Naval LCA Makes Historic Maiden Landing On INS Vikrant

 

Warzone/The Drive: First Fighters Land Aboard India’s First Homegrown Aircraft Carrier  

An inaugural landing on INS Vikrant was made by India’s Light Combat Aircraft — Navy and underscores a time of major naval modernization for India.  

In a first-of-its-kind event, an Indian-made fighter jet has landed aboard an Indian-made aircraft carrier — the new INS Vikrant, which began at-sea trials back in August 2021, as you can read more about here, and which was commissioned last September. 

While today’s arrival of the HAL Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Navy version on the deck of the carrier is a significant moment for the Indian Navy and the country at large, hopes of fielding a production version of the jet have now been superseded by a highly ambitious plan for a Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter, or TEDBF, and plans for another new carrier are well advanced.  

Read more .... 

Naval LCA Makes Historic Maiden Landing On INS Vikrant 

India’s LCA Navy and MIG-29K Trap aboard New Aircraft Carrier Vikrant -- Naval News  

Naval version of Light Combat Aircraft successfully lands on INS Vikrant; see video -- Tribune India  

Indian Navy successfully carries out landing of light combat aircraft onboard INS Vikrant -- India Today  

Historical milestone! Naval LCA lands on INS Vikrant -- Free Press journal

India's Navy Wants Three Aircraft Carriers To Counter China

File Image 

Eurasian Times: Indian Navy Wants Three Aircraft Carriers To Counter China; Will Modi-Government Concede To Demands? 

India’s first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC-1) Vikrant is going for Basin Trials this month, with reports stating that the sea trials will follow in December. The 40,000-tonne warship will be tested for propulsion, transmission and shafting systems during the trials, which were earlier scheduled for September but were delayed due to the pandemic. 

It will now take a year more before the mega-ship is commissioned into the Indian Navy, after which the flight trials will make it ready for battle. 

The delay in the induction of the carrier now seems to extend until early 2022 – something the country can hardly afford amidst the current stand-off with China. IAC-1 is expected to be equipped with a short take-off barrier arrested design (STOBAR), similar to India’s already operational INS Vikramaditya, but will field a slightly smaller air wing in terms of numbers. 

The Indian Navy has been aggressively pushing for a third aircraft carrier for a long time, especially after Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Bipin Rawat, in February this year indicated the government may not grant approval for the third carrier for now. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: India's newest carrier is already a year behind completion. As for the possibility of building two more. Those is no direction on what to build (i.e. a nuclear or a conventionally powered), and there is minimal political support to spend money to build them.

India's Navy Wants To Dominate The Indian Ocean

Forbes: India’s Submarines Make Strategic Move To Dominate Indian Ocean

The Indian Navy is discretely building its submarine capabilities. The most visible aspect of India’s programs are the new nuclear-powered submarines which are being built. But beneath the surface there are other strategic steps to help ensure their Navy’s dominance of the Indian Ocean. The Navy is also reinforcing its presence in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, close to the strategically vital Strait of Malacca.

This is against a backdrop of heightened tensions with China. These look as if they could turn explosive at any moment despite efforts to deescalate. Most recently a border clash in the Galwan Valley left at least 20 Indian soldiers dead. The Indian Navy may be playing an active part in that crisis, far away from the sea, but their focus remains the Indian Ocean and the Strait of Malacca.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: If the above graph is any indication, India has a long way to go.

India To Build Six New Submarines To Counter China

War Is Boring: India will build six new submarines to counter rapid expansion of China’s fleet

The defence ministry on Tuesday cleared two Indian and five foreign shipbuilders to take part in a Rs 50,000-crore project to build high-tech submarines in the country, one of the biggest Make in India programmes in the military sector, two senior officials said on condition of anonymity.

Six advanced submarines will be built under project P-75I to scale up the Indian Navy’s undersea warfare capabilities and counter the rapid expansion of China’s submarine fleet. The project will be pursued under the government’s ‘strategic partnership’ (SP) model, which seeks to provide fillip to the government’s Make in India programme.

Read more ....

Update: India makes initial bid selections for $7 billion submarine project (Defense News)

WNU Editor: The India wants 24 subs (6 nuclear) in total .... India Wants To Modernize Its Submarine Fleet (December 29, 2019).

India’s Homegrown Tejas Fighter Jet Has Just Made Its 1st Arrested Landing On On Board The Carrier Vikramaditya

This is how the developmental LCA (N) MK1 made the Maiden Arrested Landing on board the #AircraftCarrier #INSVikramaditya today. pic.twitter.com/Kfbj9aF1Rz

— SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) January 11, 2020

Defense News: Indian Navy hits major milestone with its homegrown experimental jet

WASHINGTON — The Indian Navy hit a major milestone in its quest for a homegrown aircraft carrier-based fighter aircraft, the military’s research and development wing announced Saturday.

A prototype of a naval version of India’s Tejas light combat aircraft performed an arrested landing on board the carrier Vikramaditya in the Arabian Sea, the Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation announced on Twitter.

“After completing extensive trials on the Shore Based Test Facility (SBTF), Naval version of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) did a successful arrested landing onboard INS Vikramaditya at 1002 hrs today,” DRDO said in a news release.

Read more ....

Update: WATCH India’s indigenous Tejas fighter jet make 1st arrested landing on INS Vikramaditya aircraft carrier (RT)

WNU Editor: The Indian Navy still has a long way to go before this jet becomes operational.

India's Navy Welcomes Its First Woman Pilot

CNN: Indian Navy welcomes its first woman pilot in major milestone for armed forces

(CNN)The Indian Navy has welcomed its first woman pilot, with Sub Lieutenant Shivangi taking control of an aircraft in another significant milestone for the country's armed forces.

Shivangi, 24, who goes by one name, will be given her wings and join naval operations in a ceremony on Monday.

"It's a very big thing," Shivangi told CNN. "It's a big responsibility for all of us and I know that I have to do well."

Shivangi completed her basic training in 2018 at the Indian Naval Academy and was brought to Kochi, in southwest India's Kerala state, to train with the Indian naval air squadron, the INAS 550.

Until 1992, India's naval forces only permitted women to serve in medical services.
Shivangi will be tasked with flying Dornier aircraft, which are used by the navy for transport and maritime reconnaissance, taking off and landing on the shore, rather than from an aircraft carrier.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: It is not a fighter jet but it is a big start for women in the Indian military and long overdue.

India Deploys Warships To The Persian Gulf

#IndianNavy executes 'Operation Sankalp' - Deploys INS Chennai & INS Sunayna in the Gulf of Oman, to re-assure Indian Flagged Vessels operating/ transiting through Persian Gulf & Gulf of Oman following the maritime security incidents in the region 1/n (rep images) pic.twitter.com/N1Kn8AXNey

— SpokespersonNavy (@indiannavy) June 20, 2019

Hindustan Times: India deploys warships in Persian Gulf region

The Indian warships will “reassure Indian flagged vessels” sailing through the area, spokesperson of the Indian Navy Captain D K Sharma said. India has deployed INS Chennai and INS Sunayna and maritime surveillance aircraft.

As tensions in the Persian Gulf rise due to strained relations between the US and Iran, India has deployed two warships in the region.

The Indian warships will “reassure Indian flagged vessels” sailing through the area, spokesperson of the Indian Navy Captain D K Sharma said. India has deployed INS Chennai and INS Sunayna and maritime surveillance aircraft.

Read more ....

More News On India Deploying Warships To The Persian Gulf

Navy deploys two warships in Gulf of Oman for security of Indian vessels in wake of attacks on oil tankers -- Times of India
India warships sent to strategic Gulf waters: navy (AFP)
India Deploys Warships, Jets to Persian Gulf Amid Rising Iran-US Tension -- Sputnik
India deploys warships to Persian Gulf amid rising tensions between US and Iran (PHOTOS) -- RT

India’s $2.9 Billion Ballistic Missile Submarine Was Crippled After Someone Left A Hatch Open

Under repair: INS Arihant stationed at the naval warehouse in Visakhapatnam in 2014. Photo Credit: Reuters

The Hindu: INS Arihant left crippled after ‘accident’ 10 months ago

Nuclear submarine was damaged after water entered its propulsion chamber

Indigenous nuclear submarine INS Arihant has suffered major damage due to ''human error'' and has not sailed now for more than 10 months, say sources in the Navy.

Arihant is the most important platform within India’s nuclear triad covering land-air-sea modes.

Arihant’s propulsion compartment was damaged after water entered it, according to details available with The Hindu. A naval source said water rushed in as a hatch on the rear side was left open by mistake while it was at harbour.

The Ministry of Defence did not respond to questions from The Hindu.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: This is beyond unbelievable .... and we are only learning about it 10 months after the fact.

More News On India’s $3 Billion Ballistic Missile Submarine Almost Sinking After Someone Left A Hatch Open

India $2.9 Billion Nuclear Ballistic Missile Submarine Flooded And Almost Sank After Someone Left The Hatch Open -- Newsweek
Someone Left a Hatch Open and Crippled India’s $2.9 Billion Submarine -- Popular Mechanics
Indian nuclear submarine grounded after hatch left open -- Times Of Israel
A Foreign Navy Screwed Up Its New $3 Billion Nuclear Missile Sub By Leaving Its Hatch Open -- Task & Purpose
India's Nuclear Submarine INS Arihant Back in Service After Repairs -- Sputnik
India's Lone Arihant-class SSBN Has Been Out of Service for Months -- The Diplomat
INS Arihant Accident Raises Questions About the Sustainability of India's SSBN Force -- The Diplomat

Indian Navy Frigate Flips Over While Being Docked

Damage to INS Betwa seems quite extensive... @the_hindu @TheHindu @Mumbai_Connect pic.twitter.com/0CrqmG777n

— Dinakar Peri (@dperi84) December 5, 2016

CNN: Indian Navy frigate flips over in dock, killing 2

An enormous Indian Navy frigate tipped over on its side on Monday, killing two people and leaving 14 others injured.

The guided missile frigate INS Betwa, a 3,850-ton ship more than125 meters (410 feet) in length, rolled over on a 90-degree angle while being docked, Indian Navy spokesman D.K. Sharma told CNN.

"Our first priority is to get the ship in an upright position," Sharma said. "It is an unfortunate incident and one of the first in the history of the Indian Navy."

Read more ....

More News On The Indian Guided Missile Frigate INS Betwa Flipping On Its Side During Docking

Navy vows strict action against personnel for INS Betwa incident -- Times of India
No crane big enough to lift tilted warship, foreign help sought -- Times of India
Navy Plans To Salvage Rs. 600 Crore INS Betwa Which Lies On Its Side Flooded -- NDTV
INS Betwa: What could have gone wrong during the undocking of the guided missile frigate that tipped over and fell? -- International Business Times
The INS Betwa mishap is another blow to Indian Navy's reputation -- Hindustan Times

Another Deadly Accident On An Indian Warship

The dockyard in Mumbai used by the navy has been building vessels for hundreds of years. BBC

Navy Hit By Another Accident; Officer Dead -- The Hindu

Nine days after a submarine accident triggered the resignation of Navy Chief Admiral D.K. Joshi, a naval officer was killed in a gas leak on board INS Kolkata, officially known as Yard 701, while undergoing delivery trials at the Mazagon Dock.

A senior police official told presspersons that a fire-fighting test was under way in the carbon dioxide unit on board the guided-missile destroyer when the gas leak occurred around 12.45 p.m. Both Navy and dockyard personnel were present during the trial.

Additional Commissioner of Police Krishna Prakash identified the deceased officer as Commander Kundal Wadhwa. Two dockyard officials, also injured in the gas leak, were undergoing treatment, he added.

Read more ....

More News On Another Deadly Accident On An Indian Naval Warship

Death on warship INS Kolkata leaves Navy officers angry -- Times of India
10 days after submarine fire, officer killed in gas leak on warship -- Times of India
In Mumbai, new warship system malfunctions, Navy officer killed -- Indian Express
Indian navy officer killed in another navy accident at destroyer in Mumbai -- Xinhuanet
India navy: Officer dies aboard ship in Mumbai accident -- BBC
India's warship refits suffer lack of quality control -- Times of India

India 'Shows-Off' It's Two Aircraft Carriers

‘Viramaditya’ (foreground) and ‘Viraat.’ Indian Navy photo

India Outdoes China With TWO-Carrier Photo Op -- David Cenciotti, War is Boring

New Delhi shows off refurbished Russian flattop

A few days ago we posted the first photos of China’s sole aircraft carrier battle group, built around the refurbished Ukrainian flattop Liaoning. The admittedly impressive photos include important hints of the Chinese Navy’s limitations, including a lack of support ships.

Not to be outdone by Beijing’s dramatic display, on Jan. 5 the Indian Navy released carefully staged snapshots of its own “new” carrier INS Vikramaditya—a rebuilt Russian vessel measuring 284 meters from bow to stern and displacing 40,000 tons of water, making her somewhat smaller than Liaoning.

The photos depict Vikramaditya and her escorts on their way to Karwar on India’s western coast from Sevmash shipyard in northern Russia, where Vikramaditya was refurbished at a cost of more than $2 billion over a period of nine years.

Read more ....

My Comment: I am not impressed.

India Finally Gets Their Aircraft Carrier From Russia Five Years late

India’s New Flagship: Russia Hands Over Modernized Aircraft Carrier To New Delhi -- RT

The Indian Navy has received the 44,500-ton Vikramaditya aircraft carrier at the Russian shipbuilding complex in Severodvinsk. The much awaited carrier was fully refurbished for US$2.3 billion, and will now become India’s game-changing flagship.

Russian deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin and Indian Defense Minister AK Antony attended the handing over ceremony at the Sevmash shipyard of the northern Arctic port city, along with other senior government and naval officials of the two countries.

During the ceremony, a Russian flag on the vessel was lowered, and the flag of the Indian Navy was raised in its place. This was followed by a traditional Indian ritual, in which a coconut was smashed against the ship’s side. The ship’s new captain, Suraj Berry, and the deputy director of Russia’s arms export agency Rosoboronexport, Igor Sevastyanov, signed the final handover papers.

Read more ....

More News On India Receiving The 44,500-Ton Vikramaditya Aircraft Carrier

Russia Passes Refitted Aircraft Carrier to India After 5-Year Delay -- RIA Novosti
Russia hands India long-awaited aircraft carrier -- Global Post/AFP
Indian Navy gets INS Vikramaditya as it seeks to bolster defence capabilities -- Times of India
Indian navy gets Russian carrier as it seeks to bolster military -- Reuters
Russia delivers super aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya to India -- NDTV
INS Vikramaditya was spied upon by NATO aircraft and ship last year but the matter was hushed up -- India Today
Russia ships carrier to India five years late -- Al Jazeera
India buys third aircraft carrier amid rivalry with China -- The Guardian
Indian Navy Gets Russian Ship After Years of Delays -- Maritime Executive
Can India afford to run INS Vikramaditya, asks Pakistani daily -- Business Standard
Soviet-Era Aircraft Carrier Buoys India Navy In Race With China -- Donald Kirk, Forbes

India's Navy Chief Doesn't 'Rule Out Sabotage' In Submarine Explosion And Sinking

Flames from the INS Sindhurakshak burn in Mumbai, India, late on Wednesday. Vikalp Shah / Reuters

Submarine Disaster: Navy Chief Doesn't 'Rule Out Sabotage' -- Times of India

MUMBAI: The Indian Navy chief said the cause of the huge explosions that sank INS Sindhurakshak submarine here early on Wednesday was not known but sabotage was unlikely.

Admiral DK Joshi told the media after defence minister AK Antony visited the disaster site that any number of factors could have led to the tragedy that is believed to have killed 18 officers and sailors. He said initially there was a primary explosion of smaller intensity which in turn caused a major explosion, destroying ammunition stored in the front section of the deep sea attack vessel.

"We cannot rule out sabotage," he said. "But indications at this point do not support the (sabotage) theory.

Read more ....

My Comment: He has mentioned that "indications at this point do not support the (sabotage) theory" .... but if proven to be the case .... all eyes will be looking at Pakistan .... and all bets are off after that.

Explosion And Sinking Of The Indian Submarine INS Sindhurakshak Claims 18 Sailors

Indian Submarine Explodes While Moored at Mumbai Dock -- Voice of America

NEW DELHI — India’s defense minister says a massive explosion aboard a diesel-powered submarine, moored at a dockyard in Mumbai, has killed some of the 18 sailors on board. The apparent accident comes as the navy has been modernizing its fleet and recently celebrated the launch of an indigenously built aircraft carrier.

Navy divers attempted to rescue the sailors trapped on board after the huge explosion early Wednesday at a naval dockyard in Mumbai. Officials said the divers could not approach the half submerged vessel for several hours because it was too hot.

Some sailors reportedly managed to jump to safety following the explosion, but an unknown number were believed to have been trapped inside.

When rescue operations failed to bring any news for hours, Defense Minister A.K. Antony indicated that there have been casualties. He called it a tragedy.

Read more ....

More News On The Explosion And Sinking Of The Indian Submarine INS Sindhurakshak

Indian naval official says all 18 sailors on blast-hit submarine feared dead -- Washington Post/AP
Indian Sailors Killed as Explosion Rips Through Docked Sub -- Bloomberg Businessweek
Blast Aboard Submarine A Blow To Indian Military -- NPR
Hope fades for 18 on Indian submarine after blasts, fire -- Reuters
Explosion at Mumbai port sinks Indian submarine -- Christian Science Monitor
What We Know About INS Sindhurakshak -- Wall Street Journal
Huge blow to Indian Navy as submarine explodes with 18 men -- Times of India
Naval chief on submarine tragedy: Don't know what went wrong -- Times of India
Russian shipyard says it enhanced submarine INS Sindhurakshak's safety mechanism -- Economic Times
Sindhurakshak was refitted and delivered by Russia this year -- The Hindu
Sub Fire A Major Setback for Indian Navy -- Defense News
Q&A: India’s Aging Submarine Fleet -- Wall Street Journal
World’s Most Deadly Submarine Explosions -- Wall Street Journal

India Launches It's First Home-Built Aircraft Carrier ‘Vikrant’

India Launches Indigenously-Built Aircraft Carrier -- Voice of America

India has launched an indigenously-built aircraft carrier, joining a small group of countries capable of building such a warship.The project is part of India's efforts to enhance its naval capabilities amid a growing regional rivalry with the other Asian giant, China.

Standing in front of the 37,500 ton warship decorated with flags and buntings in the southern city of Kochi on Monday, Defense Minister A.K. Antony called it a “red letter day [a day of special significance] for the nation.”

There was an outpouring of national pride at the carrier's launch. India's biggest warship has been designed and built locally, making it the fifth country after Britain, France, Russia and the United States to do so.

Read more ....

More News On India's Navy Launching It's Own Aircraft Carrier

Now India joins the aircraft carrier club: New ship launched just days after Japan showed off its new destroyer -- Daily Mail
India launches aircraft carrier with a flight deck twice the size of a football field — a shot across the bow to China -- National Post/AP
India unveils home-built aircraft carrier -- USA Today/AP
India unveils home-built aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant -- CNN
India unveils first home-built aircraft carrier ‘Vikrant’ -- Euronews
India launches first home-built aircraft carrier -- RT
Aircraft carrier 'INS Vikrant' raises hackles in China -- Times of India
India launches first home-made aircraft carrier -- The Telegraph
India's first aircraft carrier set for launch: Defence minister's wife prepares to do the honours for 37,500 tonne INS Vikrant -- Daily Mail
INS Vikrant unlikely to be battle-ready before 2020 -- Times of India

Indian Navy Rocked By Sex Scandal

India renamed Russian-origin Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier (shown) to “INS Vikramaditya.” Press TV

Indian Navy Lieutenant's Wife 'Forced Into Wife-Swapping Parties' -- The Telegraph

An Indian Navy lieutenant's wife has alleged she was forced into wife-swapping by her husband and senior officers at their base in Cochin.

Up to eight officers, including a commodore, and their wives have been accused and are now under police investigation.

According to the woman, her husband had taken her to a number of naval social functions where he had forced her to have sex with his fellow officers. She alleges that some of the officers and their wives had also put pressure on her and later tried to stop her complaining to police.

The Indian Navy has denied her claims but the investigation is the latest in a series of scandals to embarrass its senior officers. In 2005, three commanders were sacked for leaking defence procurement secrets from its war room and a commodore involved in a £1.5 billion deal to buy a Russian aircraft carrier was sacked in 2011 after pictures of him in bed with a suspected 'honeytrap' were sent to Indian defence headquarters.

Read more ....

My Comment: Some confort to my U.S. readers .... the U.S. military is not the only military in the world that finds itself occasionally mired in a sex scandal. For the Indian authorities .... this is what they are worried about.

Will India's Navy Change The Balance Of Power In The Pacific?

India's Ocean -- Dhruva Jaishankar, Foreign Policy

Could New Delhi's growing naval force change the balance of power in the Pacific?

Is the Indian Navy about to start mixing it up with China on the high seas? For years, as the Chinese have modernized their naval fleet, Indian strategists have worried about what that might mean for India's political and economic interests. A recent book by C. Raja Mohan, one of India's most influential strategic thinkers, explores the prospect of Sino-Indian competition spilling from the Himalayas to the Indian and Pacific Oceans, risking a struggle for maritime influence in the region among the United States, China, and India.

So it was all the more interesting, when, at a press conference Monday, India's top admiral appeared to suggest that his navy would defend Indo-Vietnamese oil exploration efforts in the South China Sea against Chinese aggression. An Indian state-owned oil company, ONGC Videsh, has been involved in deepwater explorations with Vietnam in the South China Sea since 2006, despite Chinese claims of sovereignty over that area.

Read more ....

My Comment: Like China's aircraft carrier, the Indian navy is just for show and for showing the flag at other ports. But unlike China where the Chinese are working hard to plan and develop a deep water navy .... India does not have the resources nor the political will to spend the money to do the same.

India Expands It's Navy

India Boosts Its Cinderella Service -- Jennifer McArdle, The Diplomat

India’s Navy has for too long been neglected when money has been allocated. The latest defense budget suggests that may be starting to change.

In comparison with its sister services, the Indian Navy, or India’s “Cinderella service,” since independence, has consistently garnered the paltriest share of the defense budget. However, the release of the 2012-2013 defense budget, allocating the Navy the lion’s share of the capital budget in comparison to its sister services, seems to suggest otherwise. Has India’s “Cinderella service” finally found its glass slipper?

Read more ....

My Comment: If India wants to be a regional power in the Indian Ocean .... not having a navy will make this next to impossible.

Investigtion Into The Accidental Sinking Of An Indian Frigate

Indian Warship Sunk During 'Day At Sea' For Military Families -- CNN

The heavily armed Indian navy frigate was equipped to do battle with enemy battleships and submarines, but it went up in flames as soon as it was hit … not by a torpedo or enemy vessel, mind you, but by a merchant ship.

The sinking of the INS Vindhyagiri, a 3,000-ton warship, marked the worst-ever peacetime loss for the Indian navy, Indian Express reported, adding that it’s also pretty embarrassing.

Read more ....

More News On The Accidental Sinking Of The INS Vindhyagiri

Probe Launched Into Sinking of Indian Warship -- SKY News
Indian warship collision caught on camera -- AFP
Stricken Indian warship 'to be salvaged' -- BBC
Not my fault, says captain of merchant vessel -- Indian Express
Merchant ship changed route too late -- Hindustan
'Loss of frigate won't affect Navy' -- Times Of India
Worst bring your kid to work day ever: Indian Navy warship burns and sinks -- National Post

India Boasts That It Can Build Nuclear Aircraft Carriers

India Can Make N-Powered Aircraft Carrier: Kakodkar -- Times Of India

MUMBAI: Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) chairman Anil Kakodkar has said that India is capable of designing and developing nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. He was speaking to reporters after delivering the 15th Lalit Doshi Memorial Lecture on ‘Nuclear Energy in India: Way Ahead’ in Mumbai on Tuesday. Asked whether India has such capability, he said, ‘‘Yes.’’

Kakodkar, however, declined to comment on whether AEC was designing a light water reactor for a submarine. ‘‘This isn’t the time to answer this question. You will be told at the right time,’’ he said. During the launch of INS Arihant, India’s first nuclear-powered submarine, PM Singh said sanction had already been given for the development of more such submarines.

Read more ....

My Comment: Sure .... they can build nuclear aircraft carriers, the support ships, the thousands of trained seamen, the carrier aircraft and the pilots to fly them .... yup .... no problem .... it will be ready next week.

Sighhhh .... I doubt it.

But a good question was raised by the Times of India reporter .... is India developing and designing a light water reactor for a submarine. This will raise the eyebrows of military strategists in Pakistan, China, Australia .... and of course .... the U.S.