Theatre commands the next logical step

ADMIRAL RADHAKRISHNAN HARI KUMAR, who took over the reins of the Indian Navy on November 30, has very clear views on the need for theatre commands and the role aircraft carriers can play in safeguarding India’s maritime interests. In an exclusive interview, the chief of the naval staff also talks about the Navy’s modernisation, new aircraft carrier Vikrant, and gender equality. Excerpts:

- PRADIP R. SAGAR

Q/ Some experts call aircraft carriers ‘sitting ducks’.

A/ Aircraft carriers are central to the Navy’s concept of operations and the Navy considers carriers inescapable to safeguard maritime interests against the backdrop of the changing geopolitics in the Indian Ocean region and beyond. The Carrier Battle Groups (CBGs) are a significant source of power projection and provide freedom of maneuver in the vast area of operations or interest. There are no alternatives to CBGs. Shore-based aircraft have a limited reach in our vast maritime area of interest. They can provide air defense to the fleet only when it is operating close to the coast, which is a rarity in the naval concepts of operations.

Similarly, in the maritime strike role, shore-based aircraft have limited range with inherent time delays considering the distance to targets at sea. The surety of support from a shore-based fighter is intrinsically linked to the unpredictable factor of weather at the launch point as well as the intervening airspace between the launch point and the target. Accordingly, the relevance and importance of aircraft carriers have been acknowledged world over. Thus, many major maritime powers, such as the US, the UK, Italy and France, operate aircraft carriers. China is also building a large number of carriers.

Q/ When can we expect IAC Vikrant to join the Navy fleet?