THE BEGINNING--PART 2 WARNING--Continuation of my very long write up. Those looking for Santa-Banta type of two liners, please skip:- Directorate of Naval Design (DND) had been working on the design of an aircraft carrier. Now to validate the design, DCN, France had been approached to carry out a feasibility study for a 35000 tons carrier. We would be giving our requirements and they would give us a report with the basic design of the ship. France was building Charles de Gaulle, a 42000 tones nuclear carrier. A team comprising of a constructor, an engineering officer and an electrical officer had been formed to visit France for undertaking this task. VCNS (Vice Chief of the Naval Staff), Vice Admiral Subhash Chopra advised the DND to include an aviator in the team, otherwise they would be lost during any discussions about air operations. So far DNAS (Directorate of the Naval Air Staff) had been providing the information required by the DND on as required basis. The catch was that the leader of the team was a Commander from DND, so someone junior to him was required. I was of the same seniority as the leader, but my service number came before him. There was no help for it; there was no one junior to me with requisite flying and deck experience, and who could be spared. {May be the ‘etp’ (Experimental Test Pilot) written after my name did have some value after all!} I visited DND in Kailash colony, New Delhi. After a cordial welcome, I was shown the drawings of the flight deck of the proposed design. At once I realized that my task was cut out for me. The crude cut outs of the F18 were parked on the deck to make up the maximum number, ditto for the hangar. The parking resembled cars parked in an open ground for a political rally. With not even a foot to spare for any movement, the aeroplanes were parked facing every direction. I asked the designer showing me the drawings as to how he proposed to move an aeroplane in the hangar to the lift for bringing up the aircraft to the flight deck. He thought for a minute and then dragged the model sideways to the lift. I told him that as a matter of principle we discouraged aeroplanes being dragged sideways! He again thought for minute and then replied that an overhead crane fitted to roof of the hangar would be required to physically lift the aircraft and place it on the hangar lift for taking the aircraft to the flight deck! I maintained my neutral expression and thought that in that case, due to its height of the hangar of our new aircraft carrier would be competing with Quatub Minar as a tourist destination in India! I got them to make decent cut outs of the F 18. It suited me. F18 and MIg 29 had similar size. The cold war was not over as yet and the name Mig 29 could raise the hackles of the French. A crystal ball was not required for me to appreciate that in France, DCN would go all out to promote Rafale, their latest fighter, which was being tested for the deck operations. The cost of that flying machine was prohibitive in 1989. The USA had never given us any fighters. There was no earthly reason for them to change that thinking. In any case F18s would also not be costing just peanuts. And supposing we did manage both, USA would decide the list of our friends and the enemies for us!! The Sea Harriers were there but when the carrier commenced sailing, Harriers would be old, and the Brits had not come up with any further revolutionary ideas. This only left Mig 29 and SU 27 in the field. Russians were in the process of carrying out sea trials with both. SU 27 held a lead at that time. But SU 27 was a large aeroplane and not viable for a 40000 tons carrier. The Mig 29 is an excellent fighter, with proven track record. Mig 29 had carried out free take off using 190 meters deck with full load from the deck of the Russian aircraft carrier Kuznetsov. Even after allowing for higher temperatures in our waters, with a thrust to weight ratio of better than one, it could operate from ski jump and arrested landing from a carrier. Russians were building space stations, so making a naval version of Mig 29 could not be insurmountable obstacle for them. And for the last about thirty years they had been reliable suppliers of fighters for us. With the available data I worked on the deck requirement for arrested landing of Mig 29 and the space required for ski jump operations. The size of the flight deck required dictates the dimensions, and the tonnage of the aircraft carrier to a large extent. With the deck size that I presented to DND, they worked out that a carrier of about 40,000 tones would be required. The team leader Cdr. Jitendran had left for France. We followed a few days later. When we landed at Paris, the team leader, Jitendran and the French liaison officer came to receive us. The French liaison officer was a sixty three year old ex-Lt Cdr. We were accommodated in a place called Home Away From Home (the name was in French of course.) On behalf of DCN, the liaison officer took us out for dinner. Like all French he was extremely fond of wine and cheese. He also had enormous capacity for roast beef. After dinner, as we were walking back to our place. I fell in step with Jitendran and pulled ahead of the rest. I told him, “Jitendran, you don’t have to worry on my account. You are the leader of the team, and it is indisputable. You will get full cooperation from me. In fact, if you have any problem with other members, I shall be with you.” I think it touched a chord somewhere. From then on, he refused to go alone anywhere, when leader was required to interact with the French. I had to be with him all the time. He made sure that I was always sitting right next to him. He wouldn’t take any decision unless; he had discussed the matter with me. We were given an office on the first floor in Rue de Rivoli. Each one of us had a large sized room with a French window. The location was strategically chosen. There was continuous flow of attractive girls in the street. The aim was that we concentrate on issues other than the ship design. Since we were paying them, the design problem should be theirs only. Our interaction with DCN started the next day. As expected, they tried to push the design of Charles de Gaulle. It suited them. They just had to get the used prints of the ship and hand over to us. We insisted that they work on a38000 tones ship. Their contention was that it was impractical; it had to be 42000 tones for Rafale. Also for F 18, if we insisted. We fought hard against every meter increase in length, and every 100 tons of increase in weight. Larger the size, more expensive the ship. Also the problems of building such a ship in Cochin ship yard would multiply. I think, somewhere in the Indian defence establishment there was a convoluted logic that if the ship was of up to a certain tonnage (35000 tones?) it could be passed off as Air Defence Ship, but beyond that tonnage it would be considered a proper aircraft carrier, and display India’s aggressive designs. The atmosphere always remained cordial. There was a simple explanation for it.Despite our two weeks of French classes, our knowledge of French was negligible. So if they used unparliamentary language, we never found out. And when we used choicest Punjabi invective with a smiling countenance, they took these as compliment and responded with ‘merci’ (thank you)! After a few days, DCN team introduced an unguided missile in to the proceedings. To tackle my probing questions, they invited a French test pilot, who was involved with deck trials of Rafale. The moment he entered the room, he decided to form a union. He and I, two pilots were the only sensible people and the rest were there only by the way. He dominated the discussions, spoke loudly used gestures both decent and indecent, and disagreed with most of what others said. He generally suggested that I could depend upon him to give us what was required as far as aviation requirements were concerned. After the meeting was over, my mates had a good laugh at the entire proceedings and asked me if all test pilots behaved similarly. I had no doubt. Behind that charade was a razor sharp mind! During the next meeting I just pushed my questionnaire towards him, since in the previous meeting he had hardly allowed me to speak. He looked at me thoughtfully and was quite a different person after that. Tackling the French team was not a problem. The real problem was tackling my friend the liaison officer. His job was to promote the French industry. I had no dispute with that. He planned regular visits for us to various industries who were supplying support equipment for the carrier. I did not mind that. Most of these visits were for the benefit of Jitendran, and Jiterndran would not go unless I accompanied him. And there in lay the tragedy. Despite my pleading with the liaison officer repeatedly to request these suppliers not to organize lunches for us, his stock answer was that they would be offended if he refused. The real reason was his love for wine and roast beef. For some reason known only to them they insisted on serving beef/pork/mutton rare done, despite my vehement pleas for very, very well done dish. The only succour was our masala chicken and paranthas that we cooked in the kitchenette of our suites. I have not been able to unravel this mystery. During my stay of fifty days (I went twice for 25 days each, others had to stay for six months.) I saw only one fat woman! It was as if Paris had banned entries for plump ladies during the visit of the Indian design team!! One day while we were walking near Champs Elysees, the engineering officer asked me, “Sir, these people have chocolates, then meat, then cheese, then wine and then cigarettes and then they start kissing on the street, don’t they feel the stink.” After a moment of thought he replied himself in a philosophical vein, “I guess since both are stinking equally, it doesn’t matter to them.” And people save for years for just such an experience; to kiss on the streets of Paris!!! The DCN team did a very good job of producing the design and detailed document of feasibility study for the Sea Control Ship. This document formed the basis for the construction of INS Vikrant, which is being built in Cochin Shipyard now. When I returned to India, an unpleasant surprise was waiting for me. (To be Continued)
Posted on: Sun, 25 May 2014 06:49:50 +0000
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