Category Archives: Indian Navy

Shkval on Offer

Posted on August 23, 2013 by Bharat Karnad

As a correspondent, Philip Fowler, has pointed out, the correct name of the Russian super-cavitating torpedo on offer for the Akulas is the Shkval (Squall) — not Shtil (a shipborne surface-to-air missile). Sorry for the mistake in the previous piece … Continue reading →

Posted in Asian geopolitics, Defence Industry, Indian Navy, Indian Ocean, Military Acquisitions, Missiles, Russia, russian assistance, russian military, South Asia | Leave a comment

India’s submarine production

Posted on August 23, 2013 by Bharat Karnad

The Sindhurakshak tragedy raises many issues, among them, the danger of close-berthing of warships and submarines in the crowded Mumbai docks and the need urgently to commission the Karwar base to host most of the Western Fleet and take the … Continue reading →

Posted in Asian geopolitics, civil-military relations, Defence Industry, DRDO, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Navy, Indian Ocean, Indian Politics, Military Acquisitions, Missiles, Nuclear Policy & Strategy, Relations with Russia, Russia, russian assistance, russian military, South Asia, Strategic Relations with the US & West, Technology transfer, Weapons, Western militaries | 17 Comments

VADM KN Sushil (Retd) on Sindhurakshak incident

Posted on August 18, 2013 by Bharat Karnad

Reproduced below are some thoughts of importance on the Sindhurakshak incident emailed me by a veteran submariner, VADM KN Sushil, who retired as Flag-Officer-Commanding-in-C, Southern Naval Command: 1 On the night of 13/14 just before midnight two explosions rocked the … Continue reading →

Posted in Indian Navy, Indian Ocean, Military Acquisitions, Missiles, South Asia, Technology transfer, Terrorism, Weapons | Tagged | 6 Comments

Some developments re: Sindhurakshak

Posted on August 16, 2013 by Bharat Karnad

Despite the CNS ADM DK Joshi’s rejecting the possibility of sabotage, stories are swirling around about just such possibility as the cause for the sinking of Sindhurakshak early morning Aug 14. For such stories to bear out necessarily presumes one … Continue reading →

Posted in Indian Navy, Indian Ocean, Military Acquisitions, Russia, russian assistance, russian military, South Asia | 2 Comments

Fire in weapon/weapon fuel downs Sindhurakshak

Posted on August 14, 2013 by Bharat Karnad

The explosion on board the Kilo-class Russian submarine with the Indian Navy, Sindhurakshak, in Mumbai last evening, according to a veteran submariner, was due to fire in the forward weapons section of the boat carrying the Klub-S anti-ship missile and … Continue reading →

Posted in India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Navy, Indian Ocean, Military Acquisitions, russian assistance, South Asia | Leave a comment

Danger from Hong-10

Posted on August 13, 2013 by Bharat Karnad

Following up an earlier blog about China buying the entire Tu-22M Bacfire production line lock, stock and barrel from the Russian Kazan facility for a mere $1.5 billion (when our redoubtable air force has spent more than that amount on … Continue reading →

Posted in Asian geopolitics, China, China military, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian Navy, Indian Ocean, Military Acquisitions, Missiles, Nuclear Policy & Strategy, Relations with Russia, Russia, russian assistance, South Asia, South East Asia, Technology transfer | 3 Comments

Failure-bound maritime strategy

Posted on August 9, 2013 by Bharat Karnad

The public perception of the Indian army being smacked around on the border by China needs correction. Actually army units with the Leh-based XIV Corps do “power patrolling”, matching the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) move for aggressive move, including … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Asian geopolitics, China, China military, Europe, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Ocean, Military Acquisitions, West Asia | Tagged , | 13 Comments

French frankness and Defence hard-sell

Posted on July 26, 2013 by Bharat Karnad

The French Defence Minister Jean Yves Le Drian at a talk in IDSA straightforwardly presented some of the points in the ‘Defence and National Security White Paper 2013’ (the last such document was issued in 2008). He emphasized the fact … Continue reading →

Posted in Asian geopolitics, civil-military relations, Defence Industry, DRDO, Europe, Great Power imperatives, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Politics, Internal Security, Military Acquisitions, Missiles, South Asia, Special Forces, Strategic Relations with the US & West, Technology transfer, Western militaries | Leave a comment

Strategic pincer & Trojan Horses

Posted on May 23, 2013 by Bharat Karnad

Consider the simplified timeline: on May 4, when the armed intrusion by Chinese People’s Liberation Army in the Depsang Bulge is on-going, the Indian government in an inspired fit announces the extension of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Japan … Continue reading →

Posted in Asian geopolitics, China, China military, Geopolitics, Great Power imperatives, India's China Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian Navy, Indian Ocean, Japan, Military Acquisitions, Nuclear Weapons, South Asia, Strategic Relations with South East Asia & Far East, Technology transfer | 12 Comments

Messing with Sri Lanka

Posted on April 6, 2013 by Bharat Karnad

It was the early 1980s when, as I recall, Anton Balasingham, “foreign minister” of the “Tamil Eelam” walked into my office, and vehemently protested a piece I had written warning of the dangers of being sucked into the Sri Lankan … Continue reading →

Posted in Asian geopolitics, China, China military, civil-military relations, Geopolitics, guerilla warfare, India's China Policy, India's strategic thinking and policy, Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Ocean, Indian Politics, Internal Security, South Asia, Terrorism | 3 Comments