Overseeing an ocean: INS Vikrant joins the navy’s fleet

Source: The post is based on an article “Overseeing an ocean: INS Vikrant joins the navy’s fleet” published in The Business Standard on 2^nd September 2022.

Syllabus: GS 3 – Defense Technology – Indigenization of technologies

Relevance:  security and bilateral relation

News: Indian Naval Ship (INS) Vikrant is commissioned into the navy’s fleet. The articles discuss the further challenges before India in securing the vast ocean.

It will the second aircraft carrier with India, first one being the INS Vikramaditya, that was bought from Russia. It will enter India into the exclusive club of only 5 countries, with 2 aircraft carriers.

However, it will still not be sufficient to tackle the challenges in front of India.

What are the issues India might still face?

Indian navy required two deployed carriers, minimum: One for the east coast (the Bay of Bengal and Malacca Strait) and a second for the west coast (the Arabian Sea, the Pakistan coast and West Asia).

Lately, the navy has begun suggesting for a third deployed carrier to carry out power projection at longer ranges across the Indian Ocean Region.

Now, India’s 2 aircraft carriers don’t mean that both will be deployed. The naval fleet must have three aircraft carriers to have two carriers operationally available. Because most of the time one of those three would be in the dockyard for maintenance.

For example, out of US’s 11 carriers, only three US Navy carrier strike groups (CSG) were operationally deployed.

The Indian Navy’s two aircraft carriers would mostly amount to just a single operationally deployed carrier.

Similarly, operationally deploying three carriers would require a four-carrier fleet.

What is the significance of warships?

Naval forces have an unparalleled capability for dispensing humanitarian aid and disaster relief as the Indian Navy did after the Asian tsunami of 2004.

US has come up with National Defence Authorisation Act that specifies the annual defence budget and expenditures under various heads. It has for the first time; the US has given the navy legal and budgetary powers to discharge a clear peacetime as well as its combat role.

India plays a role of security provider in the Indian Ocean Region. It has a role and interest in protecting sea lines of communication (SLOCs) that carry 70 per cent of global trade.

China expanding navy poses a threat to India. China’s warship is building yards in Dalian and constructing four-five large and sophisticated destroyers simultaneously.

what are the challenges in front of India?

India is facing a dilemma whether it should focus on sea or land borders to counter China.

India is the only member country of the Quadrilateral that shares a land border with China. PLA’s multiple encroachments, across the LAC, have heightened the tensions on India’s land borders.

However, the US and Australia are pushing India to focus on the Indian Ocean Region.

India must resolve its stand since India’s own economic prosperity depends upon keeping open its SLOCs in the Indian Ocean.