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Amphib’s condition could sour arms sales

NEW DELHI — India is so disappointed with the poor condition of its recently purchased U.S. amphibious ship that other U.S. weapons sales could be in jeopardy, an Indian Defence Ministry official said.

On March 14, the government’s independent audit agency blasted the Indian navy for buying the USS Trenton for $50.63 million without checking it out first.

“The non-negotiable offer of the foreign Navy was accepted without a rigorous technical evaluation of the actual physical state of the ship and onboard equipment,” the Comptroller and Auditor General of India said in its annual report, which was presented to parliament on March 14. “Rather, there was over-reliance on information provided by the foreign Navy on the condition and maintenance history of the ship.”

Defense News obtained a copy of the 107-page report.

But Navy officials turned the criticism toward the United States. One senior Navy official said the poor condition of the ship, which has been recommissioned as INS Jalashava, casts doubt on the reliability of U.S. weapons and gear.

The comptroller’s report also disparaged conditions on the U.S. sale that prevent India from using the ship for offensive purposes.

“Restrictive clauses raise doubts about the real advantage from this deal,” the report said.

Zachariah Mathews, a retired Indian Navy commodore and defense analyst, said, “There are very many U.S. laws that have restrictive clauses for use of [Foreign Military Sales] equipment. The clause restricting the offensive operating profile of the ship ... actually protects other nations, should U.S.-supplied equipment be used to attack that country or its installations.

“However, there is no restriction of using it for defensive purposes in case of war,” Mathews said. “In a peacetime situation, there is no restriction at all.”

India purchased the Trenton through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program to boost the Navy’s littoral-warfare capabilities.

“The Indian Navy will deploy Jalashava according to its service requirements both in peace and in war,” said Ravi Vohra, a retired vice admiral and director of the National Maritime Foundation here. “The question you must consider [is], ‘Has Pakistan ever asked the U.S. before using U.S.-supplied weapons and equipment against India in the past wars?’ The answer is no. Then why should India?”

The Navy is drafting a long-term plan for buying ships for sea denial, policing and littoral warfare, including large Landing Platform Decks (LPDs), Navy sources said. The Defence Ministry official said the report could turn India away from FMS purchases in favor of holding global competitions or building LPDs at home.

The auditor’s report cast doubt on the ship’s ability to serve as a combat-worthy vessel, but Indian Navy sources and analysts said the situation is not that bad.

“The ship is in good shape,” Vohra said. “It is much better-maintained than what we would be able to do in India to ships of that age. Just imagine the difference this ship would have made for providing relief post-tsunami,” in early 2005.

Mathews said the ship has at least five and possibly 10 years of service life left. He also said it is a valuable asset despite the restrictions.