Navy Acquires Teeth

Atul Chandra

The Indian Navy is in the midst of a dramatic revamp of its naval aviation assets with e ongoing induction of new Boeing P-8I Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA), soon to be delivered Sikorsky MH-60R ‘Romeo’ Anti-Submarine and Anti-Surface Warfare (ASW/ASuW) helicopters and impending contracts for General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) SeaGuardian high-end armed Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) drones.

                                                            Clockwise from top left: MQ-9B SeaGuardian; P-8I MPAs; US Navy crew load a Hellfire air training missile                                                                                                                    onto MH-60S Seahawk helicopter during a training exercise (Pic courtesy: Rosana Cruz Martinez); A USAF                                                     Predator drone; Kongsberg’s NSM long-range, fifthgeneration precision strike missile

All three platforms feature long endurance, sophisticated sensors and weapons making them the most potent ASW/ASuW assets in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). All three platforms will have high levels of interoperability with each other and partner forces in the region, providing the navy with a valuable force multiplier capability. What is also common across all these three platforms is that they are top-of-shelf US military equipment cleared for sale to India.

Regional Superiority

The soon to be finalised USD 3 billion procurement for 20 SkyGuardian and 10 SeaGuardian drones from GA-ASI will provide a major boost to the navy’s surveillance and offensive capability. Ten SeaGuardians have been allocated to the navy, while the army and air force will receive 10 SkyGuardians each. Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approval for procurement of the advanced drone systems is expected shortly. The Navy was already operating two SkyGuardian systems, which were on lease for a period of one year. In addition to the US supplied drones, the Indian Navy is also planning to upgrade its Israeli Heron drones to carry precision guided munitions.

Both SkyGuardian and SeaGuardian can carry 2,155 kg of weapons or sensors across nine hard-points (8 wing and 1 centrelin