deployment of the PLA Navy ships in the - Information Resource ...

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Advanced Marine Engineering Course, popularly
called the Dagger “E” continued to be availed of in U.K.
till 1972, when a specialized facility was set up at the
Institute of Armament Technology, Pune, some 40
miles off Lonavala.
From the above, it becomes amply clear that
both the basic and the advanced Marine Engineering
Courses have been completed and successfully
established in India even to the extent of attracting
foreign students from the Navies of the developing
countries. A few engineer officers, however,
continued to be sent to UK for Dagger “E” and RCDS
as a matter of goodwill.
ICE Training Complex (1964)
The acquisition of the Type 41 Leopard class
A/A frigates fitted with ASR 1 and ASR 2 diesel engines
with block tube control and hydraulic fluid couplings
by the Indian Navy in 1961, led to the setting up of
diesel engine facility complex in 1964. This led to the
classification of engine-room sailors into the IC stream
and steam stream depending upon the specialization.
Leander (Steam) Training Complex (1978)
This complex came up in 1978 with the exact
replica of the entire range of main and auxiliary
machinery as fitted on a Leander frigate. Though the
first indigenously built Leander INS Nilgiri was
commissioned in Dec 1971, it can be seen that the
shore training facility came up only 7 years later,
thereby indicating a major mismatch between the
time of acquisition of ship and the setting up of the
training facilities ashore. The Leander project was
made feasible mainly due to the support and
cooperation extended by the Admiralty by way of
supply of manufacturing drawings, exquipment, test
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equipments and training of personnel. This served
as an excellent example of cooperation between the
two navies. The Leanders brought in its wake the entry
of Dieso-burning with steam atomization and a
pneumatic control machinery room – big leap from
FFO burning.
Gas Turbine Training Wing (1986)
The early 70’s saw a turning point in the policy
of acquisition of ships. Most of the acquisitions that
followed in 70’s and thereafter, mainly came from the
far East (USSR); heralded by the OSA class of fast patrol
boats which were effectively put in action in the Indo-
Pak 1971 war. The 80’s saw the acquisition of Kashin
class of destroyers which led to the setting up of the
Gas Turbine training wing in 1986. This is regarded
as a big leap in the propulsion field from steam to diesel
and now to gas. It, at once, became clear that the
Indian Navy has matured and grown to stature so as
to be a force to reckon with. The gas turbine driven
vessel added extra teeth and punch to our Navy. It
also introduced a different type of training philosophy
namely, the vertical type of training as practiced by the
Soviet Navy. The philosophy of the Soviet type of
training is distinct from the generalized type of training
as acquired by us from the Royal Navy. Both have its
merits and demerits. One cannot help recalling the
words of Lord Haldane at this stage to put the above
matter in a better perspective “It is only by the
possession of a trained and developed mind that the
fullest capacity can as a rule be obtained. There are,
of course, exceptional individuals with rare natural
gifts which make up for deficiencies. But such gifts are
indeed rare. We are coming more and more to
recognize that the best specialist can be produced only
after a long training in general learning. The grasp of
principle which makes detail easy can only come
when inate capacity has been evoked and moulded
by high training”
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