Karwar naval base moves towards Phase II

Phase I of the Navy's state-of-the-art, integrated base at Karwar is almost complete. The harbour has been built, a 420 x 185 metre jetty has been constructed, there are berthing facilities for 10 ships as well as accommodation and facilities for over 1,000 officers, sailors and their families.

The piece de resistance is a modern naval ship repair yard with a Rs157-crore, 10,000-tonne shiplift and ship transfer system, the only one of its kind in India. The armament depot is to start operating in just a few months away, and INS Kadamba, as the base has been christened after the ancient and illustrious rulers of the region, is all set to become India's fourth naval command headquarters.

Eventually, it will be the biggest such base east of the Suez Canal, but that is only after Phase II is complete. Phase I, which was truncated for paucity of funds, cost Rs2,480 crore. Phase II, which has already received in-principle sanction, was to have started in 2005 and be completed by 2010, and to cost around Rs2,500 crore. At present, the Navy is in the process of submitting the plans to the government, and the Cabinet Committee on Security is expected to clear it by the end of 2007.

Phase II will involve expansion of the berthing facilities to accommodate 25 ships, tugs and barges. Manpower will go up to 300 officers and around 2,500 sailors. It will be the only base in the country where large ships like the 44,500-tonne Kiev Class Soviet-built aircraft carrier 'Admiral Gorshkov', which will be renamed INS Vikramaditya, can berth. The carrier will be based at INS Kadamba.

Naval airbase
The construction of a naval air station with a 6,000-foot runway will also be part of phase II. The Karnataka state government wants to operate civilian commercial Airbus 320 flights, for which the runway will have to be extended to 10,000 feet. A site survey by the Airports Authority of India indicated that the extension can be accomplished by just 75 hectares more land. The defence ministry, the civil aviation ministry and the Karnataka government are in discussion on the proposal.

It may not be completely ready, but the base is already operational. The shiplift, which can also be used for underwater hull repairs, has been busy ever since it was commissioned a year ago. Five naval  ships are now based at INS Kadamba -amphibious warfare vessel INS Shardul, large patrol craft INS Sukanya and INS Subhadra, replenishment tanker and repair ship INS Aditya and the diving support ship INS Nireekshak. Around 110 officers and 700 sailors are posted at the base.