Impressive picture though, not many navies can put together two flattops let alone flattops with fixed wing planes, regardless of the actual airwing size on each ship.
Now they just need a decent escort fleet. Doesn't even have to be USN standard or like what the PLAN put together for their SCS jaunt, they just need one destroyer with a VLS long range SAM and PAR, and a frigate or two with VLS medium range SAM... No self respecting CSG should allow itself to be defended by only shtil.
Well, the Kolkatas are coming, but right now, the SA-N-12 (shtil) is what they have for what we would call mid-range (45km) defense. Not a bad missile, but launching from single arm launchers is their weakness. But nine of them together as they have in this group, could still put up a lot of defensive missiles if necessary. And they are backed up by 32 VLS Barak I missiles on each Delhi, and SA-16s on the Talwars. So, that being said, they have a pretty decent escort group. From friends in India I have learned that the escort group for the two groups consists of the following vessels and will be exercising together for several days:
Vikramaditya Group:
1 x CV INS Vikramaditya R33
1 x DDG INS Delhi D61 (Delhi Class)
1 x FFG INS Trikand F51 (Talwar Class)
1 X AOR INS Deepak A50 (Deepack Class)
Viraat Group:
1 X CVL INS Viraat R22
1 x DDG INS Mumbai D62 (Delhi Class)
1 x DDG INS Mysore D60 (Delhi Class)
1 x FFG INS Trishul F43 (Talwar Class)
1 X FFG INS Tig F45 (Talwar Class)
That's two carriers, three destroyers, three frigates, and one AOR vessel. Nine Indian naval vessels altogether. I would not be surprised to learn later that the INS Chakra is there too...that's the Akula II Class SSN that the Indians got from the Russians in 2011. I do hope they publish pictures of the entire combined fleet together.
