INS Kadamba

INS Kadamba is an Indian Navy base located near Karwar in Karnataka.[1] The first phase of construction of the base, code-named Project Seabird, was completed in 2005 and the base was commissioned on 31 May 2005.[2] Development of Phase II commenced in 2011. INS Kadamba is currently the third largest Indian naval base, and is expected to become the largest naval base in the eastern hemisphere after completion of expansion Phase IIB.[3][4]

INS Kadamba
Karwar, Karnataka
INS Kadamba
TypeNaval station
Site information
Controlled byIndian Navy
Site history
Built2005 (2005)
In use2005–present
Garrison information
OccupantsWestern Naval Command

History

During the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971, the Indian Navy faced security challenges for its Western Fleet in Mumbai Harbour due to congestion in the shipping lanes from commercial shipping traffic, fishing boats and tourists. At the end of the war, various options were considered on addressing these concerns.[5] Alternative locations for a base on the west coast were evaluated, including Thiruvananthapuram, Kannur and Thoothukudi.[6]

In the early 1980s, then Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Oscar Stanley Dawson conceived of a dedicated naval base sandwiched between the craggy hills of the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea near Karwar in Karnataka state. Located south of the naval bases in Mumbai and Goa and north of Kochi, the location had significant advantages as being very close to the world's busiest shipping route between the Persian Gulf and east Asia and out of range of most strike aircraft from neighbouring countries. It also offered a natural deep-water harbour and significant land area for expansion, allowing larger aircraft carriers to berth. However, due to a variety of reasons, including the 1991 economic crisis, development was delayed.[4]

Project Seabird

In 1999, following Pokhran-II, then Defence Minister George Fernandes approved Project Seabird to pursue the construction of the new naval base at Karwar. Larsen & Toubro was the lead contractor for the marine works on the harbour, in partnership with Hochtief, Ballast Nadem Dredging of the Netherlands, Radisson of Australia and Nedeco of The Netherland. Over five km (3.1 mi) of breakwater were constructed using over 4.4 million cubic metres of rock to protect the harbour.[7] The Binaga Bay was dredged and its rock outcrops blasted to allow even large aircraft carriers to turn inside the bay. Anjadip Island is one of the two islands to which the breakwaters are linked for reinforcement. A second channel will be added to the base to allow warships to enter and exit the port simultaneously.[4]

Phase I expansion
INS Delhi docked using the ship-lift system at Naval Ship Repair Yard at INS Kadamba.

Spread over an area of 45 square kilometres (11,000 acres) and 23 km (14 mi) of coastline on the Arabian Sea, Phase I of INS Kadamba was commissioned on 31 May 2005.[8][9] The expanded base opened in 2007, with space for up to 11 front-line warships and 10 smaller FIC-type boats. Key facilities include the 10,000 tonne, 175 m × 28 m (574 ft × 92 ft) ship lift, a ship transfer system for dry docking at the Naval Ship Repair Yard, and a 141-bed naval hospital INHS Patanjali.[10][11] Naval Ship Repair Yard commenced functioning in July 2006 and the ship-lift was commissioned on 8 November 2006.[12] Commodore K P Ramachandran was the first Commanding Officer of Kadamba.

Phase-I was completed at a total cost of ₹2,629 crore (US$369 million).[13]

Phase II expansion

Development of Phase II of INS Kadamba was supposed to commence in 2011[5] but got delayed due to lack of environmental clearance. The Phase-IIA expansion approval was obtained from the Cabinet Committee on Security in 2012, after getting approval from then Defence Minister A K Antony, and ₹13,500 crore (US$2 billion) were granted.[14][15] The environment clearance for Phase II was granted in June 2014 on a priority basis for strategic reasons by the environment minister Prakash Javadekar of Narendra Modi government.[16] The work will now commenced in 2016 and is expected to be completed by 2022.[17]

Under the proposed expansion plans, a 3,000 feet long runway will be built. If the Centre and the State send request to the Indian Navy seeking to utilize the runway for civil aviation aircraft, the runway length will be increased to 6,000 feet. Post completion as many as 30 warships can be anchored at the base and it would have a hangar to hold as many military aircraft. The Indian Navy, through the State government, has acquired 11,334 acres of land which includes 8,661 acres of forest land.[17]

Phase II-A

Phase II-A is expected to commence in 2017 and end in 2021–2022 with an expected cost of Rs 19,600 crore. The project is expected to generate large scale employment and infuse money into the local economy. In this phase, the base will undergo the following upgrades:[18][19]

  • Eight operational jetties, two refit jetties, four cover drivers and full-pledged dockyards to handle additional ships
  • Naval air station for helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles and medium transport aircraft with a civil terminal
  • INHS Patanjali will be upgraded from 141-bed to 400-bed hospital
  • Second Kendriya Vidyalaya

After completion of this phase, the base will have over one hundred thousand personnel working there, apart from their families living in an upcoming residential township. Apart from berthing INS Vikramaditya, two more aircraft carriers will be homeported here. For this, two more jetties will be used. A few of the Kalvari-class submarines will also be based here.[15]

Phase II-B

After the completion of this phase of the project, INS Kadamba will be able to base 50 front-line warships, and will be the biggest naval base east of the Suez canal.[3][4][14]

Important milestones
  • Initial Sanction - 1985[20]
  • Foundation Stone laid - 24 October 1986
  • Acquisition of land - 1985–1988
  • Master Plan & DPR - 1990
  • Truncated Phase 1 sanctioned - Oct 1995
  • Execution of project - 1995–2005
  • Rehabilitation Phase 1 - 1995–1999
  • Construction commenced - 2000
  • Priority Housing - February 2003
  • Breakwater completed - February 2004
  • Sailors Residential Colony - July 2004
  • Anchorage completed - November 2004
  • Pier completed - February 2005
  • Officers Colony at Kamath Bay - February 2004
  • Docking of the first navy ship INS Shardul[4]
  • Karwar Naval Hospital - Feb 2005 (Temporary location)
  • Ship Lift installed - Apr 2005
  • Visit by US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter with Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar - 12 April 2016[21][22]

See also
Indian navy
Integrated commands and units
Other lists

References
  1. "INS Kadamba". Indian Navy. Archived from the original on 8 December 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  2. "INS Kadamba". Indian Navy. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  3. Karwar Naval Base Gears Up For Second Phase of Expansion at a Cost of About $3 Billion
  4. Unnithan, Sandeep (20 December 2004). "Power Base". India today. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  5. "India Opens Major Western Naval Base Near Karwar". Defense Industry Daily. 17 October 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  6. "Seabird on course". Frontline. 20 December 2003. Archived from the original on 8 January 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  7. "INS Kadamba - Naval Base at Karward". India Defence. 1 June 2005. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  8. "INS Kadamba commissioned". Rediff. 31 May 2005. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  9. "Karwar naval project takes off from May 31". The Hindu. 22 May 2005. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  10. India Opens Major Western Naval Base Near Karwar
  11. "INS Kadamba commissioned". The Hindu. 1 June 2005. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  12. "Naval Ship Repair Yard (Karwar)". Indian Navy. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
  13. "Green nod for radar station at Narcondam in Andamans". The Economic Times. 12 June 2014. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  14. Strategic Karwar naval base set for major expansion
  15. "Karwar to get India's largest Naval base". The New Indian Express. 10 December 2012. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  16. "Environment minister Prakash Javadekar clears Karwar Naval Base project". timesofindia-economictimes. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  17. "Seabird phase II work will start by 2016: Naval officer". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  18. "Seabird project expansion to commence next year". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  19. "Project Seabird II will generate more employment: Admiral - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  20. "Project Seabird". Indian Navy. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
  21. Correspondent, By Our Defence. "US Defence secy gets a taste of INS Vikramaditya". Mathrubhumi. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
  22. "Parrikar, Carter visit naval base at Karwar, INS Vikramaditya". Zee News. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
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