Jay

Indian Navy Commissions INS Jalashwa at Naval Station Norfolk
Story Number: NNS070622-29
Release Date: 6/22/2007 3:15:00 PM

By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Marissa Kaylor, Fleet Public Affairs Center Atlantic

NORFOLK (NNS) -- The landing platform dock INS Jalashwa (LPD 41) was commissioned by the Indian Navy during a ceremony June 22 at Naval Station Norfolk.

Jalashwa is the first of its class to be inducted into the Indian Navy and was commissioned by Indian Ambassador to the United States Shri Ronan Sen.

“This is a symbol of the great partnership between the two navies and all of us recognize the deep significance of the transfer to the Indian Navy,” said Sen.

The Indian Navy crew came to the United States in October 2006 for joint training with the American crew, which included two at-sea periods.

Jalashwa, formerly U.S. Navy amphibious transport dock USS Trenton (LPD 14), the ship served in the U.S. Navy for more than 30 years and was decommissioned Jan. 17. This is the first ship to transfer from the United States to India.

“For two months we’ve been working shoulder to shoulder with U.S. Naval personnel and staying with them to complete tasks and evolutions,” said Indian Navy Capt. Brinder Ahluwalia, commanding officer of Jalashwa.

“It is a great honor to be the first captain of this ship. I couldn’t imagine a greater moment in my life. I just want to thank the U.S. Navy personnel that have been with us for the last eight months, the ship would not be what it is today without them,” said Ahluwalia.

According to the Indian Navy, Jalashwa represents a quantum jump in the Indian Navy's integral sealift and airlift capabilities. It provides a platform for power projection and the ability to transport and launch powerful expeditionary forces. She is the Indian Navy’s largest combat platform second only to the aircraft carrier Viraat (R-22).

The ship can carry 968 fully equipped troops along with their assault vehicles. Six UH-3H utility helicopters and four Landing Craft Mechanised –- eight are deployed for rapid build up of combat power ashore. Jalashwa will also fulfill an extremely vital role of providing the navy an ability to conduct large scale relief operations and humanitarian missions, the need for which was felt in the aftermath of the December 2004 Tsunami.
Indian Navy Commissions INS Jalashwa at Naval Station Norfolk

__________________
A grain of wheat eclipsed the sun of Adam !!

Jay

TopHatter

Those amphibs are so versatile, I'm sure the Indian Navy will see some good use out of her.

Side note: Man that is one packed naval station

(Anybody notice USS San Antonio in the background?)

gunnut

Now that you mentioned it...

I only saw 2 Burkes...

__________________
"Only Nixon can go to China." -- Old Vulcan proverb.

Ray

India must acquire power, before there is any thought of power projection!

A case of the cart before the horse!

The only thing good is that the US India defence cooperation is taking concrete shape.

__________________


"Some have learnt many Tricks of sly Evasion, Instead of Truth they use Equivocation, And eke it out with mental Reservation, Which is to good Men an Abomination."

I don't have to attend every argument I'm invited to.

HAKUNA MATATA

TopHatter

See it now?

Lots and lots of things India can do with their newly acquired amphib Sir, as I said, they're useful for all kinds of good stuff.

ajay_ijn

great powers should build than buy from others. but 40 mil dollar deal is not bad for this Ship like this.

wabpilot

With the closure of Charleston, Brooklyn and Charlestown navy yards, Norfolk has become very crowded. For all intents and purposes, the Atlantic Fleet surface force is homeported in just two places, Mayport and Norfolk.

Ray

I don't deny that. But what can be done with one amph tub is hardly 'power projection'. To do so, much more is required.

It has limited application and it is more of use of a "local" nature.

TopHatter

I'll say!
Driving up to the basin in Mayport was an assault to the senses for an uninitiated navy nerd like me who's seen perhaps 1-2 museum ships together, at the very most.

Oh very true, I see what you mean. But once India's carrier fleet is completed, things will be a bit different.

Jay

India is not a great power, its just confined to South Asian/Asian region. It costed almost $300 mill when it was commisioned and USN annually spent about $23 mill for maintenance, with out any experience in building these kinda ships, it would be next to impossible for India to build one.

Sir,
For IN which wants to project power within IOR, consider this as a jump start, for a naval expeditionary force.

joey

IN and US forces has already conducted relief mission, here is a full gallery with lots of pictures.

Mercy & Hope [www.bharat-rakshak.com]

Full 2 pages of pic...

__________________
www.techenclave.com
I'm very much gentleman :)

Opteron 146 EPAW (Venus SH-E4)||Asus A8N32 SLI Deluxe (Rev 1.02 & BIOS 1205)||Twinmos 1Gb Ram (2-3-3-5)||Geforce 6800Ultra (NV40C)||Creative X-FI Platinum||Seagate 7200.10 320GB SATA II (ST3300622AS)||Samsung 40Gb PATA (SP0411N)||Sony CDRW CRX230EE||SONY DVD-ROM DDU1621||Benq 1650||Antec NeoHE 500 Watts||Antec P180 (Custom Modded with Thermaltake Blue LED Smartfan and New Front Panel)||LG Flatron 775FT||Samsung Generic Keyboard||Copperhead

Jay

What TH mentioned is, this LPD can be used effectively to conduct large scale relief operations. Trenton was used to transport people out of Lebanon during the recent Hezbollah-Israel war in 2006.

joey

btw India and Italy might join hands for a new LPD 1 for each lets see...

The One

source:- USS Trenton is now INS Jalashva-The United States-World-The Times of India

USS Trenton is now INS Jalashva
19 Jan 2007, 0124 hrs IST,CHIDANAND RAJGHATTA,TNN


TRANSFER DEED: (Sitting from left) Commodore P Murugesan, Naval Attaché, Embassy of India, Washington DC with the Rear Admiral Garry E Hall of US Navy during signing of an agreement. Standing to the left is Captain BS Ahluwalia, Commanding Officer (Desig) and to the right Commander Sam Norton, Commanding officer, USS Trenton US Navy.


ABOARD THE USS TRENTON/INS JALASHVA: When an 18-member team from the Indian Navy boarded USS Trenton in Spain last October for a recce prior to its purchase by India, an American crew member sent home a cable that declared: "They speak English!"

The exclamatory remark was just one indication of the military chasm between the two countries despite the recent thaw that has seen them overcome half a century of Cold War baggage and ignorance. From getting used to gauges that measured in Fahrenheit and gallons and pounds per sq. inch, to figuring out how to get the bread machine to crank out chapattis, the Indians too faced a few challenges.

But on Wednesday, after nearly six months together at sea and in port during which they thrashed out every issue including which key fits which locker, some 650 sailors and officers from both sides exchanged warm goodbyes in wintry conditions as the Americans debarked Trenton one last time to transfer the ship to the Indian Navy.

At a colourful ceremony on board the enormous vessel berthed in Pier No.5 at Norfolk, Virginia, with the Honors Bos’n playing the pipes and the navy band playing Ruffles and Flourishes and the Admiral’s March, LDCR Donegan ordered the lowering of the ensign and the US colours. Rear Admiral Hall presented the transfer certificate to Commodore Murugesan, turning the ship over to the India.


Minutes later, after brief speeches that seemed to last an eternity in sub-zero temperatures, Captain BS Ahluwalia ordered his men to relieve the Americans of watch and hoisting of the Blue Ensign. And thus, USS Trenton became INS Jalashva, the latest acquisition of the Indian Navy and first American ship to join the Indian fleet

FROM WIKIPEDIA.


INS Jalashva is an amphibious transport dock currently in service with the Indian Navy. In early 2006, there were numerous press reports that the Indian Navy was negotiating with the United States for the purchase of this vessel. These reports later turned out to be true when the Indian government announced it will purchase USS Trenton for Rs 2.18 billion ($ 48.44 million). The US Government later revealed it had asked their Indian counterparts to keep this agreement under wraps as they felt it would arm the Non-Proliferation Activists and threaten the passage of the Indo-US Nuclear Deal.[1] The Indian Navy took possession of the ship on 17 January 2007 in Norfolk, Virginia after signing the transfer agreement by Commodore P Murugesan, Naval Attache, Embassy of India, Washington DC and the Rear Admiral Garry E Hall of US Navy.[2]. The Indian Navy has renamed the USS Trenton as the INS Jalashva (river horse, or hippopotamus) and plans to keep it at Norfolk Naval Base for refitting until May 2007.[3] Six UH-3 Sea King maritime utility transport helicopters will be operated from the ship.[4] Sea Harrier aircraft can be operated from the deck of the ship.[5] The ship is based at Visakhapatnam under the Eastern Naval Command. The ship was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 22 June 2007 at the Naval Station Norfolk, in United States. The ship was commissioned by Indian Ambassador to the United States Shri Ronan Sen. This is the first and only transfer of Naval ship from the United States to India.[6]

The sister ship USS Nashville (LPD-13) was also offered to India.[7]

Career (India)
Laid down: n/a
Launched: n/a
Acquired: 17 January 2007 (formerly USS Trenton
Status: Active service

General Characteristics
Displacement: 8894 tons light, 16590 tons full, 7696 tons dead
Length: 173.7 meters (570 feet) overall, 167 meters (548 feet) waterline
Beam: 30.4 meters (100 feet) extreme, 25.6 meters (84 feet) waterline
Draught: 6.7 meters (22 feet) maximum, 7 meters (23 feet) limit
Speed: 21 knots
Complement: 28 officers, 480 men, 1436 marines
Armament: 4 × 3 in / 50 caliber AA gun mounts
Aircraft carried: six UH-3 Sea King helicopters
Motto: "The fearless pioneers"

source:- INS Jalashva - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

IS THIS A GOOD DEAL FOR INDIA OR NOT?











.