Letters: Is the navy losing vision?

Apropos Ajai Shukla's report "Navy's wavering delaying warships by years" (August 20), delays in the induction of frontline warships is particularly disturbing because the navy was always considered to be the only branch of the three armed forces that had got its act together — right from warship design to indigenous manufacture, with the active involvement of domestic industry. More to the point, it speaks of a distortion of the clear vision the navy had set for itself based on an assessment of public and private sector capabilities in the country.

The delay in the induction of the frontline Kolkata class destroyers (Project 15A) has serious portents. The Project 15 A destroyers are stealthy (designed to evade enemy radar), equipped with the Brahmos supersonic cruise missiles and have indescribably more sophisticated electronic countermeasure equipment, reflecting their more recent vintage.

It is hard to understand why the navy is insisting on the LR-SAM missile – being collaboratively developed with Israel – which is some way from being ready for induction. According to current plans, LR-SAM along with the 1,000-kilometre range Nirbhay land attack cruise missile was to be installed only on the follow-on Project 15 B destroyers. The frequent design changes demanded by the navy are reminiscent of the delay in getting the Arjun tank off the ground because of repeated design changes demanded by the army. It is truly unfortunate that by deviating from a well-calibrated plan that has already made it a formidable regional force, the Indian navy is undermining the wonderful work it has done over the past 15 years.

Rajeev Anantaram New Delhi

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