Mumbai, Aug 12: Acknowledging the low surveillance capabilities of the Indian Navy in the absence of advanced sensor platforms, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Madhvendra Singh today underlined the need for acquisition of advanced reconnaissance platforms, including the American PC3 'Orion' Maritime Reconnaissance aircraft. Talking to reporters on board the INS Talwar, the first of the three Russian-built modified 'Krivak' class stealth frigates, which was inducted into the Indian Navy today, Admiral Singh said that the navy is interested in acquiring the PC3 Orions and is holding a dialogue with the Americans in this connection.
The Naval chief was reluctant to discuss the issue further. However, on being pressed, he pointed out that they needed at least 30 surveillance platforms.
''It would depend on the affordability,'' he said, adding they could not say how long it would take as the talks were on.

The Indian Navy has very few surveillance systems and ''we need a lot of them'', Admiral Singh said.
The Americans have been amenable to Indian demands for advanced military hardware. American sources had confirmed the US was willing to view favourably the sale of advanced weapon systems, including the 'Orion' aircraft.
In the recently-held meeting of the Indo-US Defence Planning Group (DPG) at Washington, it had been agreed that an American team would visit India next month to discuss the proposed sale of these aircraft, which are manufactured by the Lockheed-Martin Corporation and are in service with several navies.
To a question on the Air Defence Ship (ADS) - a smaller version of an aircraft carrier being designed indigenously -which is still on the drawing board, Admiral Singh said this would take at least seven to eight years for the ship to be built.
The keel of the ship would be laid this year and it would go into full production by 2005 at the Kochin Shipyard Limited (KSL), one of the finest defence shipyards in Asia, he said.
Bureau Report