to Italy after all the IAC carrier is a close cousin of our Cavour carrier but at the moment we only have 17 operational AV8B Plus ...

cheers

thats 6 more that the Indians as figers vary from 11-9 planes. sightly OT how often do Italian carriers leave the Med

 

[Salty Dog]

Well they'd better train somewhere ... the RN has retired the Sea Harriers, so they could train in the UK on the RAF planes (the joint RAF/RN squadron) or with the USMC in the US. This would probably make more sense as the AV8Bs operate in air to air operations as well as supporting Marines and even anti-shipping...
or of course they could come to Italy after all the IAC carrier is a close cousin of our Cavour carrier but at the moment we only have 17 operational AV8B Plus ...

cheers

They could also train with the Matadors in Spain.

 

[Lostfleet]

if CV-63 turn out real somehow, or even the Gorshkov, Indian Navy will have major task of protecting those carriers. Of course protecting the current light carrier is important as well but the bigger the carrier gets the political value increases.

Do you think Indian Navys Fleet will be up to the task, especially for ASW defence?