Russian Indian BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile

BRAHMOS underwater test-firing by year-end

NEW DELHI (PTI): India will testfire the submarine-launched version of the 290km range BRAHMOS supersonic cruise missile by the end of this year.

"We will testfire the underwater version of the missile by the end of this year after we get the pontoon for the purpose," BrahMos Aerospace chief A Sivathanu Pillai told reporters here.

Underwater weapon-delivery platforms are considered to be the most potent second strike capability of countries' defence strength.

India has developed significant underwater weapon delivery platforms in the recent past including an indigenously-built nuclear submarine INS Arihant and successfully test-fired the nuclear capable 700km range K-15 Shaurya missile.

Britain wants to cooperate with India in Navy ship building

NEW DELHI (PTI): Britain Friday said it wanted to extend cooperation with India in the field of naval ship building.

"There is a considerable scope. There are common things like the way we build ships in the UK. The way we operate is common with the way India does. We do think that naval area is one where there are immense opportunities," British High Commissioner to India Richard Stagg told reporters here.

India and the UK have had a long Navy-to-Navy relationship as both the aircraft carriers which the Indian Navy has operated were earlier in service with the British Navy.

India, which has embarked on a major modernisation plan for its armed forces, has emerged as a favourite with various defence equipment-manufacturing countries with its plan of spending over USD 100 billion on defence in the next ten years.

Indian Navy: 2010 Year-End-Review

The nation woke up to the threat from the sea in the wake of the Mumbai attacks of November 2008. The Government has since initiated a slew of measures to beef up coastal security and in the year gone by the Indian Navy, besides the Coast Guard, witnessed much activity and expansion.

The Mig-29K and the INS Shivalik were the biggest force multipliers in the Navy during the year gone by. A large number of warships were also launched, including the INS Tarkash stealth frigate in Russia and INS Shakti fleet tanker in Italy in the Indian Navy’s efforts to bolster its blue water capability.

Indian, US Navy joint exercise off Andaman cost from today

NEW DELHI (PTI): Aiming to strengthen their capabilities in techniques associated with salvage and diving, navies of India and the US will hold a week-long joint exercise codenamed 'SALVEX' off the coast off Andaman and Nicobar Islands from today.

In the exercise, Indian Navy’s diving tender INS Nireekshak and USS Safeguard, a specialised Salvage ship are participating.

During the exercise, the Indian Navy will also gain experience of working on underwater Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) and side scan SONARs being launched from USS Safeguard, Navy officials said.

It will also witness the operation of Hot Tap Equipment which is used for removal of oil or fuel from tanks of sunken vessels.