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sabya99 · Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 12:39 am Post subject: Aircraft carrier refit.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/navy-sans-aircraft-carrier-for-now/article4485467.ece
Navy sans aircraft carrier, for now

INS Viraat to be back in service after periodic refit lasting nearly 10 months
The Navy will have to make do without an aircraft carrier at least till August, when the ageing INS Viraat is expected back in active service after a periodic refit lasting nearly 10 months.
The carrier is now doing trials off Kochi following a Rs. 70-crore refit at the Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) during which its underwater surface was restored and hull painted. It is set to head for Mumbai by mid-March for further docking at the Naval Dockyard for repairs to its auxiliary equipment, propulsion, boilers and air conditioning which will take another five months for completion.
“The refit will see the ship through another three years, with sporadic maintenance,” said a Navy official. “However, one cannot predict how long it will last in service as it is linked to several other factors,” he added, hinting at the long-delayed acquisition of INS Vikramaditya, formerly Russian carrier Admiral Gorshkov, whose boilers broke down during pre-delivery trials in Russia in June last.
Navy sources said work on the four boilers that conked out was over and the ship would be undocked for a fresh round of trials, including aviation trials, when sea ice melted “in preparation for its induction in the last quarter of 2013.”
“The crew of the ship is being dispatched to Russia in batches. The carrier will undergo all trials, including deck-based operation of MiG-29K aircraft which will form its fleet, and high-speed trials before induction,” said the official.
The Viraat, on its part, got fresh hull metal plating wherever corrosion had set in, during the latest refit. Its underwater equipment got a revamp, too.
June would be a rather special month for the Navy when the first indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC), under construction, comes out of the Cochin Shipyard’s building bay on completion of phase-I work, after a delay of over a year caused by non-delivery of critical equipment on time.
The 40,000-tonne IAC currently weighs about 17,500 tonnes and sources have indicated that the next launch of the carrier, complete with propulsion, shafting and other equipment, will be in self-propelled mode.
The shipyard was forced to carry out a low-key launch of the IAC in December 2011 to make way for commercial work after the gearboxes delivered to go into it were adjudged faulty. The platform, to be named Vikrant after the now-decommissioned carrier, was re-docked in February this year when equipment supply became steady. Contract negotiations for phase-II of carrier construction are under way.
Plans for second carrier
Concurrently, plans for indigenous construction of a second aircraft carrier — a much bigger one at 60,000 tonnes — are afoot with the Navy weighing various options.
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Sabya99

ameya · Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 11:19 am Post subject:

This is going for a refit every 4-5 months for a period of 8-10 months.

The boat is hardly servicable and sea worthy now. But I think its only the ego that is keeping the ship at sea.

The moment Gorshkov starts sailing from Russia, plans would be made for a retirement function of Viraat

The_Goat · Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 3:51 pm Post subject:

India does not need an aircraft carrier, Gorshkov or no Gorshkov. The concept of the aircraft carrier is an outdated military doctrine, useful only for cold-war style muscle flexing and posturing.

The Indian Navy should instead consider acquiring (or developing) some effective nuclear powered submarines equipped with cruise missiles. Nuke subs can remain submerged for months if necessary, and can operate completely unseen with impunity, providing a very effective surprise attack platform. An aircraft carrier and its fleet of supporting ships can be detected from hundreds of miles away, thus giving enemy defences a lot of time to get alert.
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-Jasepl

sabya99 · Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 7:08 pm Post subject:

Mr.Goat, I somewhat agree with you about aircraft carrier. In today’s economy it is a white elephant. With India’s shore based airbases we could do a good job without investing in white elephant. Its only usefulness are supporting landing operation in distant land and perhaps theater blockade duty like blockade of entire East Pakistan coast in 1971.
On the contrary nuke subs are purely offensive instrument. Their limitations are high cost, technological complexity and could not operate in shallow waters off continental shelf. For blockade duty against Karachi harbor or Makran coast India needs cheap diesel power subs.
Very Happy

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Sabya99

Spiderguy252 · Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 10:40 pm Post subject:

On the subject of nuclear submarines, there was a deal to obtain some French Scorpene submarines into the IN fleet, was there not? Did that fall through?

As for Viraat, it's just a floating peace of metal now and should ideally be housed right next to Vikrant once Gorshkov/Vikramaditya enters the fleet.
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Yeah.

sabya99 · Posted: Sat Mar 09, 2013 1:31 am Post subject:

I dont have updated news about that! Very Happy

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Sabya99

shivendrashukla · Posted: Sat Mar 09, 2013 9:39 am Post subject:

sabya99 · Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2013 8:41 pm Post subject:

INS Viraat can continue for another 3 years: Antony

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/ins-viraat-can-continue-for-another-3-years-antony/article4643684.ece?homepage=true&ref=wl_home

NEW DELHI, APRIL 22:
The navy’s sole aircraft carrier INS Viraat can continue its service for another three years, the Lok Sabha was informed on Monday.
In a written reply, Defence Minister A K Antony said adequate safeguards are in place to ensure that navy’s operational capabilities are not compromised during the time a ship is under refit and repairs. He was asked whether the country does not have an aircraft carrier prowling the high seas.
“No. One aircraft carrier is currently in commission ... (INS) Viraat can soldier on for another three years,” he said.
Antony also said that repairs and refits are planned activities and a normal feature in the life of a ship. “Adequate safeguards are in place to ensure that the operational capabilities of the navy are not compromised during the time a ship is under refit. After completion of refit, the life of a ship gets extended depending on the nature of refit,” he said.
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Sabya99