Shivalik commissioned,India enters stealth club

India on Thursday entered the stealth warship club with the commissioning of the INS Shivalik,the first of a new series of frigates that has set the benchmark for Indias future fleet of battleships.

India on Thursday entered the stealth warship club with the commissioning of the INS Shivalik,the first of a new series of frigates that has set the benchmark for Indias future fleet of battleships. The first of the three planned warships in its class,the Shivalik,was commissioned by Defence Minister A K Antony,more than eight years after construction work commenced at Mazgaon Docks Limited (MDL).

The 6,200 tonne frigate is the first of its kind stealth warship in the Indian Navy fleet,designed to dodge enemy radars,but more importantly it is the model of what future battleships of the Indian Navy will look like. While stealth capabilities will be standard for future warships,what has gone inside the Shivalik gives an idea of what the Navy wants as it expands its role and reach in the region as well as globally.

While it is indigenously designed and produced,the warships also has major systems and components from Russia,US,Israel and UK,indicative of the future where the Indian Navy wants to fuse the best of Russian and Western technologies to get the right mix for its own use.

A significant addition of capabilities is in the form of the new Combat Management System,CMS 17,that will now be fitted on board all new warships. While the warship has the latest weaponry on board including the Israeli Barak point air defence system,the Russian Shtil air defence system as well as Klub land attack and anti ship missiles the new system gives it a crucial edge.

The Shivalik can incorporate information from any warship in the Indian naval fleet and use it to launch its weapons against a target. Unlike in the past when warships could only engage a target after detecting it from on board sensors like radars or sonar,the Shivalik can take in information from another warship or a passing aircraft and use it to home in on the target.

This not only gives it extended range to detect enemy ships or aircraft but also enhances its survivability as it is not exposed directly to enemy surveillance. Adding to its survivability are the inbuilt stealth features that,sources say,gives it a radar signature that is 90 per cent lesser that older ships of its size. The ship has structural,thermal and acoustic stealth features to make it difficult to detect on the high seas.

At the heart of the ship too,the LM 2500 Gas Turbine engines are the first American power plants to be fitted on board an Indian warship. The engines give it an enviable top speed in excess of 30 knots,enabling it to shoot and scoot at an impressive rate. The option to switch over the diesel engines gives the warship an endurance of over 9,000 km and it can sail non-stop without refueling for a month.

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The size of the ship at 6,200 tonnes it is probably the heaviest frigate in the world gives it the ability to carry two anti-submarine helicopters. While initially,the Sea Kings will be put on board,the flight deck and hangars have been designed to accommodate the next generation anti-submarine warfare choppers.

However,the most refreshing change in the warship is the interiors and the mind put to ensure crew comfort,given that the ship with 225 sailors and 25 officers will sail for close to a month without a break. Unlike in older warships mostly Russian the Shivalik has almost plush accommodation for officers and men. Besides being fully air-conditioned,the crew quarters are aesthetically designed with comfortable bedding and sitting arrangements,closer to what is now the standard on most western warships.

While problems areas remain the ship is at present only 60 per cent indigenous by value the future will see ships with more indigenous component that have similar capabilities to the Shivalik. For now,the Navy is keeping a keen eye on how it shapes up once it joins the western fleet.