Amphibious Operations
In 2008 India unveiled the joint doctrine for its amphibious operations. The doctrine is meant to serve as a guideline on how the armed forces intend to plan and conduct amphibious operations and achieve full synergistic effect of joint combat power.
Whether engaged in full conventional assault operations or peacekeeping / humanitarian support, amphibious forces provide an increasingly important role in today's uncertain strategic environment. Bearing in mind India’s extensive coastline and many island territories, an effective amphibious capability is essential for safeguarding national interests and creating deterrence so as to ensure peace and stability in the Indian Ocean. Amphibious forces have the capability to project a sustainable presence in coastal and offshore areas. Amphibious tasks are essentially categorised as assault, demonstration, raid and withdrawal operations. These tasks could be undertaken in various scenarios including conventional war, defence of island territories, assistance to friendly littoral states in the region, peacekeeping under the United Nations Charter and any other special operations necessitating employment of an amphibious force.
An amphibious operation is not the mere landing of an Army unit tasked with an in stride autonomous land operation. On the contrary it is a complex joint operation, launched from offshore, committing naval, land and possibly air forces, carried out on an hostile coast that might be hold by enemy forces.
Light tanks are needed for India's amphibious forces, which protect island territories like the Andaman and the Lakshadweep archipelagvos and offshore assets like Bombay High. The Hyderabad-based 54 Infantry Division is earmarked for amphibious tasks. But it hasn't bought the light tanks that will be launched from these ships — an essential component of any amphibious force.
The Indian Army has been augmenting its amphibious capabilities for long. One of the most advanced amphibious warships of the Indian Navy, the INS Shardul, was affiliated to the 5 Armoured Regiment of the Indian Army in 2008. Loaded with state-of-the-art equipment, INS Shardul is an amphibious warship capable of transporting personnel and accomplishing all objectives of beaching operations. The 5 Armoured Regiment holds some of the most potent and advanced tanks in the world. Since 2002, the regiment has been at the cutting edge of the mechanised operations.
On the basis of the overall situation, content and objective of the operations the COSC will designate the Theatre Commander concerned who will be responsible for the overall campaign. He will function with an integrated staff from all component Services. The three Services will nominate their respective component force commanders, ie the Commander Amphibious Task Force (CATF), Land Force Commander (LFC) and Air Force Commander (AFC). Though the CATF will be the coordinator among the three Services during the planning phase, the CATF, LFC, and AFC will function with individual and independent access to the Overall Force Commander. However, during the embarkation, movement and assault phases, and until the ATF is dissolved, the CATF will exercise command authority over the ATF. Besides, the CATF will have command authority over all forces operating in the Amphibious Objective Area (AOA) including those that are not part of the ATF.
On receipt of the operational directive from the COSC, the Theatre Commander will issue an initiating directive to the CATF, LFC and AFC. This initiating directive is, in essence, an amplification of the operational directive and contains the information necessary to carry out the task. Thereafter the tri-Service planning staff will prepare detailed plans based on which a formal operational order is issued; this constitutes the basis on which the three Services components would make their detailed plans.
The assault phase encompasses the preparation of beaches for assault by naval guns, ship-to-shore movement of the landing force, link-up between surface and air-landed assault forces and landing of the remaining elements of the landing force for accomplishment of the mission. Detailed planning, preponderance of firepower, and coordination for speedy landing of tanks, guns, vehicles and infantry in correct sequence are vitally important for success of amphibious assault. Air defence and maintenance of logistic support throughout the assault also need to be ensured.
Amphibious Exercises
A major tri-service amphibious exercise “Amphex” was conducted in the Andaman and Nicobar group of islands from 02-10 Nov 2001 in which assets from the three services and coast guard will be participating. This was the first major exercise to be conducted in the operational area of the recently formed integrated Andaman and Nicobar Command. Apart from a mountain brigade of the Army specially earmarked for amphibious operations, elements of special and mechanised forces, artillery, air defence artillery, engineer and logistics elements participated.
From the Air Force, Jaguar aircraft operated in the maritime strike roles. In addition, IL-76, AN-32 and helicopters carried out air logistics, communication and para drop operations in the islands. Naval participation included a large number of ships and aircraft including amphibious ships and long range maritime patrol aircraft. As part of the exercise, special forces carried out a parachute drop from IAF transport aircraft. Multiple means of insertion of special forces, assault on landing beaches, carriage of under slung loads by helicopters into areas where helipads do not exist and slithering operations for induction of special troops on beaches were conducted.
A Tactical Exercise (TACEX) cum Amphibious Exercise involving units of Eastern Naval Command and Andaman and Nicobar Command was conducted in the Andaman Sea from October 10 to 16, 2007. The amphibious phase witnessed landing of Indian Army troops at Kamorta and Kardip by naval ships. AMPHEX 07, was a major tri service exercise undertaken to validate the Joint Amphibious Doctrine.
The Indian Army, Navy and the Air Force today jointly conducted the largest ever Amphibious Exercise codenamed "EXERCISE TROPEX-2009" at Madhavpur beach, Gujarat. The amphibious landing, the most complex of all military manoeuvres involving coordination and synergy from conceptualization to planning and final execution, was ably demonstrated on the shores of Madhavpur. The element of Coast Guard was also a part of this short, swift and intense conflict.
The pre-assault operations of planning, mobilization and embarkation having been achieved at Karwar, the Amphibious Task Force sailed from Karwar on February 05, 2009 and landed on the shores of Madhavpur today using the newly inducted Landing Platform Dock (LPD) INS Jalashwa, several Landing Ship Tank Large {LST(L)}, fleet ships with their integral helicopters, shore-based aircraft and submarines from the Indian Navy and Hovercraft of the Coast Guard. This is the first time the Joint Doctrine on Amphibious Warfare of the Indian Armed Forces which was formulated last year was put into practice with its full scope. As a precursor to the present operation, a tri-service landing operation, 'TRIVENI' was conducted at Lakshadweep Islands in early January this year.
Air support is critical to any amphibious operations since mortars and artilliary are not available abinitio on landing. HQ Southern Western Air Command deployed its Jaguars which carry a large array of weapons, flying at 200 feet pulled up and carried out rocket attacks with pin-point accuracy on simulated enemy targets. MiG 29 aircraft with its state of the art radar and ultra modern missiles carried out Combat Air Patrol over Madhopur to out-manoeuvre incoming enemy aircraft.
Tanks, Armoured Personnel Carriers and Infantry troops of 91 Infantry Brigade of the Sudarshan Chakra Corps were carried in both stand-off and hard beaching modes. Use of deployment of troops exploiting third dimension, i.e. airborne and heliborne formed an integral part of the exercise. AN-32 aircraft paradropped Para troopers from the skies followed by slithering operations by MI-8 helicopters to deploy troops at the assault area. Troops in waves emerged from the sea and carried out effective assaults on the beach of Madhavpur. The defensive layout depicting the enemy were from the Golden Katar Division of the Indian Army.
The exercise exhibited high level of coordination and synergy between the Armed Forces to carry out such swift and intense conflict during military operations. It also provided tremendous training value through the testing of human and material endurance, execution of organizational and logistics plans and finally delivering the punch in a mock battle.
Amphibious Ships
There are three types of major amphibious warfare vessels: the amphibious transport dock [formerly known as landing platform dock (LPD) or landing ship dock (LSD)], the amphibious assault ship or landing platform helicopter (LPH), and the landing ship, tank (LST). The LPD carried a fully-equipped mechanised battalion (800-1,000 men) which is delivered to the shore in small landing craft or, increasingly, landing craft, air cushion (LCAC) operated from a flooded dock area in the ship’s stern. Most LPDs also have provision for helicopter operations with a flight deck over the flooded dock area and they often have helicopter hanger space. The role of the LPD is complemented by the LPH, which has rotary-wing aircraft as the prime means of delivering troops and supplies. The LPH plays a similar role to the LPD, and often incorporates a flooded dock area with landing craft or LCACs. The first American LPHs were conventional aircraft carriers converted to the helicopter assault role. By contrast to these vessels, the LST is designed to deliver a company-sized force direct to shore. It is a shallow draft vessel which discharges its passengers over (or through) the bow.
The LPD and LPH are well suited to provide humanitarian aid. The large amphibious warfare vessel can be used to rush troops to meet a military crisis, which happened in Brunei in 1962, or to provide aid after a disaster as happened in Indonesia after the 2004 tsunami or to move populations as happened in Vietnam in 1954-1955. They may also be used in amphibious assaults although there have no forcible entry operations since the Second World War, apart from the Inchon landing in 1950.
The Indian Navy has built landing ships for tanks; it has bought the INS Jalashwa (formerly the USS Trenton) from the United States. INS Jalashwa (ex USS Trenton) acquired from US(Navy) was commissioned at Norfolk (USA) on June 22, 2007. Subsequently, on completion of trials, the ship commenced her passage to India on August 2, 2007. The ship reached Visakhapatnam on September 9, 2007. She adds a new dimension to the Indian Navy's operational prowess and provides flexibility of use for a large variety of roles including Disaster Relief during natural calamities. The ship is the first Landing Platform Dock (LPD) in the Indian Navy.
