Indian Navy Flexing Its Muscle

Rear Admiral Pradeep Chauhan of the Indian Navy gave a press conference today to discuss a number of details on several upcoming deployments for the Indian Navy. The details are interesting, and I think shows some insight into the mindset of a developing blue navy looking to flex its muscles in the region.

The first deployment set to leave August 9th includes the INS Rajput (D51), INS Beas (F39), INS Betwa (F37), INS Delhi (D61), and INS Jyoti (A58). The West African, Persian Gulf tour will last 48-days and include exercises with the navies of Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, France, and the UK.

The details describe the flotilla breaking into two groups once they leave Mumbai. The first group consisting of INS Rajput (D51) and Betwa (F37) will proceed to the Northern Persian Gulf to hold exercises with Kuwait and Bahrain, then will rejoin the other ships for a larger exercise with Saudi Arabia later in August, followed by another PASSEX with Oman in late August. In September the flotilla will move to the Red Sea the second week of September for the Varuna exercise with the France, specifically FS La Motte Picquet (D 645). During the deployment, my favorite Indian military reporter Sandeep Dikshit of The Hindu (that name is great!) reports of a PASSEX with the Royal Navy on the front lawn of Iran.

Rear Admiral Chauhan also spoke about a major foray by the Navy to West Asia where it will make several port calls and conduct preliminary exercises with navies from France, the U.K. and Oman. Significantly some of these exercises will be conducted just off the choke points of the Straits of Hormuz and Bab-el-Mandeb through which most of the world’s oil supply passes. “These are places of geographical and strategic significance and we will get the opportunity to hone our skills with top-of-the-line consorts,” he said. Indian warships will also execute a standard patrol close to the Gulf of Aden.

Asked about the sensitivities of countries in the region over exercises with the U.K. Navy, he said, “we are conscious of that. The exercises have been carefully calibrated. Not every exercise has a foreign policy aim.”

The other exercise of note for the Indian Navy to take place in early September is Malabar 07-02. Malabar 07-01 took place in April this year in the far east. Rear Admiral Pradeep Chauhan also provided details regarding which ships would participate in that exercise as well.

Malabar 07-02 Order of Battle

USS Nimitz (CVN 68)
USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63)
USS Princeton (CG 59)
USS Cowpens (CG 63)*
USS Higgins (DDG 76)
USS Chafee (DDG 90)
USS Pinckney (DDG 91)
USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54)
USS Mustin (DDG 89)
USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53)
USNS John Ericsson (T-AO 194)
USNS Rainer (T-AOE 7)
USS Chicago (SSN 721)

INS Viraat (R22)
INS Ranvijay (D55)
INS Ranjit (D53)
INS Karmukh (P64)
INS Kuthar (P46)
INS Aditya (A59)

HMAS Adelaide (FFG 01)
RSS Formidable (F68)
JDS Oonami (DD 111)
JDS Yudachi (DD 103)

It has been reported that Unidentified Brahmaputra class frigates may partisipate as well.

*13 USN ships were reported to be coming, but the USS Cowpens wasn't mentioned while the other 12 were. I am assuming here, and may be wrong.