ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake
Hmmm. What purpose could the Indians have for a carrier other than national pride?
It would make a great place for dance numbers for a Bollywood film but what military purpose?
Seems like naval embargo of Pakistan to me. Maybe ASW duty depending on what kind of aircraft you put aboard.
Who else would they tangle with? China? Nepal? Do they even have a navy?
Also, when do they put the dot on the bow?
The Indian Navy has been very active since Independence. They kicked things off with running off the Portuguese fleet during the "liberation" of Goa in 1961 and followedd up with a well executed port attack and blockade of Karachi by CV's in 1971. The Indian Navy has a long reach into the Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal, and the Arabian Sea. With the Andaman Islands in the East and several dot islands in the West the Indian Air Force can augment sea power with surveillance, ASW, and missile targeting.
Recently the Indians have participated in Tsunami relief, the Iraq War(s), and anti-piracy operations. The Indians are quite good and are a regional power to be reckoned with. One of the reasons the Chinese have expanded port operations in Myanmar (Burma)- Kyaukpyu and he Great Coco Island.
