The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : No joint exercises with Pakistan, says Navy Chief

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 30, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

No joint exercises with Pakistan, says Navy Chief

By Our Special Correspondent

The Chief of Naval Staff, Madhvendra Singh, addressing a media conference in Visakhapatnam on Thursday. The Chief of the Eastern Naval Command, O.P. Bansal, is also seen. — Photo: K.R. Deepak

VISAKHAPATNAM, APRIL 29. The Chief of the Naval Staff, Madhvendra Singh, has ruled out the possibility of a joint naval exercise with Pakistan at this juncture.

Speaking to newspersons here on Thursday, he said that India had already conducted joint naval exercises with China and they would be conducted again in the Indian waters in the near future. Asked about the possibility of joint naval exercises with Pakistan, he said: "It is too premature."

Admiral Singh cited several peace initiatives and confidence building measures taken by the Government with Pakistan and said that the military-to-military contacts "can begin only when the Government feels that the climate is conducive for it."

The Navy Chief was here for the Commanders conference held in April-May every year to discuss mainly operational matters, new inductions and to `listen' to the field commanders. The three-day conference, which concluded on Thursday, focussed on network centric operations. "Indian Navy has embarked upon a plan to network all its ships, aircraft and submarines so that they can share their data instantaneously in a range of up to 1,500-2,000 miles so that a missile shooter gets all the information to target the enemy precisely," he explained, adding that the technology was completely indigenous.

Answering questions, he said India would build its own aircraft carrier by 2011. The Government had approved the air defence ship project estimated to cost about Rs. 3,000 crores. There were some problems in the procurement of steel, which had been sorted out and production might start by this year-end and take seven or eight years to complete the project.

The ship when built would be able to carry in all 30 to 40 aircraft, including the light combat aircraft (LCA), MiG 29K, 25 fighters and 10-12 helicopters. The LCA would be ready by then, he added.

Asked about the Navy's new induction programme, Admiral Singh said the Government had approved the plan for the next five to 10 years. It would procure an aircraft carrier from Russia, for which an Indian name was being chosen. It would procure an MiG 29 squadron, three project destroyers each costing Rs. 1,000 crores, four ASW escort vessels, four fast attack craft and project 16 extra fast attack craft. He said the Navy was committed to indigenisation of its shipbuilding activities and it was having regular dialogue with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for the purpose.

He said efforts were being made to improve the blue water capabilities of the Navy to take on the enemy as far away as possible from the coast.

Non-committal on nukes

Admiral Singh refused to comment on the Indian Navy acquiring nuclear weapons. He reiterated the Government's nuclear policy of developing credible minimum deterrence.

Asked whether the Navy would acquire nuclear weapons, he said, "I can neither confirm nor deny." When his attention was drawn to the reports about Pakistan reducing its armed forces by 50,000 posts, he said he too had read it in newspapers and pointed out that Pakistan was reducing only administrative posts and not fighter posts to make its army leaner but stronger.

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