- INS Kadamba
-
Coordinates: 14°45′51.20″N 74°7′42.36″E / 14.764222°N 74.1284333°E
INS Kadamba is part of an initiative of the Indian Navy to develop a blue water navy and to acquire strategic depth. The project was first envisioned by the Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Oscar Stanley Dawson during the 1980s. However, the initiative was not adopted intil 1999, under the tenure of Defence Minister, George Fernandes, who spearheaded a new drive to realise the project under the name Project Seabird.
The first phase of Project Seabird, completed in 2005 involved the construction of a large new naval base (INS Kadamba) at Karwar in Karnataka, for exclusive use by the Indian Navy. The primary motivation for building a new base on the western coast is the overcrowding at the major harbours of Mumbai and Vishakhapatnam, as well as at the smaller ports of Kochi and Goa, which the Indian Navy has to share with commercial vessels. On the east coast, Visakhapatnam can provide berths for fifty vessels, which is adequate for India’s security needs in the east. However, the west coast ports are congested with merchant vessels, particularly Mumbai. This often forces Western Naval Command vessels to wait before they can dock. The shallow approach channel at Mumbai may also make it impossible for larger aircraft carriers of the future to dock.
The crowded Mumbai harbour also provides no opportunity for expansion, especially because of sensitive nearby buildings like the Bombay Stock Exchange. Establishing a dedicated Naval base at Karwar will alleviate these problems, and provide strategic depth to the Indian Navy. The topography of Karwar bay is also favourable with a deep, even approach channel of water for navigation and berthing, low silt deposit rates, and forested terrain for privacy.
Other locations considered were Thiruvananthapuram, Kannur and Thoothukudi. Further development of the base will include Phase II (to double most of the existing facilities), a new naval air station and ultimately enough berths for fifty naval vessels. Efforts have been initiated by the Karnataka state government and the Airports Authority of India in conjunction with the Navy to plan for an international airport that can handle A320s.[1]
References
- ^ Sabha, Rajya (2006-12-19). "Government exploring possibilities opening of Karwar airport for civilian air services". PIB Press Release (Press Information Bureau, Government of India). http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=23471. Retrieved 2010-12-27.
External links
Categories:- Indian Navy
- Indian Navy bases
- Indian military stubs
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
