New Delhi: Having lined up several big-ticket acquisitions and facing increasing budgetary constraints, Indian Navy is now turning its focus on unmanned platforms both aerial and underwater in a big way, naval sources said.
But, it is firm on a third aircraft carrier and the next line of six advanced submarines under Project-75I.
This year, Indian Navy’s share in the capital allocation of the defence budget is Rs 26,688 crore, while officials said the committed liabilities alone stood at Rs 45,000 crore.
Last year too, the Navy’s capital allocation was Rs 23,156 crore, while the liabilities were Rs 25,461 crore. In the past few years, the Navy’s share as a percentage of the defence budget has been going down.
As part of the fleet rationalisation plan, the Navy has cut down on the requirement of minesweepers from 12 to eight and additional P-8I long-range patrol aircraft from 10 to six. The Navy now has no dedicated minesweepers in service, and is resorting to makeshift arrangements. It has procured some autonomous underwater vehicles, and efforts are on to procure more.
Similarly, the Navy operates some Israeli drones, and is in the process of procuring 10 General Atomics Seaguardian High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) armed drones from the US for maritime surveillance. “It is imperative to look for more unmanned solutions,” an official said.
Recently, Chief of the Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat called for a staggered approach to big procurements, and said the third carrier was too expensive, and the Navy would have to choose between submarines and a third carrier.
“As an expanding blue-water Navy with growing responsibilities, we need power projection. It is not about one over the other. We need more submarines, but we also need a third aircraft carrier so that we have two operational carriers on each seaboard at any given time,” a Navy source said. “We will push the case,” he said.
Pointing out that big-ticket procurements were inherently staggered, the source said, “Both are long-gestation projects and each has a different role. If we start planning now, it will take 10 to 15 years to get an aircraft carrier. So we cannot delay it.”
The Navy envisages the proposed second Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC-II) to be displacing 65,000 tonnes and conventionally powered, with a steam-launched catapult for launching and recovering aircraft. “The Navy has done a detailed study, and the specifications have been arrived at based on the requirements. The IAC-II should cost around Rs 45,000 crore,” another source said adding there were exaggerated cost estimates being quoted.
In addition, the Navy has several big-ticket acquisitions lined up. These include 111 naval utility helicopters, six additional Boeing P-8I aircraft and 13 BAE Systems MK45 naval guns.
