past, present, future
As per the Navy’s Maritime Capability Perspective Plan (MCPP) as guiding document, some 300 new helicopters are to be acquired by the Indian Navy including the Naval MultiRole helicopter (NMRH) and Naval Utility Helicopter (NUH). This cover story traces evolution of the Navy’s rotorcraft force as it looks to the future.
To combat increasing threat from submarines in the waters around India, the Navy had first acquired a version of the Alouette III for the ASW role to be embarked on board frigate-sized craft. For the MATCH (Medium-Range Anti- Submarine Torpedo- Carrying Helicopter) role, the HAL-built Alouette III carried two depth charges or two antisubmarine torpedoes, or one of each, and were fitted with a Harpoon attachment for secure- landing on a frigate- deck. However, the MATCH helicopter had no submarine-detection sensors, being guided to the target by its parent ship.
The Alouette III still proved to be a most versatile and reliable helicopter, acquired in its HAL Chetak guise in increasing numbers by the Indian Navy, which utilised it
for SAR duties, communication, light stores transfer at sea, staff transport as well as in the MATCH role. The Navy’s fleet tankers, survey ships, Leander- class Indian-built frigates (INS Nilgiri, Himgiri, Udaigiri and Dunagiri) each carried an Alouette III, requiring the Navy to form INAS 321 (‘Angels’), the squadron being commissioned on 15 March 1969 at Goa. In time, INAS 321 was transferred to INS Kunjali, on the sea- front in Colaba in the heart of the southern Bombay naval area. With over 20 helicopters on this unit’s charge, the MATCH-role Alouette IIIs were then transferred to a newlyraised squadron, INAS 331, one of the helicopters being embarked on each of the first four Nilgiri- class frigates. In later years, Alouette IIIs were to also serve with the annual Indian scientific expeditions to the Antarctica.
Over the past half century and more, the Alouette III (HAL Chetak) has given yeoman service to the Indian Navy, which received nearly 80 of this light rotorcraft from HAL’s Bangalore Division. The ASW limitations of the MATCH Alouette, however, were apparent and the Indian Navy sent a team to the UK in April 1969 to evaluate the much larger and highly equipped Westland Sea King dedicated for the ASW role with dunking sonar, doppler nay-systems, search radar and range of other specialist equipment. The Sea King also carried sonobuoys and four Mk.46 homing torpedoes, or four Mk.II depth charges. The
successful evaluation was followed by an order for six Sea King ASW Mk.42s.
The first IN batch of pilots and observers commenced conversion training on 27 September 1970 and the first two Sea Kings for the Indian Navy (IN 501 and 502) were accepted at Yeovil in England on 3 November 1970. These two Sea Kings arrived at INAS Hansa, at Dabolim in Goa on 23 March 1971 to become part of the new squadron INAS 330 ( Harpoons) commissioned on 17 Apri1 1971, under the command of Cdr MP Wadhawan while the first Sea King landed on the INS Vikrant on 26 July 1971.
A second batch of pilots and observers returned after conversion training in the UK on 15 October 1971 and all six Sea Kings were soon in India, INAS 330 forming part of the Vikrant’s air group along with INAS 300 and INAS 310. However, the Sea Kings were disembarked during the December 1971 war, being based at Bombay to carry out round-the-clock anti-submarine patrols off the strategic harbour.
The Sea King was considered as eminently suitable for the Indian Navy’s requirements and a second batch of six Mk. 42s was ordered, delivery being completed in 1974. A second Sea King squadron, INAS 336 ( Flaming Arrows) was commissioned on 9 December 1974 at INS Garuda, Cochin, becoming ‘standby’ squadron for the Vikrant and also the conversion training unit. The last two of the Leander- class frigates built at Bombay, the INS Taragiri and Vindhyagiri, were designed to carry a Sea King (instead of the Alouette III) helicopter each and, accordingly, in June 1977, orders were placed for three Sea King Mk.42As, with Canadian- developed Recovery Assist Traverse (RAST) gear for deck haul down capability, permitting operation of these10ton helicopters from small warships at sea.
In fact, the Indian Navy had pioneered and perfected such a concept, creating multiple ‘mini’ aircraft carriers in the bargain and bestowing great force multiplication. Then Commodore Ram Tahiliani, Director Naval Air Staff, worked closely with the two officers in-charge of the project, Captain Biloo Chaudhury and Cdr Joe Bakshi, and after developmental trials, the first Sea Kings were not only neatly embarked on the aft deck of these Leander- class frigates but two Sea Kings each were accommodated on
the newer warships being built for the I.N. at various Indian shipyards. The legendry Russian Admiral Gorskhov was actually winched down in a Sea King on an I.N. frigate during one of his not infrequent visits to India-and was mightily impressed.
The Westland Sea King proved an extremely useful ASW weapon-system and the Indian Navy planned further acquisitions. As a follow-on to the Leander- class frigates, Magazon Docks at Bombay started a building programme of the Godavri- class frigate, an enlarged, Indian developed version, designed to embark two Sea King helicopters, both of which could be accommodated in the enlarged hanger on the aft deck.
To meet requirements of the Godavriclass and also supplant the earlier Mk.42s, which had seen two decades of service, the Sea King Mk. 42B was selected. Based on the RN’s Sea King HAS Mk.5 with updated ASW equipment and the Advanced RR Gnome H. 1400-IT engines, the IN ordered 12 Sea King Mk.42Bs in July 1983, with options for eight more (duly converted). The Sea King Mk.42B anti- ship/ anti- submarine helicopter featured the MEL I-band Super Searcher radar, GEC-Avionics, ASN-902 tactical sonobuoy processor, Sintra-Alcatel HS-12 panoramic dipping sonar, Chelton 700 sonics homing unit, Marconi Hermes ESM and a Louis Newmark automatic flight control system. The main surface weapon was the BAe Sea Eagle long-range anti-ship missile or, for sub-surface targets, homing torpedoes, depth charges, sonobuoys and marine markets.
Owing to protracted development of some of the advanced equipment and their integration, deliveries of the Mk.42Bs were delayed, but the bulk of these arrived by sea in late 1989. The first five Mk.42Bs completed acceptance trials at the intensive Flying Training Unit, the first two going to INAS 336 at INS Garuda, for training of pilots and observers. Some 40 former Sea King Mk.42 aircrew were trained in the UK, but training courses were later all conducted in India.
The Indian Navy also ordered six Sea King Mk. 42C Commandos, being the utility transport version the Advanced Sea King, without the MEL radar, but incorporating a nose-mounted Bendix RDR 1400C radar. The Mk.42Cs were divided between the Western and Eastern fleets, operating in support of the newly-raised Indian Marine Security Force (IMSF), with one Mk.42C was embarked on the LST INS Magar. The Mk.42Cs were soon to be in action in Sri Lanka during 1987 and off the Maldives in November 1988, when Indian Marines were flown in to capture a mercenary ship on the high seas.
However, following the pattern of operating both British and Soviet equipment as an integral part of the overall ship-aircraft system, the Indian Navy also received a sizeable Soviet– origin ASW helicopter component. Five Kashin- class guided-missile destroyers were ordered for the Indian Navy in the late seventies, with each embarking an anti-submarine helicopter as an integral part of the ship’s weapon system. Accordingly, eight Indian naval aircrew were sent to Kacha, near Sevastapol in Soviet Georgia, for conversion training during 1980. Seven Kamov Ka-25s were on order, all being exSoviet Navy and these (IN 571-577) formed the equipment of the new INAS 333 (Eagles) commissioned in December 1980. Each operated by a two-man crew, the Ka-25s had search radar, dipping sonar in the cabin rear and a canister of sonobuoys externally, and could carry a homing torpedo plus depth bombs. The Ka-25s were essentially for ASW, with secondary surveillance and SAR duties. Endurance was three hours, but limited night and all-weather sonar-dipping capability resulted in the Soviet Navy progressively replacing the Ka-25 by the far more capable Ka-27. The Indian Navy did likewise, ordering the export version of the later Kamov helicopter, the Ka-28, for operation from the latest Kashin- class GW destroyers, the INS Ranvir and Ranijay, and also eventually to supplant the Ka-25s aboard other vessels.
Four IN aircrew were given conversion training on the Ka-28 at Kacha, HQ of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet, from mid-August 1985, each crew comprising the pilot, tactical co-ordinator and ASW operator. The INS Ranvir was commissioned in May 1986 at Poti and the first Ka- 28 ( IN 581) embarked on this warship in July off Sevastapol, the ship then sailing to Bombay via Varna, Athens, Port Said and Aden, to arrive at its home port on 20 August. A total of 13 Ka- 28s were ordered, including three equipped for the tuitional task. The first of the trainers arrived at INS Hansa in Goa on 1 July 1989, all conversion training thereafter taking place at this base.
The Ka-28 was considered a quantum jump ahead of the Ka-25 in terms of ASW capability and versatility, with an endurance in the ASW mode of over four hours. There is no commonality between the two types, the Ka-28 representing a 20-year technology leap, being equipped with advanced sensors, search radar, computers, dipping sonar, datalink and MAD equipment. The lower-centre fuselage houses sonobuoys, attack torpedoes and depth charges. The two TV3-117BK engines each of 2,225 shp, drive contrarotating blades which have been shortened in length by comparison with those of the Ka-25 for better manoeuvrability on deck.
INAS 339 ( Falcons) which initially operated Sea Kings, were re-equipped with the Kamov Ka-28s in May 1993, moving from INS Kunjali to INS Hansa thereafter. In 2004, the first Kamov Ka- 31 AEW (Airborne Early Warning) helicopters were received by the Navy and these too were allotted to INS 339 which has a triple role : ASW, AEW and operational conversion training.
The Ka- 31 is fitted with a NIIRT E-801M Oko (Eye) airborne radar, with the 6 x 1 metre planar array mounted beneath the fuselage. The 200-kg array is stowed flush with the fuselage for take-off and landing, only unfolding once the helicopter is above a certain speed and altitude. Once deployed, the radar can conduct a 360- degreee mechanical scan every ten seconds, and is able to simultaneously track up to 40 airborne or surface threats. Detection ranges for fighter-sized targets are well in excess of
100 km, while warships can be detected out to the radar’s horizon. Capable of operating between 200-300 km from a parent ship, the Ka-31 significantly extends the air-andsea picture of a fleet. Target co-ordinates, speed and heading can be transmitted via encrypted data-link to a ship or shore-based command post. Although typically based on the frigates that they were delivered with, the IN now operates 14 Ka-31s, freeing up several to fly from other capital ships, including INS Vikramaditya.
With the increasing requirement for helicopter pilots, a training unit was commissioned at INS Garuda on 15 September 1971 as INAS 561, with four Hughes 300C helicopters and two Alouette Ills. The light Hughes 300s were phased out in the mid-1980s, and the present INAS 561 has half dozen HAL Chetaks for the training task at INS Rajali in Arakkonam.
In April 2007, the Indian Navy inducted the large amphibious transport vessel (or landing platform dock) USS Trenton (now INS Jalashva) along with six SH-3 helicopters which are embarked on this large ex-USN warship. This considerably augmented the IN’s strategic sea- lift capabilities and at a displacement of 16,900 tonnes, became its second largest warship after the aircraft carrier.
The versatile but aging Sea King Mks. 42/ 42A were finally retired from service in the IN some decade back and its replacement particularly for ship-based application, has not been forthcoming, inspite of the Navy’s urgent follow ups.