The Hindu : National : India-U.S. submarine warfare exercises begin today

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Thursday, Sep 29, 2005

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India-U.S. submarine warfare exercises begin today

Arunkumar Bhatt

First phase of naval cooperation saw engagement of aircraft carriers

VASCO DA GAMA: The first phase of the India-U.S. naval exercise, Malabar 05, involving aircraft carriers of the two navies deployed in the Arabian Sea off the Goa coast, ended on Wednesday.

The second and advanced phase of Malabar 05 will begin on Thursday. It will concentrate on submarine warfare.

In the first phase, the US. Navy deployed elements of its Carrier Strike Group, led by the nuclear-powered strategic aircraft carrier, USS Nimitz, the 97,000-tonne displacement giant warship armed with F-18 fighters and an E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft.

First-time participants

Another notable participant was the nuclear submarine, USS Santa Fe, with a displacement of 7,000 tonnes and larger than the Indian Navy's largest Delhi class destroyers.

The aircraft carriers are taking part in the annual engagement for the first time.

The tactical operations included anti-aircraft and anti-submarine warfare, besides air attacks on the surface and submarine targets.

Exercise upgraded

"The participation of the carriers indicates upgrading of the exercise, for an entire new dimension of the naval power was brought in," said Capt. S.P.S. Cheema onboard INS Mysore. He is the commanding officer of India's sole aircraft carrier, INS Viraat, and tactical commander of Malabar 05.

Besides learning the operations of procedures and systems of their navies, the personnel were exposed to the systems and weapons of the other, with cross-postings not only onboard ships but also in the aircraft, said Commodore John Smith of the U.S. Navy. He commands the destroyer squadron of the strike group.

While U.S. pilots flew in Indian Sea Harriers, the Indian pilots cruised in F-18s and the E-2C Hawkeye.

Indian helicopters on

American cruiser

The Indian Sea King helicopters landed on the American cruiser and destroyers and the U.S. on Indian warships. But cross-landing of fixed-wing aircraft was avoided for want of system compatability and other constraints.

The Indian Navy deployed INS Viraat, the guided missile destroyer, INS Mysore, missile frigates INS Godavari and INS Gomati and supply vessel INS Aditya and submarine INS Shankul.

Boarding of ships by joint parties was another feature.

These capabilities are useful in fighting terrorism and sea-piracy when a warship is required to inspect a merchant ship or another ship for checking weapons running or hijacking.

In the second phase, submarines will detect and act against underwater threats, and surface ships will try to detect hostile submarines, also using their aircraft.

Land-based anti-submarine warfare and maritime reconnaissance aircraft are expected to participate in this phase of the war game.

These include the P-3C Orion aircraft of the U.S. Navy, armed with sea-skimming Harpoon missiles, the Indian Navy will deploy Tu-42s, the long-range surveillance and anti-submarine aircraft.

Capt. Cheema and Commodore Smith said the third phase would include actual naval combat manoeuvre and weapons deployment but not between the Indian and U.S. Navies. There would be two warring forces, Red and Blue. The two sides would comprise ships of both navies. The war game ends on October 4.

The USS Nimitz and her cruiser escort, USS Princeton, and an oiler left, having played their role in the first phase.

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