NEW DELHI: A common steering group to coordinate for all the three services will be formed once areas of navy-to-navy cooperation between India and the US have been identified according to the Naval Chief, Admiral L. Ramdas.
In a wide-ranging interview, the Naval Chief emphasized the importance of the recent visit of Admiral Chuck Larson, US Pacific fleet commander, to India and extensive efforts undertaken to identify areas of mutual interest. Once these areas are identified, a naval “steering group” will be formed like the Army steering group which encompasses the so called”, Kichleighter proposals” dealing essentially with the army-to-army cooperation, for the naval follow-up action, the Naval Chief explained”.
In so far as the force multipliers needed for naval operational tasking are concerned, the chief identified “electronic warfare and Carly warning systems as priority areas, Force multipliers enhance the operational capabilities of the weapon systems.
Admiral Ramdas conceded operational interaction under Indo-US defense cooperation could be maximum between the navies of the two countries, as the US Pacific command was essentially a naval command with meager army and air force components.
The chief emphasized the geostrategic importance of the Indian Ocean, calling it the “strategic highway of wade and oil needed-by the West. “Moreover, unlike both China and Pakistan. India is an oceanic country. Our maritime interests start from the entrance to Sir Creek, all along the west coast, round Sri Lanka to the island territories in the east which are nearly 1.000 km from the mainland, Pakistan, on the other hand, has only a 750-km coastline in a straight line. Even the exclusive economic zone of China is small compared to India’s, with most of its island territories close to the mainland”, the chief explained.
FLEET MAINTENANCE: Commenting on the maintenance of the fleet, especially in light of the recent Comptroller and Auditor General report which indicted the Navy for poor maintenance of the aircraft carrier, Vikrant, the chief explained, “unlike the other two services, in the naval dockyards there is a large force of civilian workers. The Navy is affected by ‘trends in the industry and a shortage of requisite spares’. However, ample measures had been instituted, which included new material management techniques, inspections and monitoring systems to ensure that operationally the fleet did not suffer, the chief observed.
On being asked about the existing duplication between the three services in the areas of intelligence especially in the southern theater, the Naval Chief made it clear the chairman of the staff committee worked for elimination of any inter-services duplication.
The three chiefs meet once a week and are briefed by the intelligence agencies. They also consider the various inter-services sub-committee reports to remove problems in the areas of personnel, combined plans and operations, training and special operations like joint electronic warfare.
Admiral Ramdas also spoke of the role of the marine force, which is a small component raised in 1987. It is a “hard hitting force which can temporarily hold ground, till regular forces can be inducted.” It basically has “quick reaction capabilities”, but cannot be compared in size of tasking to the marines of the advanced countries, he said.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 13, 1991
