Common Sense Dictates – Some Simple Ideas to Boost Defense Preparedness

There are a few commonsensical ideas that we in India can make to match up with the shortfall in defense preparedness. But one question remains, how long IA, IAF, and IN will make do with a 'jugaad'. The last one is not fully my own idea though. 😊 😊 but still read on.

 

                        

1. Don’t Make Just 2 Frigates @ Goa Shipyard Ltd

Common sense dictates that it will be a foolish idea for India to build 2 Grigorivich-class frigates at Goa, why the reasons are listed below:-

  a.  It takes 4 ships to be built to amortize the investment in manufacturing a certain class of ship under naval requirement as per normal practice, remember for civilian ships it’s a different parameter. So, it will require spending taxpayers' money, to gain experience, training of staff, and infrastructure setup. But to build just 2 ships is a sheer waste of taxpayers' money, time, and investment. Also, the fact that Goa Shipyard doesn’t have experience in building such big ships, also makes it important not to waste money here.

  b.  It is being said 2 half-built ships are also part of the deal since Ukraine has refused to supply engines for them after Russia annexed Crimea. India should never have bought these ships instead buy engines from Ukraine, install them at Mazagaon Dockyard, and send them back to Russia, since these two ships are optimized to operate in cold Russian waters, not warm Indian Ocean waters.

  c.Yantar shipyard, Russia can deliver these ships at much faster rates and costing much less, it is perhaps this reason that better sense is creeping in MoD and plans are already afoot to ask Russia to build these two Grigorivitch ships in Russia.

                             

2.  Give GRSE orders to build 1 more of P17A frigate & Ask Yantar Shipyard to build 2 more Frigates

The stated requirement for Indian Navy is 24 frigates. But where are the numbers? Common sense dictates that it's high time MoD, Indian Navy, and shipyards like MDL/GRSE do their maths right.

   a.  In Godavari class 1 ship is operational and on its way out. 3 Brahmaputra class ships are fairly new and operational, 6 Talwar class ships are operational and new fairly new. 3 Shivalik class ships are also new and operational. So, the number now adds to 12 only.

   b.  Talks are on to build 4 more Talwar/Trishul ships at Yantar Shipyard. Better ask them to build 6, remember as said above 4+2 in lieu of India working on 2 half-built Grigorivitch-class frigates. That will take the number of Talwar/Trishul/Grigorivich ships to 12. Make no mistake time taken by Yantar to build 1 such ship is almost half of what MDL or GRSE take. It’s a different matter that in shipyards of India we have people working on only 1 shift whereas in foreign shipyards people work on at least 2 shifts daily.

   c.   Plans to build 7 P17A class ships on track with 4 to be built at MDL and 3 at GRSE. But as I said building 4 ships at least makes sense, so better assign GRSE with 4 ships.

  d. First P17A ship will be commissioned by 2024 only, that way it will have by at least 2035 we may have at least 12 Talwar/Trishul/Grigorivitch ships, 8 P17A ships, 3 Shivaliks, 3 Brahmaputra ships. The count will be 2 more than 24 but by that time at least 1 Brahmaputra ship, the lead vessel will be up for retirement.

  e.  So, in effect by 2040 Indian Navy will have with 23 frigates only. That's 20 years from now.

 

3. Ask Mazagaon Docks to Build 3 More Scorpenes, P75I should morphe into SSNs & Send Sindhughosh Submarines for Refit only to Hindustan Shipyard, Vizag

It's all very well known that all 6 Scorpene submarines are about to come out of the Mazagaon docks by 2023. Common sense dictates that:-

a.  After that the production line will lay idle, MoD should not repeat the mistakes with HDW submarines when after 2 submarines the expertise was lost.

b.  These 3 additional submarines will keep the production line busy for at least 6 more years and allow MDL to amortize the investment on that project.

c. These 9 Scorpenes can be upgraded later in mid-life upgrades to launch the SLCM version of Brahmos mini that can be launched from torpedo tubes.

d. The 9 Scorpene can also be powered by a DRDO-developed AIP module that may be ready by 2025 only.

e.  P75I should then morph into an SSN project that is a nuclear attack submarine, the requirement is for at least 12 SSNSs with 1 each to protect the 6 SSBNs/SSGNs & other 6 more patrolling the high seas.

f. People may say IN only has SSBNs & no SSGNs but the fact is after the 3 Arihant class submarines next 3 submarines will be more than double the size of them.

g. Once these 3 larger boomers with a minimum of 12 missile launch silos capable of firing MIRVed ballistic nuke missiles over 6000 km are launched, the 3 Arihant ‘baby boomers’ with just 4 missile launch silos will be left with no nuke missiles to launch.

h.  As such then it will be prudent to use these baby boomers with just 4 missile silos to launch the much smaller non-nuclear cruise missiles like the SLCM VL version of longest range Nirbhay that will be at least 1400 km & the 600 km range SLCM VL Brahmos.

i. Sending Sindhughosh submarines for refit only to Hindustan Shipyard, Vizag should be the only thing done instead of sending them to Russia for upgrades as Hindustan Shipyard, Vizag has worked hard to acquire these upgrade skills and it will be foolish to let them waste in idle. Also, it will save the exchequer valuable foreign exchange.

 

                

4. Go for Double-barrelled 120 mm Breech Loaded Mortars for Indian Army

Common sense dictates that it's time IA opts for double-barrelled 120 mm Breech Loaded Mortars. So what is the benefit many may ask, why? the reasons are pretty simple as follows:-

   a.  Indian Army doesn't have double-barrelled 120 mm breech-loaded mortars.

  b.  What it has is OFB E1 120mm, a muzzle-loaded single barrel 120 mm mortar.

  c. First benefit is that it is double-barrelled meaning double the firepower.

  d. Second benefit is that OFB E1 120mm is the static muzzle-loaded mortar that needs to be carried around, requires the manpower of 8 people, and mules to carry them or the wheeled version has to be towed and install them. It also means it can't move forward with advancing army units at a fast pace.

  e.  A highly effective, highly mobile system can be very cheap if not used as a turret system.

  f.     On the other hand a double-barrelled 120 mm breech-loaded mortar that is typically installed at the back of IFV, APC, the jeep can move forward with advancing army units at faster pace with double the firepower, also it doesn't need manpower to carry them.

       

 5. Common Sense Says Tank MRO and Not Trucks at Vehicle Factory Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh

When I say Tank MRO and not trucks at Vehicle Factory Jabalpur, I say this bcoz that is what sound common sense application should be as it saves the government hundreds of crores of taxpayers' money as well as boost defense preparedness. If you ask how and why? Common sense says it’s a bad idea to assemble various models of Ashok Leyland Stallion trucks at Vehicle Factory Jabalpur. Here are the below points:-

   1.  What does Vehicle Factory Jabalpur do?

Apart from other types of vehicles, the plant mainly assembles Ashok Leyland Stallion trucks for the armed forces that are manufactured in Ashok Leyland’s own plant, then dis-assembled into CKD/SKD kits; packaged and transported to Vehicle Factory Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh where again they are unpacked and re-assembled once again.

2.  So what is the problem?

The problem is when Ashok Leyland itself manufactures Stallion trucks, what is the point in manufacturing, dis-assemble into CKD/SKD kits, packaging, and transporting Stallion trucks to Vehicle Factory Jabalpur. The Stallion trucks can be directly sourced from Ashok Leyland, which will save crores of taxpayers money spent to dis-assembled into kits; packaging, transporting, unpack, and re-assembling; in terms of extra transportation cost, fuel cost, man hours cost.

3.  So what is the benefit?

The benefit is that once the assembling of Stallion trucks is stopped at Vehicle Factory Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh it will open up a massive space that can be put to better use like setting up a tank MRO (Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul) facility.

Why Tank MRO at Vehicle Factory Jabalpur

Everyone knows that tanks be it T 72, Arjun, T 90, or Vijayant for the Indian Army are manufactured at the CVRDE and Heavy Vehicles Factory Avadi, Tamil Nadu. Indian Army deploys tanks all along the Pakistan border in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Jammu Kashmir, and China-Tibet border in Ladakh, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. So, what’s the problem? The problems are listed below:-

  1.  What if a tank breaks down in Ladakh or Sikkim?

As it is known to distance between Ladakh or Sikkim and Avadi, Tamil Nadu is over 2000 km at the very least. So if a tank breaks down and can't be repaired at the spot, then it’s a nightmare situation. The tank has to be hauled up trawlers and be sent back by train all the way to Avadi, Tamil Nadu to get it back into a running condition which may take months and not to forget crores of taxpayers' money spent on it.

2.  So what is the problem?

The problem is when a tank breaks down and can't be repaired at the spot and is sent over 2000 km to Avadi, Tamil Nadu to be repaired, it affects defense preparedness due to its longer turnaround time for a tank, not to mention the availability of trains on time, not just that but also incurred are extra transportation cost, fuel cost, man hours cost.

3.  So what is the benefit?

While manufacturing of tanks can and should continue at Avadi, Tamil Nadu, the Tank MRO facility should be set up at the place where Ashok Leyland Stallion trucks are currently assembled at Vehicle Factory Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. The benefits are numerous, the main among them are:-

a.  If tank MRO is done at Vehicle Factory Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh it saves a lot of taxpayers money in terms of transportation cost, fuel cost, and man-hours cost.

b.  As tanks will have to cover less than half of the distance when going to Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh as against what they have to cover now to go to Avadi, Tamil Nadu it will result in a faster turnaround time for tanks.

c. Faster turnaround time for tanks means quicker redeployment in frontline areas, as travel time is cut by half.

d.  Quicker redeployment of tanks in frontline areas boosts defense preparedness.

 

6. If P75I Doesn’t Morphe into SSNs, then P75I Can be 9 Super Scorpene Submarine Built by MDL

1. As Mazagaon Docks is building its last Scorpene, govt of India has given nod to the P75I submarine project. Ideally, it should have morphed into 6 SSNs but that project has been named P75A. MDL or L&T is supposed to build 6 SSKs in collaboration with foreign shipyards. Common Sense Dictates P75I be 9 Super Scorpene Submarine Built by MDL (Mazagaon Docks Ltd), why, read below:-

2. It’s all very well known that the 6th Scorpene submarine is about to come out of the Mazagaon docks by early to mid-2022, but after that, the yard at MDL will remain idle till 2026 at least by when going by MoD’s decision-making history, a winner for P75I will be selected, but until then common sense dictates MoD must order 3 additional Scorpene submarines, that will keep the production line busy till 2026 at least, and allow MDL to amortize the investment on that project and most importantly utilize human resource expertise developed for the project. Otherwise, expertise will be lost if the yard is kept idle. 

3. These 9 Scorpene submarines (batch 1 of 6 and batch 2 of 3) of 2000-ton weight class under P75 should be upgraded later in mid-life from 2028-30 onwards with DRDO AIP module that may be ready by 2025 only, with the added capability to fire torpedo tube-launched SLCM version of Brahmos mini.

4. Common sense dictates that P75I should be the enhanced version of P75 meaning these 6 submarines should be Super Scorpene in the 3000-ton weight class (not SMX 3.0) with DRDO AIP module and VLS module capable of launching SLCM version of Brahmos (not the Brahmos mini) fitted from the start.

5. Why the P75I submarines should be Super Scorpene? Simply because that offers considerable commonality in spares and maintenance costs with Scorpene submarines. Most importantly, it allows human resources or expertise trained/developed over the years for developing Scorpene submarines, to enhance their capability. Also, the industrial ecosystem of spare part suppliers who have invested heavily to provide parts for Scorpene submarines will only have to make minor adjustments in their production setup to supply parts for Super Scoepenes.

6. Why not SMX 3.0, simply because it is a concept and is quite different from Scorpene submarines, so if SMX 3.0 is chosen, MDL will have to unlearn the expertise gained on Scorpene/Kalvari submarine, and its investment in the setup will be lost (as mistake India did with HDW/Shishumar class submarine) and relearn/redevelop the expertise for SMX 3.0.  The same goes for any other class of submarine chosen.

7. Why L&T should not be considered, simply because L&T has its hands full with S 2/3/4 SSGN, S 5/6/7 SSBN not to mention the 6 SSN under P75A.

8. Most importantly maintaining 3 different classes of submarines will be a maintenance and logistical nightmare for IN. it is for this reason IN is starting to retire its Sindhughosh and Shishumar class submarines (the former starts in 2021 and later will start in 2026 probably).

9. Since IN has revised its submarine program with 18 SSK, 6 SSN, and 6 SSGN/SSBN, P75I should be a project of 9 submarines and not 6. It will lower the overall cost per submarine at the outset. For instance, even if IN decides to order 3 more P75/Scorpene submarines in batch 2 to MDL, the cost of each submarine will be 1.3 times at least per submarine of batch 1 thanks to inflation and overall cost escalation.

10. Common sense dictates IN should go for 9 Scorpene and 9 Super Scorpene submarines in 2 almost similar classes. It will make up for18 SSK requirement and MDL will be able to churn out 3 batches 2 Scorpene and 9 Super Scorpene at a much faster rate since it is set up and human resource/ part supply is already existing and will need minor adjustments for P75I. As such better to cancel RFI for P75I since it will be a single vendor deal with DCNS/Naval Group and go for a G-to-G deal directly with France for 9 Super Scorpene as that will in all likelihood further bring down the cost.