The Hindu : National : Naval chief warns shipyards against slow pace of production

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 12, 2005

National

National

Naval chief warns shipyards against slow pace of production

Sandeep Dikshit

` We may have to import as we need five to six new ships or submarines every year'

Placing orders on our shipyards is high on our agenda. But maintaining the force levels is top priority.
Two ships delivered in June; Beas delivered on Monday. Two ships scheduled for launch next month and six due for delivery by June.

Navy to consider adopting "modified classification society" specifications for frontline ships as done in the U.S.

— Photo: PTI

Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Arun Prakash (left), watching the Naval Ship Beas after it was commissionedin Kolkata on Monday.

KOLKATA: Chief of the Naval Staff Arun Prakash on Monday criticised shipyards for the slow pace of production. The Navy needed five to six new ships or submarines annually but defence and civilian shipyards could at best deliver only two to three ships a year, he pointed out. This resulted in the Navy turning to imports.

"This is not good enough and our shipyards must accelerate the pace of production. While we are deeply committed to our public sector undertakings, we cannot allow our force levels to decline. Therefore, if left with no alternative, we shall have no choice but to import warships to make up our force levels," he said at a ceremony to launch INS Beas, a frigate with the highest level of indigenisation, at the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) here.

"I have just sounded a note of caution. They have to step up the pace of production so that we do not have to go abroad for our requirements. Placing orders on our shipyards is high on our agenda. But maintaining the force levels is my top priority," he said.

The naval chief, however, praised the GRSE for commissioning INS Beas, third and last ship of Project-16A, envisaging the opening of a second frigate production line at the Kolkata-based shipyard in addition to the one at the Mazgaon Docks in Mumbai.

Chairman and Managing Director of the GRSE, L. Ganeshan, pointed out that the shipyard had launched two ships in June and delivered the Beas on Monday.

It is scheduled to launch two ships next month and deliver six by June next year. This was a "tall order and tough schedule." The GRSE would meet the challenge by "revising our homework to make advances in the delivery schedule in a few cases."

The pace of production would further improve with a recent decision by the Defence Ministry to do away with inspection of systems and materials.

The decision "rightly shifts the responsibility to the shipyard and we welcome the challenge as it will reduce time-frames."

Rear Admiral Ganeshan requested the Navy to consider adoption of "modified classification society" specifications for frontline ships as done by the U.S. navy. This would reduce the cost and time, he said.

A distinction

Interestingly, INS Beas inherits its name from a warship which participated in the 1971 Indo-Pak conflict and in the 1987 "Operation Pawan" in Sri Lanka.

At hand were 10 captains of the old ship to witness the launch of the new ship. Admiral Prakash pointed out he was commissioning the reincarnation of a ship that he had commanded 25 years ago.

"It is not often that such an event takes place in the active service of a naval officer, " he said.

Another coincidence was that the ship's commanding officer, S. S. Jamwal, was a young apprentice on board the old Beas.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National