Indian Navy

Indian Navy is the fifth largest Navy in the world
It is a true Blue Water Navy with all the state-of the art capabilities
Motto: Shano Varuna
Total Strength – 55000 with 155 vessels
British Indian Navy – when India was under British Rule, and after Jan 26th 1950, this became Indian Navy and all the vessels were named after Indian Naval Ships – INS
First Involvement – Operation Vijay – in 1961 in the liberation of Goa from Portuguese troops
(INS Delhi took part actively in this)
Navy involved in the two wars with Pak in 1965 and 1971. Operation Trident (1971 war attack on Karachi Port) success was celebrated as Navy Day – Dec 4th
Operation Python – 1971 war in East Pakistan(INS Vikrant vs USS Enterprise)

Operation Cactus – in Maldives to stop the coup attempt by PLOTE in 1988
Operation Restore Hope – UN Peace Keeping force in Somalia from 1992
Operation Parakram and the Kargil War
Opeartion Enduring Freedom – supported US in the strait of Malacca

Tsumani operations:

Operation Madath – Andhra and Tamil Nadu
Operation Sea Waves – Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Operation Castor – Maldives
Operation Rainbow in Sri Lanka
Operation Gambhir in Indonesia

Operation Sukoon – rescue operation of Indian citizens and others from the Isreali-Lebanon Conflict – 2006

Ranks in Indian Navy:

Admiral of the Fleet
Admiral (the rank held by the chief of the Naval Staff at present)
Vice-Admiral
Rear – Admiral
Commodore
Captain
Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant
Sub Lieutenant

Chief of the Naval Staff: Admiral Suresh Mehta (previously, Admiral Arun Prakash)

Regional Commands –
HQ Eastern Command – Vishakapatnam
HQ Western Command – Mumbai
HQ Southern Command – Kochi
Strategic Area of Defence – a combined command of AirForce, Navy and Army in Andaman and Nicobar Islands setup in 2001

Lately, INS Kadamba was commissioned in Karwar area of Karnataka – this is the third operational Naval Base after Mumbai and Vishakapatnam and the first to be controlled completely by the Indian Navy – called Project Seabird
Planning to setup another base at Rambilli Mandal near Vishakapatnam
Also, setting up monitoring station in Madagascar and in the coast of Mozambique

Marine Commandos Force – MARCOS – special forces unit of the Indian Navy started in 1987
presently deployed in J&K to prevent infiltration through Jhelum and Wular Lake and protection in and arounf Dal Lake

Indian Navy’s nuclear deterrence capabilities are based on Sukanya class ships with Dhanush Ballistic missiles with a range of 350 Km
this will be in commission till Advanced Technology Vessel starts in 2010 with Sagarika missile

Bridges of Friendship – 2001 International Fleet by the Indian Navy
MILAN – Fleet every two years in Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Navy Excersises:
VARUNA – with the French Navy
KONKAN – with the Royal British Navy
INDRA – with the Russian Navy
MALABAR – with the US Navy
SIMBLEX – with the Republic of Singapore Navy
TROPEX – Theatre level Readiness Operation Exercises – 2007 – to support Amry and Air Force

INS Tarangini – Indian Sailing Ship and Training Vessel – now on a Overseas voyage named Lokayan 07
Indian Navy explored to Mount Everest, North Pole (Arctic Circle – Indian Peak) and the Antarctic Circle) and the first military team to go to the south pole in skis

Sangraha – Electronic warfare joint program of DRDO and Indian Navy
Naval Institute of Computer Applications – NICA – Mumbai

Ships:
Destroyers – Delhi and Rajput class
Frigates – Talwar, Godavari, Leander and the Brahmaputra class. Shivalik Class(being devel.)
Aircraft Carrier – Kiev class Admiral Gorshkov – INS Vikramaditya – acqiured from abroad
INS Viraat (will be retired in 2012 after the induction of Vikrant class)
Submarines – Sorpene class – acquired from abroad, Kilo class with Brahmos Missile, amur class may also be inducted soon, INS Chakra – charlie class Nuclear powered!, Akula class
Corvette – INS Prahar was sunk!

US Trenton was purchased in 2006 from US – renamed INS Jalashva
INS Dunagiri, INS Magar and INS Trishul were involved in accidents in Sea
National Institute of Oceanography has made Autonomous Underwater Vehicle – AUV and Autonomous Surface Vehicle – ASV
Unmanned Underwater Vehicle – UUV – flagnamed as Flatfish – being developed
Maritime Patrol aircraft and P-8I aircraft are also being developed

4 aerobatic display team of the Indian Navy – Sagar Pawan – replaces the present Kiran Team

International Maritime Defene exhibition and Conference Asia 2007 held in Singapore in may 2007 and INS Sangram from India participated in it.