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DECISION BRIEFING NOTE FOR THE MINISTER OF DEFENCE

From: Admiral of the Navy, Bharatiya Nau Sena
To: Minister of Defence
Date: April 3, 1942
Classification: Top Secret

ISSUES

The purpose of this decision document is to seek Ministerial direction as to the future of BNS major unit acquisitions, namely:

A) The nature of major units to be acquired.

B) Whether to continue the tranch system or revert to a sequential procurement process.

BACKGROUND

Major units are defined as battleships, battlecruisers, and aircraft carriers. They do not include the concept of armored cruisers, though such a type is legally considered a capital ship alongside battleships and battlecruisers.

The BNS has acquired major units in tranches for fifty years:

T1: Pre-dreadnoughts Ashoka and Chandragupta: No longer in service
T2: Battleships Dara Shikoh and Babur, aircraft carrier Otta): No longer in service.
T3: Battleships Akbar and Jahangir, aircraft carriers Urumi and Bichawa: In service and refitted except for the latter, refitting into service.
T4: Battleship Shah Jahan, aircraft carriers Talwar and Val: In service.
T5: Battleship Samanjir, aircraft carriers Katar, Aruval and Katar: Cancelled.

Tranch 1 was obtained from Germany and served the purpose of ensuring coastal defence in a period of international uncertainty, but were rapidly rendered obsolete by the development of the dreadnought.

Tranche 2 was largely obtained from South Africa and coincided with the enactment of the Cleito Treaty. The ships obtained in this tranche were of limited combat ability, but served primarily to allow development and training of the BNS as a blue water force.

Tranche 3 and 4 were domestically developed, within the limits of the Cleito Treaty. A long-term plan was put in place to ensure that usage of Bharat's tonnage allocations balanced quality versus quantity. This was facilitated by the binding limits on domestic and foreign warship sizes and quantities. Bharat's limited naval budget and naval infrastructure were able to deliver on the tranches but often with the requirement that lesser warships and auxiliaries be fitted in between tranches for budgetary purposes. The output was a battleship squadron supported by a small aircraft carrier, and an aircraft carrier striking squadron supported by cruisers. It is generally considered that the vessels were as good as any others built to similar displacement.

Tranch 5 was sourced after the Cleito Treaty, in a period in which construction policy became less about long-term objectives and more about short-term crisis-avoidance and gamesmanship. Designs were sub-optimal and did not mesh well with existing major units. Of the four units in question, two have been disposed of, one cancelled, and the fourth is now in the process of being converted to a more effective aircraft carrier.

CONSIDERATIONS

Several considerations must be taken into account as the future of the BNS is contemplated:

Anti-imperialist efforts by SATSUMA did not result in any "hard power" undertakings, and only limited "soft" successes. Imperialist powers demonstrated the ability to set aside their differences and form large alliances intended to preserve their Asian colonies. With the SATSUMA alliance now a thing of the past, it seems reasonable to conclude that the BNS will not, by itself, initiate anti-imperial military action.

Hand in hand with this is a cooling of relations with previously neutral or friendly western states such as Germany and the United States. Where previously it might have been thought that these nations would use soft power to limit conflict between Bharat and third parties, there is no such expectation now.

There is a new relationship with the United Kingdom, although its exact nature is muddied by the ambiguous wording of the ABUSE Treaty in particular. The ABUSE Treaty appears to imply a mutual defensive obligation with the UK. More clear is that the BNS' overall size is constrained to a fixed fraction of the Royal Navy, with some hard caps on specific warship numbers and fuzzier caps on other warship numbers. While future aircraft carrier construction would require replacement of existing units, future battleship or battlecruiser construction would merely complement existing units.

Residual defence obligations remain to Persia and Hedjaz. Neither is overtly at risk of attack from major powers, but could face internal strife or conflict with local proxies. Previous efforts to use the Persian and Hedjazi navies as end-runs around ABUSE limits have been clumsy and transparent to third parties and a source of friction with Persia and Hedjaz themselves.

There is a residual defensive relationship with the Kingdom of South Africa. Neither the KSA nor Bharat have actively sought each other's assistance in recent conflicts. Operational interaction over the past several years has been limited.

With the termination of the Cleito Treaty, warship sizes are escalating dramatically, as evidenced by battleships laid down in the UK, Germany, USA, Japan and elsewhere. Aircraft carriers are growing at a less explosive rate, but their increase is viewed as inevitable; aircraft themselves are growing in size and require larger units to operate from.

At the same time, Bharati investment in naval construction remains unchanged over the past twenty years, despite significant industrialization and growth in the economy in general. Naval infrastructure, while adequate, remains limited and must be utilized in an efficient manner. Resources that are directed towards improving infrastructure will come at the cost of additional warship construction or upkeep.

OPTIONS

Decision #1: Quality or Quantity

Without permanent, additional funding, the BNS can not increase both the size and quantity of its major units.

If major units are maintained at their generally current size, eight to ten major units could be procured and operated at one time. This would maximize operational flexibility, and minimize strain on existing naval infrastructure - specifically, slips and docks of 220 m and more. However, individual major units would be at a quantitative disadvantage to larger foreign units, and procurement of screening and support assets may be more challenging.

If major units are permitted to grow in accordance to international trends, four to six major units may be the limit that can be procured and operated at one time. These units would be of equivalent power to foreign units, may be more compatible with RSAN units, and might be better suited to long-term service. However, they may post more strain on naval infrastructure, and the BNS' construction budget may be hard-pressed to fund more than one unit while also concurrently funding screening and support assets. Operational flexibility will be reduced.

Decision #2: Tranche or Sequential Acquisition

The Tranche system would generally deliver two or more major units of a single class in a short timeframe. These units would be operationally compatible, and allow "class for class" replacement in due course. However, the tranche system requires a unique slipway or dock for each vessel constructed. There is also the aforementioned budgetary crunch while a class of major units are under construction, which would be more severe if the BNS adopts quality over quantity. It should also be noted that, with several years between construction of major unit types (either battleship, battlecruiser, or aircraft carrier), technical expertise can be lost.

Sequential Acquisition would deliver a single major unit at a time. A single slipway or dock could be employed for the totality of construction, and the more continuous nature of construction would allow retention and incremental improvement of shipyard expertise. Budgetary crunches would be minimized. Incremental improvement of major unit designs would be possible, but could be effectively negated where newer units are operating with older units.

OPTIONS

Option One: Acquire for Quantity, Through the Tranche System [Status Quo]

-No additional infrastructure required.
-Propose new class or classes of major units, based on requirements and limitations.
-Propose additional screening units, based on ABUSE limitations.

Option Two: Acquire for Quality, Through Tranch System

-Additional slipway expansion will be required.
-Propose new class of major unit, based on requirements and limitations.

Option Three: Acquire for Quality, Through Sequential Acquisition [Recommended Option]

-Additional slipway expansion may be required.
-Propose sequencing of new major units, based on requirements and limitations.

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Notice to Mariners

The Government of the Empire of Bharat hereby provides notice to mariners of joint naval exercises to take place in the first two weeks of December, 1942.

Mariners may observe or encounter increased naval and aerial traffic in Bharati, Persian, South African and international waters of the Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf, and adjacent areas during this period. Standard rights-of-way will be observed to the degree possible by participating warships, but mariners may be asked to alter course where participating warships are engaged in complex manuevers.

No live-fire gunnery exercises will take place outside existing, designated gunnery ranges within Bharati and/or South African waters.

For further information, please contact the Exercise Secretariat, c/o Bharatiya Nau Sena.

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Originally posted by Kaiser Kirk
OOC: I've been struggling for a bit now to try figure out the future Dutch navy composition as ship sizes soar and as importances change. The Dutch may have more factories, but they have far more commitments as well.

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Originally posted by The Rock Doctor

Yeah, it's kind of tough. I'm at the point where I'm trying to decide whether Bharat gives up on battleships (which are growing faster than carriers) or takes one more kick at that particular can before moving to a straight-out carrier force.

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Originally posted by TheCanadian
I too struggle to meet the USN's commitments. One way this is reflected, is that all my post-Montana designs have been much smaller than the Montana's themselves.

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Originally posted by Kaiser Kirk
One complicating factor I've been pondering is the Rules of War. Both Submarines and Carriers loose a great deal of value for sea interdiction if...for example...I'd say the International community in WW expects that you stop and search freighters for contraband...and not just sink ships in a certain sea zone. Given the higher activity level of the LON, and alliances, actual repercussions are likely.....

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The Baldia Commission commenced hearings today with opening remarks from its chairman, K, in Chittigong.

"In August 1931, Filipino construction workers on the island of Itu Aba fell ill with a previously unindentified disease. After a gestation perdiod later determined to be ten to twelve days, victims were asymptomatic and non-infectious, they would suddenly develop a fever and blood-filled pustules all across their body. One to two days later, the victims would suddenly begin massive hemorrhaging and bleed out.

"Citizens of Manila, the first major urban centre to be struck by the disease, called it El Derretir: The Melting.

"By October of 1931, cases were reported in the city of Imphal and very quickly other regions across Bharat. It was a time of fear and despair, as military garrisons mutinied, the Samraja perished, and cities burned. It was also a time of heroism and friendship as individual Bharatis did their best to care for family and friends, as Bharat's friends provided invaluable assistance, and even perceived enemies reached out a helping hand.

"By the time the disease was contained in early nineteen thirty-three, an estimated two hundred eighty-three thousand Bharatis had perished from its effects, with another five hundred seventy-six thousand permanently scarred from their survival. Over a million internal refugees had been created.

"Lost in the larger picture for a decade was the fate of a small town known as Baldia. Located north of the Mouths of the Ganges, Baldia had previously been just another unremarkable agricultural community - until El Derretir arrived here. Soon, Baldia had been destroyed, and most of its residents were dead.

"Over the coming months, this commission will hear from two hundred ninety-seven witnesses. We will establish a timeline of the El Derretir outbreak in Bharat, and in more definite detail as regards Baldia. We will examine in detail what happened at Baldia. We will consider what actions may be required to address future epidemics and the appropriate response of authorities to extreme situations such as that reported in Baldia. Our findings will form the basis for government action and, if deemed appropriate, criminal proceedings."

The Commission's other panel members then introduced themselves, following which a technical officer ran through procedural issues and so-called "Housekeeping" matters. The actual first witness is expected to be called tomorrow.

Notably present at the Committee was Samraji Prea and her daughter, Princess Asha. The Samraji, who lost her husband and her daughter Urmila to the disease, was badly scarred by her own survival and has been a force in combating discrimination against other scarred survivors in the decade since the disease struck. She is expected to testify at a later date.

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Originally posted by The Rock Doctor
Strangely enough, I suspect the military could stage a coup and I'd have to write anotther post about the army and air force grabbing all the additional revenue. Such are WW econnomics...

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Originally posted by The Rock Doctor
Nah. Bharat's been the world's problem child long enough. Somebody else can carry the load for a while.

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Originally posted by ShinRa_Inc
Such as?