Project Seabird Karwar
Source : PIB
GS III : Internal Security

Overview of Project Seabird Karwar

1. About the News
2. What is Project Seabird?
3. Indian Naval Command

Why in News?

Recently Rajnath Singh visited the Karwar Naval Base in Karnataka to review the progress of ongoing infrastructure development under ‘Project Seabird’.

Key Facts

• • Ongoing works at the Naval Base and received on-site briefings including capability demonstration at the Shiplift Tower.
  • The marine works/infrastructure being developed as part of Project Seabird Phase II A.
  • After the completion of the project the Kawar Naval Base would become Asia’s largest Naval base
  • This would further bolster the operational readiness of the Armed Forces and help in augmenting trade, economy & humanitarian aid operations.
  • It is out of range of most strike aircraft from neighbouring countries and is located very close to the world’s busiest shipping route between the Persian Gulf and East Asia.
  • After the completion of this project, the INS Kadamba will be able to base 50 front-line warships, and will be the biggest naval base east of the Suez canal.

In 1999, following Pokhran-II, then Defence Minister George Fernandes approved Project Seabird to pursue the construction of the new naval base at Karwar.

What is Project Seabird?

• • It is the largest naval infrastructure project for India.
  • Project Seabird involves construction of a naval base over an area of 11,169 acres.
  • The project aims for creation of a naval base at Karwar on the west coast of India.

    

  • It is a $3 billion decade-long project.
  • Upon completion provide the Indian Navy with its largest naval base on the west coast.
  • Also the largest naval base east of the Suez Canal.
  • AECOM will manage and oversee the planning, design, contracting, construction and acceptance of the entire works, including construction of a new Naval Air Station.
  • Construction of naval air station is one of the major highlights of the second phase.
  • Also called as INS Kadamba is currently the third-largest Indian naval base.

Phases of the project 

• • Phase I comprised construction of a deep-sea harbour, breakwaters dredging, a township, a naval hospital, a dockyard uplift centre and a ship lift. It was completed in 2005.
  • Phase-II of Project Seabird is the expanding facilities to house additional warships and set up a new Naval Air Station, among other plans.

Why the Project Seabird is needed?

• • During the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971 Navy faced security challenges for its Western Fleet in Mumbai Harbour due to congestion in the lanes. 
  • 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.
  • New and expanded naval complex will be able to support several major warships and submarines and yard crafts.
  • Besides the region provided a natural deep-water harbour and a huge amount of land for growth, allowing bigger aircraft carriers to port.
  • Also Karwar is a coastal city that attract tourist, Navy air station along with civil terminal project under Project Seabird helps the growth of the destination. 

What are the major Facilities?

• • A specialised dockyard repair and maintenance facilities.
  • Country’s first sealift facility, a unique ship-lift.
  • Covered dry berths for ships and submarines.
  • New technologically advanced security and communication systems.
  • Naval Air Station.
  • Various utilities systems as well as housing and residential complexes at multiple locations.
  • The Navy’s lone aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya is based at Karwar.

Self Reliance in Indian Navy

• • Two-thirds of the Indian Navy’s modernisation budget has been spent on indigenous procurement in the last five financial year
  • Out of 48 ships and submarines, 46 were being inducted through indigenous construction.
  • Project 75 (I), approved in 2007 is part of the Indian Navy’s 30 year Plan for indigenous submarine construction.
    • This aims indigenous construction of submarines equipped with the state-of-the-art Air Independent Propulsion system at an estimated cost of Rs. 43,000 crore.

Indian Naval Command

• • The Indian Navy currently operates three commands
    • Western Naval Command located at Mumbai
    • Southern Naval Command located at Kochi
    • Eastern Naval Command located at Visakhapatnam.
  • The Andaman and Nicobar Command, a unified Indian Navy, Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Coast Guard Command was set up in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in 2001.
  • The major bases of the Indian Navy are located at Mumbai, Goa, Karwar, Kochi, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Kolkata and Port Blair.

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