Though China has been expanding its influence in the Indo-Pacific, India’s Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, says that “The Indian Navy remains combat ready, credible, cohesive, and future-ready force committed to ensuring safe seas and secure maritime environment in consonance with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Security And Growth for All in the Region(SAGAR).”
In an exclusive interview, Admiral Tripathi added that “The Indian Navy, along with other stakeholders, is fully prepared to safeguard the maritime interests of the nation. We have credible capability and are continuously evolving to meet the new challenges.”
“We are constantly fine-tuning our concept of operations and formulating our capability perspective plans to cater to developing threats. Our efforts are not aimed at any specific nation but rather at ensuring the security of India’s maritime interests and contributing to a stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
“In the last 10 years, China has modernized its Navy at an intense pace and has inducted more warships than the size of the IN (Indian Navy). Consequently, China has maintained a permanent presence in the IOR (Indian Ocean Region) under the pretext of an Anti-Piracy Escort Force (APEF) since 2008.
“In addition, Chinese Research Vessels, Satellite Tracking Ships and Deep-Sea Fishing Boats are also being increasingly deployed in the IOR. The Chinese are also investing in port and maritime infrastructure development projects worldwide, with about 20 of them being undertaken in the IOR itself, reflecting their desire to stay in the region.
“Pertinently, augmentation of existing Naval facilities and construction of a new naval base, besides existing full-fledged naval facilities and submarine bases in our immediate neighborhood, could facilitate the enhanced presence and sustenance of Chinese warships in the Region.
“Our focus is on building credible deterrence by modernizing our fleet with capable multi-dimensional platforms while also integrating emerging technologies, including long-range surveillance and space-based sensors as well as autonomous vessels, to monitor and secure critical sea lanes of communication and choke points.
“We are also enhancing our operational reach and MDA through increased deployments, joint exercises, and collaborations with like-minded navies across the world. Partnerships through bilateral and multilateral exercises like RIMPAC, MALABAR, MILAN, and initiatives like IONS (Indian Ocean Naval Symposium) help strengthen collective maritime security and ensure an enabling environment for maritime trade and commerce.”
When asked about the state of balance between the Indian Navy’s ‘capacity’ and ‘capabilities’ with reference to dimensions such as surface, subsurface, aerospace, and cyber on the one hand and spheres such as ‘brown water’ and ‘blue water’ on the other, Admiral Tripathi said: “The Indian Navy envisions the creation of a well-balanced multi-dimensional networked force that is capable of delivering ordnance on target and effects across the spectrum of conflict.
“This involves augmentation of existing capacities and induction of novel capabilities, including in the space and cyber domains. Force structuring and capability development initiatives are continually calibrated based on threat assessment, technological advancements, and the evolution of warfare. It also caters for platforms/equipment envisaged to be deployed across our Area of Interest, encompassing both ‘brown’ as well as ‘blue waters’.”
In this regard, Admiral Tripathi identified the following thrust areas:
(a) Blue water platforms for deterrence, power projection, sea control, SLOC (Sea lines of communication) security, and other roles.
(b) Adequate sea denial capability through submarines, heavily armed surface combatants, MMCBs (Mobile Missile Coastal Battery), and autonomous systems.
(c) Shore-based and integral naval aviation assets (crewed and autonomous) for maritime surveillance, Fleet Air Defence, maritime and shore strike, ASW, Special Operations, SAR, intelligence gathering, and Fleet logistics/communications.
(d) Platforms for Low-Intensity Maritime Operations (LIMO), Offshore Security, Coastal Security, and Local Naval Defence, with a mix of manned and unmanned solutions, including UAVs/USVs/UUVs.
(e) Adequate expeditionary capability to achieve desired power projection, influence events ashore in crises, support land campaigns during the conflict, address ‘Out of Area Contingencies’ (OOAC), undertake Military Operations Other Than War (MOOTW), and render succor/assistance through HADR/ NEO.
(f) Platforms for Special Forces to enhance niche capabilities to conduct direct action missions, Maritime Interdiction Operations (MIO), and other envisaged roles.
On the question of the Indian Navy’s future role in the proposed theatre commands, the Navy Chief pointed out that “India is a maritime nation with increasing maritime interests across the vast expanse of IOR and beyond.
Addressing vital threats and challenges in the maritime domain necessitates an integrated approach and high levels of synergy in terms of strategy, planning, and application of force.
“The Indian Navy is committed to synergizing our command, control, communication, and combat maneuvers with our counterparts from the Army and Air Force. We are also working towards the optimization of assets and resources between the Services. The release of Joint Doctrine for Amphibious Operations and Joint Doctrine for Cyberspace Operations is aimed at achieving uniformity of thought at the doctrinal level.
“At the organizational level, we are undertaking cross-staffing of personnel at various levels to build institutional synergy. The recent contract conclusion for 31 MQ-9B HALE RPAs steered by the Indian Navy is a classic case of integrated capability development to jointly optimize national resources.
“Further, Joint Logistics Nodes for integration of logistics support, Joint Service Study Groups for achieving commonality in aviation assets, and Integrated Maintenance Working Groups for maintenance of common systems across three services are some of the initiatives towards increased interoperability and maximization of resources between the Services.
“Notwithstanding the formal announcement of theaterisation, the Indian Armed Forces and the Navy, in particular, are far more ‘Joint’ and ‘Integrated’ than most of us believe… this was amply showcased by the synergy displayed in the daring operation undertaken by Indian Naval Ships to rescue MV Ruen from Somali pirates, through a well-coordinated deployment of IN Marine Commandos from an Indian Airforce C-17, about 1400 nautical miles from our shore.”
At a time when the narrative of India needing more submarines rather than going for a third aircraft carrier is gaining currency, Admiral Tripathi was emphatic that “Aircraft Carrier has clearly emerged as a necessity for the nation, as was also highlighted by the Standing Committee on Defence (SCOD) in its 36th Report of the 17th Lok Sabha.
“Aircraft Carriers are central to the Indian Navy’s concept of operations. A Carrier Battle Group centered on an Aircraft Carrier is a means of projecting maritime power at sea. It is a self-contained and composite force capable of undertaking a wide range of operational tasks that no other platform can undertake. The ship and its airwing – fighters and helicopters – constitute a war-fighting system that has inherent flexibility as well as mobility and can be rapidly re-deployed based on emerging scenarios.
“Considering the vast expanse of the area of operations and emerging threats/challenges in our areas of interest, it is envisaged that IN would need to conduct concurrent Sea Control operations in geographically distant locations. This can be achieved only through Carrier Battle Groups centered on aircraft carriers, fortified by multi-role destroyers, frigates, and corvettes, which, through three-dimensional offensive capability, can wield power to affect, impact, and influence the behavior of regional/extra-regional players in support of national maritime interests.
“The indigenous construction of Vikrant has generated significant employment opportunities, not just in shipyards, but also in related ancillary industries, resulting in visible plow back into the economy. The Economic Survey 2022-23 tabled in the Parliament recognized this plow-back and highlighted that every rupee spent on shipbuilding triggers circulation of 1.82 rupees.
“The Indigenous Aircraft Carrier, INS Vikrant alone engaged about 500 MSMEs and created employment for 12,000 people from ancillary industries, in addition to 2000 shipyard employees with an employment multiplier effect of 6.4.
“Additionally, IN has gained considerable expertise through the design and construction of Vikrant. Therefore, the construction of not just aircraft carriers but any naval platform comes with a host of accompanying economic benefits for industry and contributes in great measure to the vision of Aatmanirbharta.
“We must remember that an aircraft carrier is not just a floating sovereign airfield that could be deployed hundreds of miles away from our coast, but also a symbol of national pride, naval might, and a decisive military capability that only a select few in the world possess and operate.”
On the question of what lessons the Indian Navy has learned from the ongoing war in Ukraine, Admiral Tripathi replied, “We have witnessed the continuation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict for more than 1000 days without much pullback from either side. Whilst the conflict has been largely terrestrial, it also expanded into the maritime domain incurring significant losses to both sides.
“The employment of asymmetric tactics by both sides has been noteworthy, with drones and uncrewed systems emerging as force multipliers, providing real-time intelligence, surveillance and targeting capabilities. It is important that we don’t learn wrong naval lessons from this conflict – be it the sinking of the Russian Cruiser Moskva by a shore-based Anti-Ship Missile or many images of unmanned systems delivering a knockout punch – since all these have happened in the confined brown waters of a rather large lake called the Black Sea, and not in the blue waters of oceanic space where classic Naval Battle happens.
“Sustained war-waging capability by strengthening and reinvigorating indigenous military-industrial complex has been a critical operational imperative. The conflict has also reinforced the need for flexibility in naval strategies and the ability to adapt to emerging threats.
“The Indian Navy’s focus on modernizing its fleet, adopting cutting-edge technologies as well as the continuous evolution of warfighting concepts, is aimed at ensuring that we remain prepared for the changing character of warfare.
“Along with the Russia-Ukraine conflict, we have also imbibed lessons from the ongoing conflict in West Asia, as well as the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. These conflicts have brought out:
- The ubiquity of conventional warfare, such as the use of brute force, attrition, collateral damage, and destruction.
- Busted the myth of short and swift wars.
- Usage of the maritime domain to influence events ashore. This has reiterated the traditional role of Navies in protecting maritime trade and commerce through ISLs and SLOCs.
- Effectiveness of low-cost lethal kinetic solutions in creating disproportionate impacts.
- Development of indigenous defense industry capabilities with the ability to surge capacity when required through a steadfast commitment to Aatmanirbharta.
- Need for constant innovation to achieve superiority.
- Requirement of integration across domains, including space, cyber, and cognitive, for military operations.“
- Author and veteran journalist Prakash Nanda is Chairman of the Editorial Board of the EurAsian Times and has been commenting on politics, foreign policy, and strategic affairs for nearly three decades. He is a former National Fellow of the Indian Council for Historical Research and a recipient of the Seoul Peace Prize Scholarship.
- CONTACT: prakash.nanda (at) hotmail.com
