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Ranjit B Rai
IDU Update (September 2007)
One of
the largest five day multilateral advanced Naval exercises,
ever to be held in the Bay of Bengal with 27 warships and
200 aircraft from five nations, took place from 4th September,
away from the gaze of Indian citizenry. The Government decided
to keep the national media away from the Indian naval platforms
in view of the left parties opposition to the exercises, and
the 123 nuclear deal. However the US Navy embarked selected
Indian media with full facilities to transmit their electronic
dispatches, and made much of the spectacular event. Three
aircraft carriers, the nuclear powered USS Nimitz( borrowed
from the Central Command by Pacific Command and loaned From
Iraqi Freedom) and the aging Kitty Hawk ( to be defence commissioned),
displacing 80,000 tons and covering two acres each, with F-18s,
E2C Hawk Eyes operated alongside India's 27,800 ton 47 year
old INS Viraat with Sea Harriers. INS Viraat was joined by
eight Indian Navy warships which included the Kashin-Rajput
and Delhi class destroyers. Vice Admiral Douglas Crowder Commander
7th Fleet based in Japan and India's Eastern Command Chief,
Vice Admiral R P Suthan a navigation specialist, embarked
on the carriers as witnesses during the exercises, with other
observers from the Indian Navy. Rear Admiral Robin Dhowan
Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet shared responsibilities
as OTC- Officer In Tactical Command, with the two US Battle
Group Commanders on the carriers, and Flag Officers from Japan,
Australia and Singapore who were embarked on their flagships
for Malabar-07.
OTCs,
during their time in command of the exercise bear the tactical
responsibility to control all the communication circuits and
order the tactical maneuvers, firings and formations, in standard
operating procedures SOPs which are worked out in advance,
labeled the Allied Tactical doctrine. The Indian Navy inherited
the British ATP which most western navies follow and hence
naval exercises are easy to adapt, and all communication operators
speak in English. For the duration of the exercises the US
Navy extends the a basic internet MTP protocol that enables
the participants to become net centric, to ensure common operating
tactical pictures being displayed in the ships nerve center
called the Ops Room in the Indian Navy, and Combat Information
Center CIC by other navies.
The
three big flat tops with their top gun pilots were joined
by US Navy's nine front line destroyers, and Singapore's latest
French built La Fayette class frigate RSN Formidable, which
possesses latest stealth features and hosts compatible net
centric warfare systems and the deadly Harpoon missiles. Australia
fielded HMAS Sirius and support ship Adelaide and Japanese
Self Defence Maritime Force under Fleet Commander Admiral
Yoji Koda flew his flag on Destroyer Oonami and Yudachi. US
Navy's nuclear attack submarine USS Chicago and an Indian
Navy 1500 HDW class submarine simulated the under water threat
in the ASW anti submarine warfare drills. The armada of the
five countries at sea, formed what is being described as a
'cooperative strategic group' working up to achieve the aims
of inter operability, and India's Defence Minister A K Antony
assured that there was no intention to ascribe any other reason
for the exercise, and conveyed this diplomatic message to
China. The tonnage at sea during Malabar totaled 350,000 of
lethal nuclear capable arsenal, with over 400 loaded surface
to surface SSMs, and anti air missiles and torpedoes supported,
by 200 war planes and helicopters flying from platforms and
ashore. Indian Navy's Maritime Reconnaissance MR ASW capable
aircraft TU-142, the largest all up weight platform in the
Indian Armed Forces, operated in support of the ships from
INS Rajali at Arkonam, and were joined by Japanese MSDF and
US P3C Orions which operated from Meenambakam, both airfields
near Chennai. Indian Air Force maritime Jaguars which are
capable of attack at sea operated from shore and it was reported
were easily intercepted by the F-18s. Regretably on the last
day of intensive flying one Sea Harrier ditched while landing
but the pilot ejected safely.
The
planning for this multi national exercise had been done on
war footing in advance, and Admiral Timothy Keating Commander
US Pacific Command from Hawaii, had visited New Delhi earlier
in August and explained how he had specially borrowed the
USS Nimitz for Malabar -07 from the Commander Central US Command.
The Nimitz was on its operational patrol off Iran, in Iraqi
Freedom. India comes under the Pacific Command while Pakistan
is under Tampa Florida based Central Command for liaison purposes,
which also oversees the war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan.
It
is notable some 13,000 uniformed naval professionals from
five countries jostled with each other at sea in war games,
embarked each other, cross decked planes, flew in each others
helicopters and planes, and exercised interoperability and
anti terror moves. The ships also exercised the controversial
Proliferation Security Initiatives (PSI) with boarding of
ships for nuclear inspection. USA is pressing India to sign
the PSI and hopes to forge a Framework for Maritime Security
in the heels of the brief, but wide ranging land mark Defence
Framework that then Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee signed
in Washington DC with Donald Rumsfeld, in the Pentagon in
September 2004. In recent times the Indian Government has
consciously accorded greater emphasis and support to the Indian
Navy, for its ship building and acquisition programmes, which
includes two aircraft carriers, nuclear and conventional submarines
and 30 ships.
The
17,000 ton LPD Landing Platform Deck INS Jalashawa (ex USS
Trenton) with 6 Seaking SH-3 helicopters under Capt B S Ahluwalia,
silently without any fan fare that normally heralds such an
arrival, transited in to the Bay of Baengal during Malabar
to be based at Vishakapatnam. The Jalashawa has a Raytheon
supplied Phalanx AA battery and updated Shrike 32 EW equipment
and can carry a battalion of troops and 12 tanks and landing
craft and its decks can operate Sea Harriers. The question
after Malabar-07 could well be. Is this the last straw that
may break the back of India's avowed 'Non Alignment' policy,
that still breathes ? There is speculation that USA, Japan,
Australia and India are acting as a 'Quad' for security cooperation,
but what the Indian Navy has gained in professionalism and
confidence is what Malabar-97 was all about.
Cmde(
Retd) Ranjit B Rai is a former Director of Naval Operations
and Intelligence and Vice President Indian Maritime Foundation.
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