China Plans to Deploy Three Aircraft Carriers to Dominate Indian Ocean

(NavalToday) : The race between the two Asian giants to dominate the seas has intensified. Alarmed at China’s plan to deploy by 2016 at least three aircraft carriers, which will give Beijing the capability to control vital sea channels, including those in the Indian Ocean, India has stepped up efforts to complete its Carrier Battle Group plan at the earliest.

The Carrier Battle Group comprises aircraft carrier, guided missile destroyers and cruisers, submarines, frigates for anti-submarine warfare and oil tankers. This formidable composition is part of modern day warfare. The Battle Groups are linked to satellites and capable of operating in network-centric environment for prolonged periods without touching shore.
An aircraft carrier enables the Navy to operate far away from its waters. Backed by an armada of smaller warships, an aircraft carrier also projects a country’s military prowess.
China is determined to acquire ‘blue water’ capabilities, but so far it did not have adequate maritime prowess to spread its area of influence. However, the acquisition of aircraft carriers from Russia has rung alarm bells in the international community and India, sources said here on Monday.
While the first aircraft carrier Varyag was unveiled earlier this year, Beijing kept its future maritime plan a closely guarded secret even though it had acquired two  semi-finished aircraft carriers from Russia at least six years back.
These Kiev class aircraft carriers are similar to Gorshkov which India bought from Russia seven years back and is expected to join the Indian Navy next year end. At present, this ship is undergoing major refurbishment in Russia as per Indian specifications.
Given the growing economic and military might, China will be able to meet its target of deploying three aircraft carriers, including Varyag by 2016, sources said here on Monday. Varyag, earlier known as Admiral Kuznetsov, was procured from Ukraine in 1996 in semi-finished conditions and the Chinese engineers refurbished it.
A third warship procured from Russia suffered on-board accident and declared beyond repair.
Major repair work of two Kiev class ships was already on and China was looking for a suitable aircraft capable of taking off and landing on these ships weighing more than 50,000 tonne. Moreover, China was also looking for nuclear-powered carriers but was not able to clinch a deal so far.
Elaborating upon the significance of Carrier Battle Group, sources said these groups when deployed in international waters serve national interest and objectives of a country. China is flexing its muscle in South China Sea and claiming to be its own backyard thereby raising serious concerns amongst the countries on the rim of sea channel including Vietnam and others.
Moreover, China is spreading its maritime arc beyond its waters by making its presence felt closer home in the Indian Ocean and forging ties with countries like Sri Lanka and Myanmar besides Pakistan in the Arabian Sea.
India, however, has no aggressive designs but these developments has forced defence establishment to have a re-look at its naval power projection. At present, India has one aircraft carrier INS Viraat while Gorshkov rechristened Vikramaditya will join service in 2012. India is also building its first indigenous aircraft carrier of about 40,000 tonne class at Cochin Shipyard and this ship will take about four to five years more for induction.
Given China’s intentions, the Indian Navy will have to speed up its shipbuilding plans, sources said adding the Government is aware of the strategic importance of these developments.
The Government recently gave the go-ahead to the Navy to acquire six submarines under Project-75. These submarines will be in addition to six French designed submarines now under construction at Mumbai.
At present, the Navy has about 18 submarines and most of them are on the last leg of their operational life. Moreover, the first indigenously designed and developed nuclear powered submarine Arihant will take at least four to five years before ready for induction.
Sources said 45 warships including submarines were under various stages of construction in India and Russia and the Navy aimed at having more than 150 warships by the end of this decade.
(dailypioneer)