“Aged U.S. warship comes with strings”
Sandeep Dikshit
Curbs on offensive deployment; end-use clauses intrusive
NEW DELHI: India’s most ambitious military acquisition from the United States to date comes with strings attached: there are restrictions on its offensive deployment. And further, the end-use monitoring clauses agreed upon by India could mean intrusive inspections.
A damaging report on the purchase of USS Trenton tabled in Parliament on Friday noted that the $ 50-million deal was finalised after only a “visual inspection” and with “over-reliance” on information by the U.S. Navy.
The Comptroller and Auditor-General raised doubts over the military efficacy of USS Trenton (now INS Jalashwa) especially in view of the “restrictions on offensive deployment” and permission to the U.S. to “conduct an inspection and inventory of all articles transferred under the end-use monitoring clause.”
The report said: “Given that the ship is of old vintage [1971], the Indian Navy would remain dependent upon foreign based support … the cost [of refurbishment] may also go up further.”
Moreover, the acquisition decision and inking of the contract took place the same day, signalling haste in purchasing the ship.
A month ago, six Indian Navy sailors including an officer died aboard the same ship following a toxic gas leak. It later transpired that this class of ships had suffered from this problem and three U.S. Navy sailors lost their lives in a similar incident.
Curbs not revealed
In the past, neither India nor the U.S. revealed the existence of curbs on offensive deployment. Besides, in various interactions there was no mention of the end-use monitoring clause. An attempt during U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates’ recent visit to conclude an end-user clause for further exports of sensitive equipment was stymied by Defence Minister A.K. Antony. The end-user clause for the U.S. ship was signed when Pranab Mukherjee was Defence Minister.
Australia’s case
The Indian Navy also did not draw lessons from Australia’s purchase of similar ships from the U.S. without proper examination, causing time overruns from one to three years and cost escalation by three times. The Navy seemed to be facing a similar predicament because despite inducting the ship, it had to negotiate with a foreign firm for refurbishing the weapon systems and had to sign another agreement to ensure the supply of spares.
Had the Indian Navy not opted for the ship, the U.S. would have decommissioned it in 2006.
A simple “joint visual inspection” led Indian Navy officers to conclude that the ship would last for another 12-15 years. But the CAG report found that the U.S. Navy had concluded in 2003 that the ship was not suitable for modernisation and should be decommissioned.
The CAG report may dampen the Navy’s interest in a U.S. offer to sell another ship of the same class. Jalashwa is the second biggest ship with the Indian Navy and is intended to fill a crucial gap in transporting a large number of men and equipment for beach assaults.
----------------------------------------------
The Hindu : National : “Aged U.S. warship comes with strings”