CHAPTER 19

FLEET ACTIVITIES

THE PATTERN OF FLEET ACTIVITY PRIOR TO 1965

Until 1965, there used to be two well defined exercise periods-Spring Exercises (SPRINGEX) and Summer Exercises (SUMMEREX).

Several factors had combined to coalesce into this pattern. The critical determinant was that there were not enough alongside berths in Bombay, as a result of which ships usually remained at the anchorage. This was not possible during the rough weather of the monsoon months and ships had either to be brought alongside or sent away from Bombay. The general practice was for the non operational ships to go alongside for repairs/refit and for operational ships to sail for the Bay of Bengal where maximum value could be derived from sea training in areas not seriously affected by the southwest monsoon. This also enabled joint exercises with Commonwealth navies at Trincomolee.

On completion of exercises, ships paid goodwill and flag-showing visits to neighbouring friendly countries.

The final phase of the summer exercise period was the CNS' Tactical Exercises held on the Fleet's return passage from Cochin to Bombay in September each year. The CNS usually invited Ministers of the Central Government and Governments of the maritime states, as well as senior officials from the Ministries of Defence and Finance (Defence) and Army and Air Force Headquarters to witness these exercises. The National Defence College also embarked during this period.

On arrival in Bombay in end September, ships commenced maintenance and defect rectification in preparation for Spring Exercises. During October, November and December, ships companies availed of annual leave and personnel were transferred in and out if necessary.

Spring Exercises from January to March were carried out off both the East and West coasts. As in the case of the Summer Exercises, ships participated in joint exercises with Commonwealth Navies, paid goodwill visits to neighbouring friendly countries and ended up with the Staff College students embarking fleet ships for witnessing exercise between Cochin and Bombay.

On arrival in Bombay in end March, block drafts/transfers were effected to coincide with end of children's school year. Maintenance and defect rectification were carried out in preparation for the Summer Exercises whilst personnel availed of annual leave.

This annual cycle comfortably met several requirements:

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JET Exercises with Commonwealth Navies

JET (Joint Exercises at Trincomalee) started in 1949 and were organised at Trincomalee on the east coast of Ceylon. Initially, JETs were held in the spring. Later, JETs were held during the height of the southwest monsoon when the west coast of India became unsuitable for naval exercises due to rain and rough seas. Trincomalee and the exercise areas in the vicinity were sheltered from the monsoon and provided calm seas.

Ships of Commonwealth navies participated in JET, which were held under the general guidance and control of the British Commander in Chief far East Fleet, using the facilities available at Trincomalee.

The pattern was for individual ships to shake down, followed by each Commonwealth Navy working up its ships and culminating in Combined/Joint Exercises in the Bay of Bengal. The combined exercises lasted for a period of two weeks during which a variety of exercises were carried out, including gunnery firing practices at surface and aerial targets, anti submarine exercises with British submarines as targets, replenishment at sea with British tankers, ship manoeuvres and culminating in large scale tactical exercises. The basic advantage of these exercises was the exposure to contemporary tactics and cross-operating with other navies.

Until 1958, all exercises were held at Trincomalee:

In September 1958, the British Navy's East India Station at Trincomalee closed down. From 1959 onwards, JET exercises started being conducted in phases:

In 1959, 1960 and 1961, a British submarine was made available every year for anti submarine exercises during Phase 1 off Cochin, particularly with the new British frigates which had started arriving from 1958 onwards.

In December 1964, exercises were conducted with the submarine AMBUSH off Bombay and in July 1965 with the submarine ASTUTE off Madras and Visakhapatnam.

Go on topTHE PATTERN OF FLEET ACTIVITY 1965 TO 1975

Until 1965, the Navy's operational cycle was determined primarily by the fact that the Bombay Dockyard was unable to provide sheltered alongside berths during the monsoon months. After the Indo Pakistan War of 1965, the operational cycle was governed by the decision that 60% of the Fleet was to be operational in the Arabian Sea throughout the year.

Between 1965 and mid 1971, the Petyas and submarines arrived from Russia. They used to transit from their base in Visakhapatnam to exercise with the Fleet in the Arabian Sea. With submarines now available, there was a marked increase in anti submarine exercises in the Arabian Sea. Not many exercises were carried out in the Bay of Bengal.

After the Indo Pakistan War of December 1971, it took nearly two years for the Eastern Fleet (which had been formed in November 1971) to commence meaningful exercises. The basic reason was that the earlier Petyas and submarines were undergoing repairs and refit after their prolonged utilisation in 1971. Such ships and submarines as were available had very limited motoring hours left. The maintenance, repair and refit facilities had yet to come up in Visakhapatnam. Moreover, in view of the unpredictability of Pakistan's intentions after the surrender of its forces in East Pakistan, the Navy had decided to base the five new Petyas and the four new submarines in Bombay. Overall, the Eastern Fleet had very few ships it could call operational. By 1974, the position improved and both Fleets started exercising in their respective waters.

The Fleets activities between 1965 and 1975 marked a transformation from the pre 1965 Springex/Summerex pattern to the 1975 era of practice missile firings (PMFs), amphibious exercises (AMPHEXs), individual fleet Tactical Exercises (TACEXs) and Combined Fleet TACEXs, whilst still meeting the training requirements of the NDA, the DSSC and the NDC and essential requirements like Joint Exercise with other navies and goodwill visits.

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TACTICAL EVALUATIONS

A significant feature of exercises from 1973 onwards was the emphasis on the tactical evaluations of the new weapon platforms. By then, the lessons of the 1971 War had been analysed and digested. The nature of surface warfare had changed with the induction of surface to surface missiles. The nature of anti air warfare had changed with the induction of Seacat anti aircraft missiles in the Leanders and high rate of fire guns in the Petyas and the missile boats. The nature of anti submarine warfare had changed with the induction of medium range sonars in the Leanders and the Petyas, variable depth sonar in NILGIRI, dunking sonars in the Seakings and anti submarine homing torpedoes in the Petyas, the Seakings and the MATCH helicopters in the Leanders.

Not only had the capabilities and limitations of each of these systems to be determined, but also their utilisation dovetailed into Fleet Operating and Tactical Instructions. It became timely for the Navy to start formulating its own tactical doctrines, appropriate to its unique mix of Western and Russian sensors and weapons.

In 1974, a Tactics Committee was formed in Naval Headquarters, with analogous Committees in each Fleet and Command. Intensive interaction and evaluations progressively led to multi- system evaluations and culminated in structured Joint Fleet Exercises conducted by Naval Headquarters to evaluate and validate Fleet tactical doctrines before they were promulgated.

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THE PATTERN OF FLEET ACTIVITY AFTER 1975

The momentum built up by 1975 in tactical evaluations of individual types of ships, submarines, helicopters and aircraft, followed by Fleet exercise to validate evolving tactical doctrine, continued after 1975. This procedure was to stand the Navy in good stead when the new Russian guided missile frigates, ocean going rocket boats and IL 38 MRASW aircraft were inducted along with the improved Leander class frigates TARAGIRI and VINDHYAGIRI.

The distance from the mainland at which Fleet exercises were held was also steadily increased, to establish the Fleets' endurance for sustained mid-ocean operations.

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GOODWILL VISITS TO FRIENDLY COUNTRIES

Goodwill and flag showing visits by naval ships have traditionally been one of the important peacetime functions of the Navy. These visits fulfilled several worthwhile objectives.

In the case of foreign cruises by training ships, long cruises to distant ports are essential for cadets and midshipmen to acquire their sea legs and acquire the skills of seamanship and navigation in fair and foul weather. When they mix with cadets and midshipmen of other navies, they form the acquaintances which mature into friendships in later years.

Captain (later Vice Admiral) VEC Barboza was the Commanding Officer of the training cruiser INS DELHI in 1969. Admiral Barboza's recollections of this cruise convey the flavour of goodwill visits:

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