NEW DELHI : In a major thrust for ending complete dependence of the Indian Navy on foreign supplies at high cost, the Defence Ministry has come out with an exhaustive list of 46 kinds of equipment for use in naval warships, submarines, planes, helicopters, and underwater and air-borne surveillance systems.
The 15-year Indian Naval Indigenisation Plan (INIP) unveiled on Monday lays the groundwork for indigenisation of the military hardware, enabling the Indian private industries and public sector companies to invest in development of all these equipment.
The list lays down what will have to be produced in India and not allowed to be imported. It includes multi-role helicopters, surface-to-air missiles, early warning radars, underwater unmanned vehicles, diesel engines for warships, gas turbines, an air independent propulsion to allow submarines to stay submerged for long periods, satellite communication system, torpedoes, night vision and advance optics for naval pilots, and towed sonars carried by warships to detect underwater submarines.
It is, however, not for the first time that such a plan has been hoisted. The only difference is that for the first time the equipment in use of the Indian Navy have been made public to persuade the private and public industry to make long-term plans for their manufacture with the surety of purchase. The first such 15-year plan was prepared in 2003 in keeping with the induction plan of new platforms and revised every five years, the last one in 2008.
The defence ministry officials admit the plans made in the past did not make much progress as it is not an easy task but the government decided this time that a beginning has to be made and the industry will lap up the opportunity if it is assured purchase of every small piece it produces.
Today the engines of all warships are imported while even the major overhaul of the old generation planes is being carried out in Russia. The Defence Ministry only recently ordered towed array sonars from an European firm for its warships after the Chinese submarines made forays into the Indian ocean, but these could be the last.
