The presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday at the commissioning of the navy’s brand new destroyer INS Kolkata two months after he unveiled the giant aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya has sent a clear political message of intent of bolstering the Navy as playing a credible role in guarding the sea lanes of the Indian Ocean.
Linking the launch of INS Kolkata and the growth of the Navy to free flow of commerce, Mr. Modi observed, “In the coming days, INS Kolkata will inspire confidence in those involved in maritime trade.” He also cited Chhatrapati Shivaji’s pioneering role in developing a navy to highlight the importance of securing the sea lanes for increasing trade.
The induction of INS Kolkata into the Navy is a significant step in expanding India’s footprint in waters far beyond its shores. When fully operational after further sea trials, the ship will demonstrate serious indigenous capability to attack land targets from the sea using the BrahMos cruise missile —the successful product of Indo-Russian collaboration.
Air defenceThe ship can also defend itself against air attacks by deploying long range surface-to-air missiles, guided by a multi-function phased-array radar that can track and engage several targets simultaneously. The ship’s capacity to engage threats, such as submarines, is also impressive, mainly due to the presence of domestically manufactured tubes that can launch torpedoes to counter lurking underwater threats.
A home-built new generation HUMSA Sonar has been mounted on the ship to monitor threats below the surface. INS Kolkata will be the lead ship of its class which will also later include commissioning of two other ships — INS Kochi and INS Chennai .
Analysts point out that like the preceding Delhi class of ships, INS Kolkata and its follow-on destroyers can, if required, function as independent command and control ships. They would be in a position to steer a naval battle, in case an aircraft carrier, which naturally leads a task force, is damaged during hostilities.
Yet, ships of the INS Kolkata class are heavily dependent on intricate computer networks to manage battle space, opening them to the possibility of cyber attacks.
Despite Mr. Modi’s open demonstration of intent, serious hurdles exist, hampering the emergence of a credible Indian naval deterrent in the Indian Ocean, including a faltering submarine fleet, the yet-to-emerge naval second strike nuclear capability, and the tardiness in the development of another aircraft carrier that matches the size of INS Vikramaditya .
