Article

2007-07-15 India-Pakistan

Indian Navy Seeks Second Troop Carrier (LPD) From US

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Posted by Anonymoose 2007-07-15 00:00|| E-Mail|| Front Page|| [11136 views ] Top

#1 I am not a huge fan of selling ships, but sell India all the amphibs that it can pay for. Amphibs will are defenseless.

Posted by Super Hose 2007-07-15 02:04|| 2007-07-15 02:04|| Front Page Top

#2 Sell it to them now. When Moose falls in Pakland, we'll be begging them to take it free of charge!

Posted by Besoeker 2007-07-15 03:31|| 2007-07-15 03:31|| Front Page Top

#3 #2 Sell it to them now. When Moose falls in Pakland, we'll be begging them to take it free of charge!

Mooses, are you embedded in sum madrassa there?
>:)

Posted by RD 2007-07-15 08:04|| 2007-07-15 08:04|| Front Page Top

#4 India, US close to inking military sharing pact.

India and the US are close to inking a pact under which their militaries can refuel ships and aircraft in cashless transactions that are balanced at the end of year, a senior US officer said on Saturday.

Under the Logistics Support Agreement (LSA) that is currently with the Cabinet Committee on Security, the two countries can also "borrow" military equipment wherever this is required instead of having to cart it all the way from home, Lt General Jeffrey Kohler, director of the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency, told reporters in the Capital.

The US, which had proposed the pact some four years ago during the previous National Democratic Alliance (NDA) regime, has similar agreements in place with some 65 countries.

In most cases, it is called the Acquisition and Cross Servicing Agreement (ACSA) that was formerly known as the NATO Mutual Support Act. It was enacted to simplify exchanges of logistic support, supplies, and services between the US and other NATO forces. It was amended in 1986, 1992 and 1994 to permit ACSAs with non-NATO countries.

Kohler explained how the agreement works.

"There's an Indian Navy ship in the US that needs refuelling. It does so for free. Sometime during the year, US military aircraft will land in India or our navy vessels will visit your ports and refuel in similar manner. At the end of the year, we balance the books," he said.

"Let's say India is sending troops to country X on a UN peacekeeping mission. You can borrow vehicles and even armoured personnel carriers but not weapons from the assets we might have in the neighbourhood. Here too, we'll balance the books at the end of the year," Kohler added.

Had such an agreement been in force, India could have saved some $1 million in the Indian Navy's acquisition of the troop carrier USS Trenton, now renamed the INS Jalashva.

"Since the LSA was not in place, India had to pay extra for the fuel that we put on board (before handing over the vessel to the Indian Navy last month)," Kohler pointed out.

Kohler, who retires in September, is on his seventh visit to India. While in the Capital, he met Defence Secretary Shekhar Dutt, Secretary (Defence Production) KP Singh, Director General (Acquisitions) Sheelbhadra Banerjee, Indian Navy chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta, and Indian Air Force (IAF) vice chief Air Marshal BN Gokhale among others.

Vice Admiral-designate Jeffrey Wieringa, currently deputy assistant secretary of the US navy and director of the international programmes office, will succeed Kohler.

Posted by John Frum 2007-07-15 08:11|| 2007-07-15 08:11|| Front Page Top

#5 Will we have the tech support contract?

Posted by Gary and the Samoyeds">Gary and the Samoyeds 2007-07-15 10:59|| http://home.earthlink.net/~sleepyjackal/index.html]">[http://home.earthlink.net/~sleepyjackal/index.html] 2007-07-15 10:59|| Front Page Top

#6 Well, those Austin class LPDs are getting a bit old. Nashville was used in Lebanon exfil back in 06 during the Israel-Hizbollah conflict. Just don't understand why India feels it needs amphibious capability. Thinking of hitting the beach at Karachi?

Posted by Jack is Back!">Jack is Back! 2007-07-15 11:15|| 2007-07-15 11:15|| Front Page Top

#7 If the Andaman Islands were seized by Indonesia or Burma, the IN would need amphib capability to retake them.

There are a number of small Indian Ocean states where India may need to intervene in the event of an islamist takeover.

Posted by John Frum 2007-07-15 12:14|| 2007-07-15 12:14|| Front Page Top

#8 Also a possible intervention in the east coast of Sri Lanka to crush a nascent Tamil "state".

I suspect the IN is relishing the prospect of some American hardware. They were forced to buy Russian ships for many years but purchased western assets when available (both Indian aircraft carriers - Vikrant (ex-HMS Hercules) and Viraat (ex-HMS Hermes) were bought from the UK.

The IN is the poor relation of the Indian military. They have the smallest budget and if improving Indo-US ties allow them a chance to increase their surface fleet, they will jump at the opportunity.

Posted by John Frum 2007-07-15 12:24|| 2007-07-15 12:24|| Front Page Top

#9 Where its Navy is concerned, India's strategic ambition during the Cold War was to eventually be indigens capable of building its own. Ditto also for its air force.

Posted by JosephMendiola 2007-07-15 22:02|| 2007-07-15 22:02|| Front Page Top

#10 The replacement carrier Vikrant is being built at a Cochin shipyard. Launch is expected in 2010.
A second vessel of this class will also be built.
These will be the largest warships yet built by India.

The carrier Vikramaditya (ex Admiral Gorshkov) is expected to join the IN in 2008 (if the Russians manage to scrape all the rust away by then).

The Indian pilots for the Mig-29Ks that the Gorshkov and the Vikrant will carry are being trained by the US Navy.

Posted by John Frum 2007-07-15 22:54|| 2007-07-15 22:54|| Front Page Top

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