CURRENT AMPHIBIOUS FORCE LEVELS

OVERSEAS DEPLOYMENT

► TWO TO THREE ARGS FORWARD DEPLOYED  ONE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN / ARABIAN GULF-INDIAN OCEAN AREA   ONE OR TWO IN THE WESTERN PACIFIC AREA. ONE ARG/MEU IS FORWARD BASED IN SASEBO AND OKINAWA JAPAN.

Amphibious flexibility is the greatest strategic asset that a sea power possesses.

BHLiddell Hart

CRITICALITIES

► ► ► TRANSITION FROM SEA TO LAND, INVOLVING NAVAL, GROUND AND AIR FORCES MOST DIFFICULT.

COMMANDS AND CONTROL OF MULTI- SERVICE, MULTI ENVIRONMENT ACTIVITIES COMPLEX CONDUCT OF OPERATIONS IN RESTRICTED WATERS INCREASES VULNERABILITY TO HOSTILE ATTACK, PARTICULARLY DURING EARLY PHASES WHEN SUPPORT OF OWN HEAVY WEAPONS NOT AVAILABLE

RECENT EMPLOYMENT

► FRENCH AND THEN US FORCES FOR OVER 25 YEARS IN INDOCHINA ► ANGLO-FRENCH ASSAULT IN SUEZ, ► FALKLANDS CONFLICT ► US LANDINGS IN GRENADA ► COALITION LANDINGS DURING GULF WAR IN 1992 ► AUSTRALIAN LANDINGS IN EAST TIMOR ► US/ALLIES OPERATIONS IN AFGHANISTAN

EARLY DEVELOPMENTS

► INTRODUCED SINCE EARLY DAYS OF INCEPTION OF INDIAN NAVY ► RECOMMENDATION TO POSSESS A SMALL EXPEDITIONARY FORCE CAPABLE OF PROTECTING INDIA’S REGIONAL INTERESTS SUGGESTED IN 1946 WHEN INDEPEDENCE ON HORIZON. ► CURRENT CAPABILITY BRIGADE MINUS

INDIAN NAVAL HISTORY

► LST INS MAGAR, OF W W II VINTAGE ACQUIRED IN 1949 ► APPROVAL ACCORDED IN 1958 TO ESTABLISH A PRESENCE IN A& N ISLANDS ► POST INDO CHINA WAR DEBACLE RESIDENT NAVAL OFFICER WAS APPOINTED IN PORT BLAIR.

► INCREASED INDONESIAN INTRUSIONS IN NICOBAR ISLANDS IN 1965

EARLY DEVELOPMENTS

► ORDER PLACED FOR TWO LST (M) FROM RUSSIA IN 1965 ► INDONESIAN THREAT AND INDONESIAN – PAK BONDING OF 1965 ► BOTCHED UP AMPHIBIOUS LANDING AT COX’S BAZAAR IN OPERATION BEAVER AS A PART OF 1971 OPERATIONS . ► LESSONS HOISTED IN IMPORTANCE OF AMPHIBIOUS ASSETS ESTABLISHED

AMPHIBIOUS OPS OF INDIAN NAVY ► SRI LANKA IN 1988, SOMALIA IN 1995, ► CYCLONE RELIEF IN SAURASHTRA IN 1998 /ORISSA IN 2000. ► AS A ‘FORCE IN BEING’ ON WEST COAST’ DURING OP PARAKARAM.

► PAKISTAN DIVERTED ONE DIVISION FROM LAND BORDERS TO MAKRAN COAST.

SCOPE

►

CURRENT TRENDS IN US NAVY, ROYAL NAVY, PLA NAVY AND AUSTRALIAN NAVY

►

FOCUSED ATTENTION ON ‘SHIP TO SHORE MOVEMENT’

►

TASKS OF INDIAN NAVY

►

ASSESSMENT OF CURRENT FORCES

►

DEFINING CREDIBLE AMPHIBIOUS FORCE FOR INDIAN NAVY

ROLES OF US NAVY

► SEA CONTROL ► MARITIME SUPREMACY ► POWER PROJECTION ► STRATEGIC DETERRENCE ► FORWARD NAVAL PRESENCE ► STRATEGIC SEALIFT

ORGANISATION

► AMPHIBIOUS TASK FORCE (ATF) ► RANGE FROM A SINGLE AMPHIBIOUS READY GROUP/MARINE EXPEDITIONARY UNIT (SPECIAL OPERATIONS CAPABLE) [ARG/MEU (SOC)], TO A LARGER ORGANIZATION CAPABLE OF EMPLOYING A MARINE EXPEDITIONARY BRIGADE (MEB) OR EVEN A MARINE EXPEDITIONARY FORCE

ROLES/ TASKS

►  

MAINLAND OPERATIONS MAKRAN COAST BANGLADESH

► ► ►

ASSAULT LANDINGS TO RETAKE LOST

TERRITORY.

AMPHIBIOUS RAIDS TACTICAL DECEPTION.

ROLES/ TASKS

►

DEFENCE OF ISLAND TERRITORIES -1197 ISLANDS

  

POACHING, SMUGGLING, TRAFFICKING OF WOMEN AND GUN RUNNING PENETRATION BYOF FUNDAMENTALIST IN LAKSWADWEEP ISLANDS WITH THE PREDOMINANTLY MINORITY POPULATION AIRPORT/PORT/ KEY FACILITY SEIZURE

OUT OF AREA CONTIGENCIES

►

IN SUPPORT OF UN /COALITION OPERATIONS

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EVACUATION OF CIVILIANS

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SHOW OF FORCE/ REINFORCEMENT

OTHER TASKS

►

CONDUCT LANDINGS IN SUPPORT OF WITHDRAWING TROOPS

►

LIMITED OFFENSIVE ATTACK

► HOSTAGE RECOVERY. ►

GAS AND OIL PLATFORM OPERATIONS.

►

HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE

LIMITATIONS AMPHIBIOUS FORCES

►

SHIP TO SHORE MOVEMENT

   

LST(L), LST(M) AND LCUs LACK SPEED CAPACITY TO CARRY OUT VERTICAL ENVELOPMENT MINIMAL. HARD BEACHING TO DISCHARGE ARMOUR VULNERABLE

ARMY COMPONENT/ NEED FOR RAISING MARINES?

► MOUNTAIN BRIGADE MINUS OF THE INDIAN ARMY IS DESIGNATED AS THE AMPHIBIOUS BRIGADE. ► BASED IN PORT BLAIR UNDER ANC ► BATTALIONS CHANGED/ REPLACED EVERY TWO YEARS ON A STAGGERED BASIS ► ANOTHER BRIGADE IS KEPT STAND BY ON THE MAINLAND TO AUGMENT THE PORT BLAIR BRIGADE SHOULD THE NEED ARISE.

LIMITATIONS AMPHIBIOUS SHIPS

►

LIMITED STAND OFF CAPABILTY 1-2 NM

►

LCAS/GEMINIS VULNERABLE IN SURF ZONE

►

LIMITED SITES FOR HARD BEACHING BY LST(L)

►

UNDERLOADING OF ENGINES

LIMITATIONS - AAV

►

AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT VEHICLE-BMP AND BDR FROM MECHANIZED INFANTARY

►

INADEQUATE SEA KEEPING ABILITY

►

VULNERABLE IN SURF ZONE

►

LIMITED OTH CAPABILTY

►

GUN TOO LIGHT

►

CG HOVERCRAFT – LCAC?

ARMY COMPONENT/ NEED FOR RAISING MARINES?

► STRETCHED ARMY - OP PARAKRAM, THE AMPHIBIOUS BRIGADE MOBILIZED TO THE WESTERN COMMAND. ► THE TWO YEARLY CHANGES EFFECTS TRAINING.

► TIME FOR CHANGE OVER BY THE TIME, INCOMING BATTALION GOES THROUGH THE TRAINING AND BECOMES PROFICIENT ►

AMPHIBIOUS TRAINING

►

NEED YEAR-ROUND TRAINING.

►

TRAINING SEASONAL- WEATHER DEPENDENT

►

HIGH SKILLS- NEGOTIATION OF ‘SURF ZONE’ BY BMPS OR LCA

►

MUSTERING VARIED ASSETS OF COMPONENTS DIFFICULT.

►

NEED FOR DEDICATED AMPHIBIOUS SCHOOL.

INTELLIGENCE

► ► ► ► ► ►

MOST CRITICAL AIR RECONNAISSANCE BY ARC, IAF, IN, CG RESOURCES INCLUDING UAV SATELLITE INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES LIKE RAW, IB , DIA AND SBS/NAVAL LIAISON TEAMS SUBMARINE RECONNAISSANCE SIGNIT AND COMINT

COMMAND CONTROL AND COMMUNICATIONS

►

SUCCESS DEPENDENT ON C3

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‘LESSONS LEARNT ‘ FILES OF AMPHEXES

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INABILITY OF INDIVIDUAL SERVICES TO EXCHANGE INFORMATION LATERALLY

OPS- MAKRAN COAST

► ► ► ► ► ► ► ►

FAVORABLE SEA/ AIR SITUATION ROA OF FLEET AIR DEFENCE PAKISTANI SURVEILLANCE FALKLAND’S CAMPAIGN LOW SPEED- AMPHIBIOUS UNITS- A CONSTRAINT RAIDS, DECEPTION, OR OPENING A NEW FRONT FOR ONGOING LAND OPERATIONS HIGH WASTAGE FORCE IN BEING

NAVAL GROWN MARINES ?

IS IT THE ANSWER

CREDIBLE AMPHIBIOUS FORCE

►

TREND- MODERN AMPHIBIOUS FORCES

►

TASKS

►

MARITIME INTERESTS GULF TO MALACCA.

►

BRIGADE STRENGTH

CREDIBLE AMPHIBIOUS FORCE

► TWO LPD CAPABLE OF CARRYING FOUR LCACS/ LCUS ► THREE LSL (L) WITH IMPROVED SPEED AND SHIP SIDE MEXEFLOTES ► DETERMINE- LST (M) / LCUs AS PER A BRIGADE LEVEL TABLE ► MODERN MEDIUM LIFT HEPTR (10 TONS)

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

►

VIRAAT- EX HERMES- HELO CARRIER

►

OPERATE HEAVY/ATTACK HELOS OF IAF

►

PLAN AN EXERCISE IN A&N ?