According to Indian media reports, the Indian Navy will receive two U.S.-made MH-60R carrier-based anti-submarine helicopters in mid-to-late June and deploy them on the “Chaoriwang” aircraft carrier. It will be put back into use soon.
Why choose American-made helicopters?
Data map: U.S. Navy MH-60R carrier-based helicopters flying in formation (source: reference news)
According to reports, the Indian Navy plans to deploy 5 MH-60R carrier-based helicopters for the “Chaoriwang” aircraft carrier.
Yin Zhuo, a military observer, said that the anti-submarine capability of this type of helicopter is what India values most.
Yin Zhuo: The Indian aircraft carrier “Chaoriwang” is equipped with US helicopters, which is intended to improve its comprehensive combat capabilities, especially its anti-submarine capabilities. If the “Chaoriwang” can operate in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, its anti-submarine capability is a must.
The MH-60R helicopter has strong anti-submarine capabilities, can automatically search for submarines, and has certain underwater acoustic countermeasures, anti-ship capabilities, and electronic reconnaissance capabilities. Its flight performance is good, and its maximum range can reach more than 800 kilometers.
Always refitting, always postponing
Data map: The aircraft carrier “Chaori King” of the Indian Navy (source: reference news)
The Indian aircraft carrier “Vikramaditya”, also known as “Vikramaditya”, was rebuilt from the Russian “Kiev” class aircraft carrier “Gorshkov”, and was delivered to the Indian Navy in November 2013.
At the beginning of 2021, the “Chaoriwang” aircraft carrier underwent a “routine refit”, but the refit cycle was forced to be extended due to the impact of the new crown epidemic. In 2022, affected by a fire, the refit cycle of the “Chao Ri Wang” was extended again.
In Yin Zhuo’s view, there are many reasons for the failure of the Indian aircraft carrier’s refitting process.
Yin Zhuo: First of all, India’s “Chaori King” aircraft carrier was purchased from Russia at the beginning, and the refit was not smooth, and it had to rely entirely on Russia.
Secondly, after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, Russia did not have the ability to manufacture large ships of more than 40,000 tons.
Thirdly, the “Chaoriwang” uses multi-national equipment, the spare parts are not universal, and the communication frequency is different, so it is difficult to coordinate the modification.
High-profile dual-carrier exercise
Data map: India’s “Vikrant” aircraft carrier (Source: China National Defense News)
The Indian Navy recently announced that the Indian aircraft carriers “Vikrant” and “Vikrant”, as well as a number of warships, submarines and more than 35 aircraft participated in the exercise held in the Arabian Sea.
Yin Zhuo analyzed the purpose of India’s exercise.
Yin Zhuo: A single-carrier battle group is generally used as a “deterrence”, while a dual-carrier battle group is usually aimed at medium-sized countries with certain air defense capabilities. This shows that India is working hard in the direction of maritime warfare.
However, in order for the Indian aircraft carrier battle group to form a system combat capability, it not only needs to integrate multiple types of equipment from multiple countries, but also realize the unification of personnel training.
The status quo
Data map: India’s dual aircraft carriers lead a joint operation in the Arabian Sea (Source: CCTV Focus Today)
From the 1980s to the beginning of this century, with the strengthening of its national power, India gradually formed a strategic concept of building an ocean-going navy. spare no effort.
Yin Zhuo said that for the current India, maintaining a dual aircraft carrier battle group is already the “ceiling” of its capabilities.
Yin Zhuo: India faces two seas, the Andaman Sea and the Arabian Sea, and each needs an aircraft carrier; in addition, it also needs an aircraft carrier to “top” the exit of the Strait of Malacca. This is the deployment style of the three-carrier battle group envisioned by India.
However, India’s defense industry system and national defense scientific research system are not complete. Under such circumstances, it is very difficult for India to form a combat capability with two aircraft carrier battle groups or to have three aircraft carrier battle groups.
(CNR Military Channel Reporter: Song Pengchao)Return to Sohu to see more
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