India needs to get cracking on the next aircraft carrier: INS Vikrant is a necessary but not sufficient condition to offset China’s string-of-pearls threat

Source: The post is based on an article “India needs to get cracking on the next aircraft carrier: INS Vikrant is a necessary but not sufficient condition to offset China’s string-of-pearls threat” published in The Times of India on 3^rd September 2022.

Syllabus: GS 3 – Security and associated issues

Context: The article discusses about challenges faced by Indian in Indian Ocean Region and benefit of indigenous warships to Indian economy.

The indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant constructed will boost India’s maritime power and sea control capabilities.

What are the problems being faced by Indian navy?

The country has been without an operational aircraft carrier for the last two years. Its only carrier INS Vikramaditya inducted from Russia in 2013 has been undergoing a major repair-and-maintenance cycle.

India needs at least three carriers while one undergoes the periodic maintenance, the other two can be operationally available for the eastern and western seaboards.

Another problem is associated with the serviceability-maintenance of the jets acquired for the carriers.

India had acquired 45 MiG-29Ks from Russia to operate from the deck of INS Vikramaditya.

The navy is now looking to import 26 new jets to meet the shortfall till the indigenous twin engine deck based fighter is ready in around 10 years.

What are the maritime threats to India?

1) There has been increasing threat from China in the Indian Ocean Region. China has world’s largest navy of 355 warships and submarines. It can deploy 7-8 vessels in the IOR at any given time. 2) It is building two more carriers at an astonishing speed. There will be a Chinese CBG moving in the IOR on a near permanent basis in the future. This will erode India’s traditional maritime combat edge in its own strategic backyard.

Which is more useful a shore based field or aircraft carriers?

IOR is getting increasingly militarized along with the expanding military bases therefore it is necessary for India to deploy aircraft carrier.

Fighters jets taking off from shore-based airfields will have relatively limited combat ranges.

Carrier battle group (CBG) is a floating airfield capable of moving 400-500 nautical miles a day.

CBG also provide operational flexibility on a ‘here and now’ basis to launch air defence operations, anti-submarine and anti-ship warfare, and also strikes on land-based targets.

Land based airbases can also be more vulnerable to pre-emptive strikes compared to the mobile airfields on CBGs.

CBGs have the inherent capability to prevent emerging threats at standoff ranges.

How indigenous warships help the economy?

One shipyard job leads to creation of 5-6 jobs in ancillary industries.

Over 500 Indian firms and 100 MSMEs contributed towards building INS Vikrant which has a 76% indigenous content.

It generated employment opportunities for almost 15,000 personnel across various segments which included direct employment of 2,000 personnel at the Cochin Shipyard.