Integrated Underwater Harbour Defence and Surveillance System
(IUHDSS)
Installation and commissioning of multi-sensor harbour defence across 4 Indian ports — integrating radars, sonars, electro-optical sensors, and C2 systems against asymmetric threats post-26/11.
Background
Post-26/11 Mumbai attacks: The Armed Forces were tasked with securing India’s 7,516 km coastline. IUHDSS strengthens harbour security against infiltration attempts.
The IUHDSS (Integrated Underwater Harbour Defence and Surveillance System) supplied by Elta Systems, a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), is a multi-sensor security solution deployed by the Indian Navy to protect harbours and naval assets from underwater and surface threats. It integrates radars, sonars, electro-optical sensors, and command-and-control systems to detect, track, and neutralize threats such as divers, swimmers, boats, and submersibles.
My Association
- M/s Elta, Israel had partnered with a public limited company in India for Installation and Commissioning of its system on 4 different ports in India. The systems were customised according to the threat and topography of the harbours.
- As the Senior Vice President of the Indian company I was in charge of the entire program.
Key Features of IUHDSS
Components
Capabilities
- Detects and tracks surface and underwater threats (boats, swimmers, divers, SDVs, submersibles).
- Provides automatic threat identification and generates alerts.
- Creates a common operational picture for harbour defence.
Challenges
14 Real-World Obstacles EncounteredFinding Indian suppliers for towers, shelters, masts, generators, cables for equipment designed by Israeli designers for world market.
Most of these have to be customised to the Israeli systems hence lead to lesser choice, high costs and long delivery periods.
Documentation in terms of test certificates, manufacturing facility approvals, Quality audits etc preclude the majority of suppliers.
Approval of Installation and commissioning of Sonars required by integrator and UK based supplier of Sonars a time consuming, effort intensive and expensive activity.
Hauling of radars on top of high towers with antennas as large as 8m in length on a three legged tower with a monkey ladder access to the platform on top.
Vibration of electro optic sensor due to high wind velocity leading to blurred images.
Different dates of delivery of sub systems viz Radars, Electro-Optical sensors and Sonars as the suppliers were different. This resulted in major delays in integration and installation as multiple teams were required to service different harbours.
Integration took a long time and in many cases the warranty expired before the systems got commissioned.
Security clearance for civilian personnel required and their subsequent process of entry was extremely cumbersome which restricted active working hours in the harbour to 5 hours a day at best.
The harbour area responsibility is divided internally amongst various divisions of the naval establishment located inside. Poor internal coordination between these divisions resulted in delays in clearance for work.
Locations chosen by M/s RST after preliminary reconnaissance while submitting the bid were not found suitable by the different OEMs when their teams arrived for confirmatory reconnaissance after award of project to Elta. These needed to be changed at times resulting in fresh approvals which were all required to be approved by the HQs.
Local Defense authorities at times proved uncooperative for allowing installation at locations approved by HQs as it required them to shift and adjust their present layout of facilities and installations.
In XYZ harbour the local labour union would not allow workers from outside states to be employed by the sub-contractors. The sub contractors were forced to pay higher wages to these workers while their working capability/capacity was sub optimal.
Theft of material brought by the sub contractor inside the harbour. The sub contractor is not allowed to put in own security and the Navy does not take responsibility once the theft is reported.
Remedies
7 Strategic InterventionsIntegration of all sub systems as a pilot to be carried out at the Prime system integrators premises (in this case M/s Elta) before shipping of systems/sub systems to user location.
All hardware to be procured locally by partner Indian company to be inspected and approved on sample basis in advance.
Carry out installation and commissioning of such systems at one location and get it approved by highest competent authority of the User with the caveat that no changes would be carried out at the remaining locations. If at any time the user demands a change for any reason whatsoever it will be at additional mutually agreed price with delay in delivery factored in.
Carry out a thorough reconnaissance of the site before commencement of actual activity and deployment of manpower. Take approvals in writing from local authorities before commencement of work. This has to be in addition to the approvals from Naval HQs or Harbour HQs. Many a times the local commander has been seen to override orders from his higher ups.
For security clearance, daily entry and exit of outside manpower engage retired Navy personnel and local sub contractor(s) for facilitation.
Have a core team of expert technicians and junior engineers permanently engaged on payroll for quick deployment at sites as technical issues of installation and integration arise frequently on a day to day basis and cannot be predicted in advance due to unique local conditions.
Have a crack team of technical trouble shooters as in many cases the engineering and integrations aspects worked out on paper and laboratory conditions by the system integrator need to be tweaked during installation and commissioning.
Key Lessons Learned from IUHDSS Deployment
Imported systems as far as possible should be procured with Transfer of Technology for production. All support infrastructure required to be procured in India should be sent to foreign OEM for pilot integration.
Stocking of critical spares is a must to address maintenance challenges of equipment which goes out of warranty even before commissioning. The stocking of the spares is a dynamic and continuous function as repairs and replacement will be required before the system is handed over to the User.
All necessary documentation required for support systems along with qualification required by manufacturing facility should be specified by the OEM well in advance and the process to be completed before the systems arrive in India.
The Installation & Commissioning team needs to be led by a senior personnel with operational and financial authority ad quick decision making is a must. He should be assisted by a team of experienced domain experts. These should not be changed during the entire project.
A separate Risk Analysis and Mitigation organisation should be in place throughout the operation covering all bases. This should be centrally controlled providing near real time inputs to the Program Director in charge of Installation and commissioning.
A separate Quality team controlled centrally at the Program director level should be created to oversee the local quality function at different site locations. This team should have a section which should exclusively deal with the handing/taking over process and the documentation being carried on various site locations.
Conclusion
The IUHDSS programme demonstrated the importance of integrated, layered harbour defence systems for protecting critical naval infrastructure against evolving asymmetric threats. The project also highlighted the strategic importance of indigenous capability development, technology absorption and sustainable lifecycle support within India’s defence ecosystem.
The case study above pertains only to the installation and commissioning aspects of the IUHDSS system. It does not cover the operational and performance parameters.
Col Sanjay Chandra (Retd)
Former Senior Vice President
PQR Company
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