60 pc Sea King fleet grounded for want of spare parts

“All these are important to keep the bird flying…Sea King is an aircraft that can be put to versatile operations from land and marine platforms,” sources pointed out. Considered a force multiplier, all major warships of the Navy carry one or two of these helicopters. Apart from offering protection to ships when they are out at sea, they can remain airborne for extended operations and undertake missions ranging from destroying enemy submarines or surface ships.

The helos are used for electronic warfare, commando operations and search and rescue missions. They carry an array of armament and state-of-the-art sensors which include radars, sonars, anti-ship missiles, torpedoes and depth charges.Their non-availability has crippled the off-shore surveillance also.

But the most affected arm is the training division. With more than 15 Sea Kings grounded, the flying hours have come down to just 10 per month. Two versions of the helo are currently operated by the Navy. The 42 Bravo is the anti-submarine version and 42 Charlie, the commando version.

“The non-availability of spares has certainly been a major constraint,” admitted Vice-Admiral R N Ganesh, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Southern Naval Command. “It has affected our operational planning…Effectiveness of this versatile aircraft has been affected.”

The Navy has decided to sparingly use the remaining aircraft in view of the crisis. Many officers felt that UK could have helped India with the spares as there are numerous other channels open to that country like seeking the help of a third country for supplying them.” What has irked the officials most is the fresh American move to supply arms to Pakistan even while stamping an embargo on Indian spares.

The seriousness of the issue was explained to Defence Minister George Fernandes on his recent visit to Kochi. Sources said the Minister went to the naval air station and appraised himself about the gravity of the situation.