India’s ambitious project to build two nuclear-powered attack submarines ( SSN) is its most recent bold move to counteract China’s growing naval presence and defend its position of supremacy in the Indian Ocean.
This month, Reuters reported that India has approved plans to construct two new SSNs, estimated to cost around 450 billion rupees ( US$ 5.4 billion ). According to the record, these ships are a component of a larger project to construct six of these vessels, increasing India’s standing in its traditional sea sphere of influence.
These new ships, which will be constructed at the government’s manufacturing facility in Visakhapatnam with the assistance of building major Larsen and Toubro, will be more quickly, quiet, and capable of longer underwater missions than conventional diesel-powered submarines ( SSK).
India has a record of leasing nuclear-powered boats from Russia, which is in line with wider plans to grow its regional arms business and become more self-sufficient for its weapons. Following deadly conflicts along their disputed Himalayan border in 2020, the move is likely to add to that tension.
The new course of boats will be different from the atomic ballistic missile submarine ( SSBN), which is theoretically capable of launching nuclear weapons, according to Reuters.
The fact that the Indian Ocean may be the only theatre in the world where it can surpass China thanks to local geography’s power forecast potential may contribute to India’s plan to purchase SSNs, known as Project 75. That said, India’s latest underwater ships leaves much to be desired.
Lalit Kapur claims in a May 2021 content for the Delhi Policy Group that India’s desire to strengthen its maritime punishment and combat skills in the face of growing regional risks, especially from China. The Indian Navy’s wish list is also unfilled almost a decade after it was first approved by the government in 2015, despite significant delays caused by the program.
Kapur notes that SSNs are more efficient for defensive and offensive operations because they have better range, stamina, and speed as compared to SSKs. He mentions that SSNs can escort SSBNs, defend carrier battle groups, and hunt down enemy surface forces in international waters.
But, Kapur says India’s latest underwater fleet, composed principally of aging SSKs, is inadequate to counter China’s expanding marine power and increasingly assertive sea plan.
According to Kapur, governmental gravity, budgetary constraints, and an ongoing reliance on foreign cooperation continue to hinder progress despite the American Navy’s revised 30-year plan, which calls for the replacement of six of its remaining 18 SSKs with locally constructed SSNs.
Without more proper investment and more rapid SSN growth, India risks falling behind in the Indo-Pacific seafaring power dynamics, which undermines its regional security and punishment posture.
Requirements of India’s prepared SSNs remain obscure and are probably also classified. In an April 2024 content, the Indian Defense Research Wing ( IDRW) points out that India’s SSNs are known to remove 6, 000 tons and that they are aiming to get equipped with sophisticated targeting methods and versatile stockpiles to help different activities.
These include anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, strike missions, special operations, mine warfare, subsea seabed warfare, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance ( ISR ).
IDRW asserts that the inclusion of patrol aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles will improve India’s ability to have precise and contextual attention. The SSN plan is key to the implementation of cutting-edge engine systems, particularly pump aircraft propulsion systems, which were developed by France.
In June 2024, Asia Times reported that India’s Bay of Bengal underwater center known as Project Varsha may be its main foundation in the Indian Ocean. In potential problems with Pakistan and China, the foundation offers better protection than the active waters of the Arabian Sea, and it will allow India’s SSBNs to insert the Bay of Bengal without the aid of satellites or plane.
SSNs from India’s SSNs will likely operate in the Bay of Bengal, escorting SSBNs and allowing them to launch SLBMs at Pakistani and Chinese targets from this secure area.
In May 2024, India revealed plans to build a third aircraft carrier to strengthen its naval capabilities in the Indian Ocean in response to potential threats from Pakistan and China, according to Asia Times. The move aims to keep one carrier in operation while another is in need of maintenance, making sure India can keep its maritime security in top shape.
The Indian Navy’s carrier-centric approach focuses on sea control and denial strategies vis-à-vis Pakistan and China. However, the initiative faces challenges, including funding, technical hurdles and the need for advanced training facilities. Despite India’s SSN ambitions, the ships may not be operational by 2030, when it might be difficult to overthrow China’s expanding naval presence in the Indian Ocean.
The US Department of Defense’s 2023 China Military Power report states that China’s People’s Liberation Army–Navy ( PLAN ) is the world’s numerically largest navy, with 370 ships and submarines and 140 major surface combatants. The report says that the PLAN is expected to grow to 390 ships by 2025 and 435 ships by 2030, with much of that growth in major surface combatants.
In June 2024, Asia Times reported , that China is expanding its military presence in the Indian Ocean, raising concerns of encirclement in India. China is known to be seeking base agreements in Sri Lanka and Myanmar and has the power to launch warships into the Indian Ocean from its Djibouti base. China’s naval presence in the area could be enhanced by its bases in Gwadar, Pakistan, and Hambantota, Sri Lanka.
China still faces significant logistical and political difficulties in the Indian Ocean, including its reliance on civilian resources for logistics and its partner nations ‘ refusal to grant full military basing access. But China’s push underscores its broad ambition to secure maritime trade routes and bolster its Indian Ocean position, to India’s detriment and trepidation.