EDITORIAL

The successful launching of guided missile destroyer Mormugao on September 17, 2016, at the Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) by Mrs. Reena Lanba, wife of CNS Admiral Sunil Lanba, was a silver lining in the otherwise strained and tense environment of India due to the ongoing protests in the area between Pir Panjal Range and main Himalayas range of Kashmir, and the attack on the forward military base of Uri.

Mormugao is the second ship of Project 15B and incorporates new design concepts for improved survivability, seakeeping, stealth and manoeuvrability. Enhanced stealth features have been enshrined through shaping of hull and use of radar transparent deck fittings which make these ships difficult to detect. These ships are also packed with an array of state-of- the-art weapons and sensors, including vertically launched missile system. Speaking on the occasion, the chief guest, Admiral Sunil Lanba, said that “this event is yet another moment of truth for the Indian Navy and India’s quest for selfreliance and indigenisation. The Indian Navy stands fully committed to the call of ‘Make in India’ and we are extremely proud of the fact that all of our warships and submarines on order today are being constructed within the country”.

The CNS also commended the synergic partnership of MDL, Indian Navy, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and other public sector enterprises. Indian Navy also sails steadily towards making Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Make in India’ a reality. Thus the lead article is all about Project 15B.

Indian Navy’s anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities have been analysed in depth to infer that they are on the brink due to voids in all the elements which go into making ASW a force to reckon with. The force level of submarines is down to 13, the number of ASW/ multirole helicopters has dwindled to about one-fifth of their requirement thus a large number of high-end ships are without their cover, Black Shark was to be fitted on India’s Scorpene Submarines but is waiting for a goahead from the Indian Ministry of Defence and also more number of Active Towed Array Sonars are required.

A brief write-up on IndoRussia Strategic Partnership gives an insight into the decades-long relationship with Russia. Then there are articles on Barak-8 SAM which is a joint project of DRDO and Israel Aerospace Industries, Railgun and submarine periscope, to keep you readers abreast of developments in naval technologies. This issue as usual wraps up with the News in Brief and Appointments. We sign off with a very Happy Dussehra and prosperous Deepawali to all you discerning readers.