Warship Retrofitment: A Road Map for Transnational Engagement in Indian Ocean Region - WMTC 2009

By
Cdr G P Pande
&

Cdr Mohit Goel

SYNOPSIS : WMTC 2009
The objective of this paper is to present the concept: ‘Use India’s edge in competitive pricing to make it the hub in Indian Ocean region of Naval Ship Repairs’ (henceforth referred to as retro fitment i.e.:-complete change of propulsion /machinery/sensors). The advantages of a vast skill pool and competitive pricing can greatly leverage the Indian Navy’s footprint among Navies of IOR and become a tool for international diplomacy. As a spinoff of such a policy, the players in the defense ship building market will become more competitive and ship repairers will find a bigger foothold in the international defense industry.

ABSTRACT: An important element of synergy between industry and armed forces towards achieving a common strategic goal calls for pooling of national resources, human manpower and material, which are required to implement its strategic concept. The realisation of these three-elements-concept are in dissoluble linked in a democracy because, “to secure those resources it is necessary for society to channelise these resources. Thus, the resource which shipbuilding and repair is able to obtain is also a function of the institutional/sovereign support of that service. This inherent advantage of Indian maritime industrial in skill pool as well as pricing can be a tool for diplomacy as well as augment the Indian naval footprint in IOR / littoral navies. The spin-off to this approach is the increase in competitive environment for naval ship repairs and concurrent growth of Indian ship building industry for diversification into specialized vessels that are more complex and intricate in ship building process.Today India’s strategic concept exceeds a preoccupation with regional political tensions. India’s maritime security requirements within the regional and global playfield, seeks competition for markets as well as resources (especially with China). In short, we are a modern industrial nation by definition, a natural corollary to it being a vibrant maritime nation too. Hence the expansion of the Indian Navy’s shipbuilding and ship-repair capability is the material expression of that strategic priority. The warship shopping list is a strategy, and so is the decision which ships to scrap and which ship to resurrect. The major cost that go into ship building program are the three factors known as first of class unit cost of production and through life cost. What drives retro fitment of the complete ship is the third factor i.e: of through life cost. Wherein when the cost of maintenance of an older generation platform outweighs even the cost of buying a new propulsion package along with it’s through life cycle cost. Retro fitment is driven by the need to bridge capability gap for benign / constabulary role of navy. So a technology demonstrator vessel of over two decade era gets used for retro fitment of obsolete equipment. The use of a solution led (bottom up approach) instead of requirement led (top down) approach causes drastic shrinkage in budget and time scale of a new warship platform.

Acknowledgement:

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