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India Opens Major Naval Base at Karwar
Karwar, India (SPX) Jun 07, 2005 The SiteDefense Minister Pranab Mukherjee opened the first phase of India's giant western naval base INS Kadamba in Karwar, Karnataka state, on May 31, saying it would protect the country's Arabian Sea maritime routes. Kadamba will become India's third operational naval base after Mumbai and Visakhapatnam. Also taking part in the commissioning were six frontline Indian naval ships, including frigates and destroyers. They were detached from the flotilla of 12 vessels that are presently taking part in routine exercises in the Arabian Sea. The Kadamba base is being built in the southern state as part of India's ambitious RUP 350 billion (USD $8.13 billion) "Project Seabird," which will include the naval base plus an air force station, a naval armament depot, and missile silos when it is completed in the next five years. Mr. Mukherjee admitted that the project had to overcome many impediments since it was sanctioned by the government in 1985 (it was originally slated for completion in 1995). Sandwiched between the craggy hills of the Western Ghats in the east and the Arabian Sea in the west, Karwar is an excellent naval location. Encompassing over 11,200 acres of land along a 26-km stretch of sea front, Kadamba is the first base to be exclusively controlled by India's Navy. It will enable the Navy to decongest Mumbai and manoeuvre its fleet without worrying about the movement of merchant vessels, and it will be the first base/port in India to have a shiplift facility. The depth and width of the base's approach channel means that all of India's naval platforms will be able to sail into its harbour. Commodore K.P. Ramachandran, INS Kadamba's first Commanding Officer (CO) said that 11 ships could be berthed at Kadamba once the first phase of construction was complete, with the figure going up to 22 after the second phase of construction was completed around 2007. The Kiev-class aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov is also scheduled to berth in Kadamba with its MiG-29K wing after it is refurbished, renamed the Vikramaaditya, and handed over to the Indian Navy around 2008. The harbour is designed to ultimately berth 42 ships when finally complete, including submarines if need be. At commissioning INS Kadamba has a strength of 50 officers and 250 sailors, a number that will go up as facilities are upgraded. The base will initially be under the command of the Commanding Officer, INS Kadamba, but will in the near future be headed by a Flag Officer Commanding (Karwar), who in turn will be tasked by the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command. According to defense experts, the naval base at Karwar will play a major role in securing the seas not only for India but also for countries like Japan, which rely heavily on shipping for imports and exports through maritime routes in the Arabian Sea. In Pakistan, meanwhile, the new deep-water port of Gwadar is in use by Pakistan as well as China, which also relies heavily on shipping for imports and exports through maritime routes in the Arabian Sea. Related Links SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express
US And Australian Forces To Stage Huge Military Exercise Off Queensland
Sydney (AFP) Jun 07, 2005US and Australian military forces were preparing to stage their largest joint exercise for four years Tuesday, in an operation commanders from both sides said demonstrated the close ties between the long-time allies. |
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