The Indian Navy is planning to lease certain assets in the medium term to mitigate the gap in critical operational capabilities.
“We may also look at operational enablers like utility helicopters and unmanned solutions for operational preparedness of the Navy,” Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar, Vice Chief of Naval Staff, has said.
Though India has the largest coastline of 7,516 km among any other maritime state with its blue water navy ambitions, its underwater capability is nowhere close to its needs. Ideally, the Indian Navy needs at least 24 submarines to meet its 30-year submarine-building plan, which was approved by the cabinet committee on security in 1999, months after the Kargil conflict.
The plan was to induct 12 diesel submarines by 2012 and another 12 submarines by 2030, but repeated delays forced the Navy to rejig the plan.
“For Indian Navy, we will look towards leasing operational support assets and auxiliaries to enhance our operational capabilities and avoid huge investments in manning and maintaining them…Introducing leasing model in the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP 2020) is a path breaking procedural change. It provides the option to reduce short-term capability gaps considering the long gestation period of ship building contracts,” Vice Admiral Kumar said.
The future requirements also include capabilities such as space-based surveillance, robust communication networks integrated with AI, modern aircrafts, etc. “Capability building is a long term and evolving process that includes industrial capability, management of technology and budget for modernisation,” he said.
“We are also continuously working to identify and mitigate the capability gaps through innovative methods and one such option can be leasing of assets,” added Vice Admiral Kumar. “To meet the emerging challenges and responsibilities, there is a wide range of operational capabilities envisaged.”
Elaborating on the merits of the leasing model, Vice Admiral Kumar said that it enables further focus on core competence, removes technological complexities, lowers manpower cost for maintenance thereby reducing the overall cost for acquiring an asset.
Highlighting the opportunity in leasing, he urged the industry to have and maintain a long-term outlook in this sector. “If the requirements of the three services can be met through leasing provisions, it would be a win-win situation for the Indian industry and the armed forces.”
The on-going modernization process, he said, aims to create capabilities to accomplish a range of missions. A wide variety of such capabilities can now be covered through the provision of leasing and Indian industry can play an important role in meeting these requirements, he added.
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) ordered six Airbus H145 helicopters as part of its efforts to update its rotary…
The Brazilian aerospace company, Embraer, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with AICAT (Austrian Industrial Cooperation & Aviation Technology) to…
Qatar’s Hamad International Airport (DOH) announced that it has reclaimed the title of the "World’s Best Airport" at the prestigious…
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) joined the Sharp Technics K (STK) and Incheon International Airport Corporation for a ceremony heralding the…
Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions division has forged a strategic alliance and reseller agreement with Rancher Government Solutions (RGS), a provider of…
Saudia, the national airline of Saudi Arabia, has experienced a significant surge in brand value, as indicated by the latest…
The ongoing eruption of Mount Ruang in the Siau Islands regency, North Sulawesi, Indonesia has caused significant disruptions to air…
Scoot, the low-cost arm of Singapore Airlines, recently received the first Embraer E190-E2 aircraft at Changi Airport. "We are excited…
The first of two Fincantieri-built PPA (Pattugliatore Polivalente d'Altura - offshore multi-purpose patrol vessel) for the Indonesian Navy is expected…
Thailand’s DTI (Defence Technology Institute) and the Royal Thai Army recently conducted a successful test of the DTI-STD-003 bridge layer…
Eve Air Mobility has signed a letter of intent with AirX, Japan’s largest public helicopter air charter service, for up…
L3Harris Technologies has received a US$256 million order from the U.S. Army for continued production of the Enhanced Night Vision…
The Missile Defense Agency has selected Lockheed Martin to deliver the nation's new homeland missile defense capability, the Next Generation…
Collins Aerospace will introduce two major upgrades to the Ascentia software platform. Ascentia is a software solution for aircraft reliability management that…
Pratt & Whitney Canada's PT6A engine recently surpassed 25 million flight hours and 40 years of powering the Cessna Caravan…
The US Army deployed its Mid-Range Capability (MRC) missile system to Northern Luzon, Philippines for the first time. This deployment…
Milrem Robotics has secured a contract to deliver an undisclosed quantity of THeMIS UGVs (Unmanned Ground Vehicles) to the Japanese…
CMA CGM Air Cargo is set to expand its service by launching a transpacific route connecting Asia to North America…
Eve Air Mobility (Eve) has designated Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. (KAI) as the supplier for the pylons of its electric…
Emirates SkyCargo, the cargo arm of one of the two flag carriers of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has established…
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has secured a contract to supply a Multi-Sensor Multi-Mission Radar (MS-MMR) system for the air defence…
The first Embraer E190F, a jet converted from passenger transport to freighter (E-Freighter), successfully concluded its inaugural flight in São…
The Government of Greece officially announced its plans to purchase 35 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters from Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin…
Cathay Cargo resumed its Ho Chi Minh City freighter service on April 4, 2024, after a four-year hiatus due to…
Skykraft has secured approval from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) for its spectrum filing for a constellation of 2976 satellites.…
The U.S. Navy, in partnership with Lockheed Martin, has successfully conducted a historic Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) flight test with…
The U.S. Air Force has awarded Boeing a contract worth up to $559 million over five years to operate, maintain…
Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) introduced the ARBEL, hailed as the world’s first computerized small arms system, on Thursday (Apr. 4).…
Hong Kong’s Government Flying Service (GFS) has integrated the H175 helicopter flight simulator developed by Indra into their training regimen.…
After a hiatus of over 30 years, Air Canada is set to return to Singapore's Changi International Airport with the…
Headquartered in Singapore with reporters spread across all major regions, GBP Aerospace & Defence is a leading media house that publishes three publications that serve the aerospace and defence sector - Asian Defence Technology, Asian Airlines & Aerospace and Daily News. Known industry-wide for quality journalism, GBP Aerospace & Defence is present at more international tradeshows and exhibitions than any other competing publication in the region.
For over three decades, our award-winning team of reporters has been producing top-notch content to help readers stay abreast of the latest developements in the field of commercial aviation, MRO, defence, and Space.
Copyright 2024. GBP. All Rights Reserved.
Home Defence & Security Space Commercial Aviation Maintence Repair & Overhaul Daily News Events About Us
2024 GBP all rights reserved.