More visibility needed

THREE CHEERS to the Navy's theme for the year 2001 ``Bridges of Friendship'' in the wake of the International Fleet Review to be held in February in Mumbai where the focus will be on participation of over 26 foreign navies for the first time in our history. In the age of information technology the greatest anachronism is ``a silent service''. If you are not on TV you hardly exist to the people whose support you need - it is therefore appropriate for the Navy to become a little more visible. On the Navy Day (December 4) our countrymen need to be once again reminded of the devastating damage caused by missiles fired by Indian ships in the attack on Karachi in 1971.

Importance of sea power

The 20th century proved that sea power was a major factor in a nation's strategic defence planning against potential adversaries. The one certain forecast for the coming years is that the sea will still cover two-thirds of the earth's surface and therefore if countries with maritime ambitions and responsibilities neglect their Navy it will be at their own peril. Admiral Sergei Gorshkov, heading the Soviet Navy for over quarter of a century, constantly reminded the politburo that the navy had its task cut out as ``an instrument of state policy''.

It is an indisputable fact that naval forces have played a key role in the implementation of nation's foreign policy. This was so with the empire builders; then it held true for both the Axis and Allied powers during WW I & II (the latter emerged victorious because of their better clout on the seas); the superpowers in the 70s & 80s held sway because of their blue water fleets spearheaded by nuclear powered long range submarines; it was also abundantly proved during more recent major conflicts such as in the Falklands, the Balkans and the Gulf war. In the latter case it was decisively the sea borne pressure which tamed Iraq into submission. In the 1965 Indo-Pak war, sadly, the Navy was left out but everyone knows how in the 1971 war both in the western and eastern theatres the Navy brought its full potential to bear in battle leading to the surrender of General Niazi with his 93,000 troops.

The latest example is the 11-week long conflict in mid-1999 between the nuclear neighbours in a dispute created by Islamabad over Kashmir. Its end was hastened by the intrepid deployment of the two fleets of the Indian Navy in the north Arabian Sea. Strategic naval manoeuvres by three dimensional battle groups took place ``minutes away'' from striking Karachi harbour through which 90 per cent of Pakistan's trade passes, especially its oil supplies. The threat to `strangulate' Pakistan at sea forced it to agree to withdraw its soldiers and Islamic mercenaries who had occupied strategic heights in Kashmir.The versatility of sea power is as important as ever in a world where instability and uncertainty are the order of the day. During the last century, maritime power at and from the sea was essential. It is still the case at the dawn of the 21st century during which the maritime combatant of choice will be the submarine supported by surface combatants and carrier borne aircraft.

Submarines served as the optimum multi-mission platform during the cold war and with continuously improving technology that multi-mission flexibility has been enhanced as also its sustained dominance in battle. Increasingly, navies are trying to extend their traditional reach further into the land battle, for example the sea launched Tomahawk cruise missiles fired over Iraq and Afghanistan. The daring attack on Karachi on December 4, 1971 surpassed the expectations even of the Soviet designers of the Styx missile. The damage was devastating and in fact that action now annually marks our Navy Day.

Naval doctrine

The Indian Navy is a balanced, three dimensional force and its doctrine can be described as being based on conflict prevention by maintaining a credible, conventional deterrence through maritime diplomacy, an active vigil and the ability to muster force when necessary.

To keep referring to China as an enemy is unrealistic and patently undiplomatic and yet in our strategic planning it needs to be remembered that China has a very long-term defence strategy, looking ahead to the year 2020 and perhaps even further. The Chinese Navy (PLA Navy) therefore has plans to acquire new classes of major combatants to implement its power- projection aspirations. It has decided to join the ``carrier club'' and reportedly bought from Russia an old aircraft carrier, the Varyag, second of the Kuznitsov class. PLAN does not have a full carrier capability but Varyag will be a help to her naval constructors to get familiar with the carrier systems.

We have sailed into the first months of the first decade of the 21st Century entering a network-centric age. Speed of command is the new operational currency, the buzz word being network-centric warfare. It will enable simultaneous engagements using collective fire power, improved force protection by distributing asset and a more efficient, cohesive and quick `detect-control-engage' sequence leading to a predilection for decisive land attack, `intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance' and sea control capabilities - all aimed at influencing the course of events on land from the sea.

The ongoing revolution in information technology has created a new operational domain of cyberspace composed of computer networks and communication links. While commanding the domain of the seas we will have to seek to command cyberspace by harnessing today's technology to revolutionise maritime operations. To directly and decisively influence events ashore requires access to all the domains of conflict - sea, air, land, space and cyberspace.

Effective system

The foundation of an effective security system depends to a very large extent on the existence of a coherent and well-founded foreign policy which must encompass sea power. International trade will continue to depend on transport by sea that will remain the only way of shipping bulk cargoes between continents. The volume of that traffic is not going to reduce, at least not until an alternative energy source emerges to replace fossil fuels. Even though the significance of the sea in military and commercial affairs may have altered but it has far from diminished.

The task of the navy is to prosecute the war at sea in such a manner that it will bring us victory in the land battle. If the adversary's lines of communication are to be cut, his sea borne trade disrupted and ports blockaded the navy will have to establish control over the sea. These objectives cannot be achieved with submarines alone and hence possession of aircraft carriers becomes inevitable, albeit at a cost over which strategists on Raisina Hill will have to ponder. Looming large will be the problem of increasing prices of new ships, submarines and naval aircraft.

Pandit Nehru's vision of indigenous production to make us self- reliant was brought to fruition by the Naval Design Organisation rolling out frigates and even submarines in the Mazagaon Docks. It is a disgrace that irresponsible and thoughtless opposition to foreign collaboration ended the submarine building programme. Match that with the strong links established with France by Pakistan enabling it to construct Agosta-class SSKs in Karachi.

The `Siren song' of new technology, to acquire defence hardware abroad, has risen to an unsustainable crescendo - the cost of a single submarine could absorb a third or more of the total naval budget - necessitating a pause for thought. No one wishes to equip their forces with less than the best available but the balance between quality and quantity - and swadeshi vs. import - has always required wisdom flowing from a sound military and political leadership.

MUKUND B. KUNTE

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