Foreword

FOREWORD

In keeping with the endeavour to preserve our naval tradition for posterity, Naval Headquarters are pleased to bring out the fourth volume in a series that document the Indian Navy's history. This one entitled, most appropriately, “Transition to Eminence” covers the period 1976-1990, which saw our Service emerge as a navy of substance.

The term “eminence” has been used in the title by the author with deliberation. In addition to significant deployment of India's maritime power in Sri Lanka and Maldives, this period was epochal, due as much to a series of remarkable innovations by our ship designers and builders, as to a far-sighted submarine, aircraft and ship acquisition programme. All of these were to have a significant impact on the regional balance of power.

Nothing symbolises this era better than the “Time” magazine issue dated 3rd April 1989, which carried on its cover, the caption “Super India”. The purport of this hyperbolic declaration was that the world had begun to take note of India as an emerging power. Such is the symbolism of maritime power, that to substantiate this statement, the cover was illustrated with an imposing photograph of the indigenous but hybrid INS Godavari, bristling with SSM launchers!

In VAdm GM Hiranandani, the author of this volume, we are extremely fortunate to have an indefatigable researcher, who has taken great pains to unearth and record with diligence, historical facts in minute detail. While giving us the benefit of his incisive analysis, he has avoided being judgmental, and in the best tradition of historians, left the reader to largely draw his own conclusion. We are indeed indebted to him for his labours.

Certain measures have been initiated by NHQ to institutionalise historical record-keeping, and it is my earnest hope that this volume and its predecessors will now become part of a continuum of the Indian Navy's recorded history.

                                                                                                                                                           sd/

4 December 2004                                                                                                                              (Arun Prakash)
New Delhi                                                                                                                                           Admiral
                                                                                                                                                          Chief of the Naval Staff