Vikrant Shekhawat : Oct 15, 2024, 08:35 AM
Indian Navy: In view of China's increasing military activities and its naval presence in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), India has taken a major step towards further strengthening its strategic and naval strength. The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) of the Government of India, which is headed by the Prime Minister, has approved the construction of two new indigenous nuclear submarines. This decision will prove to be important in increasing the power and offensive capability of the Indian Navy, thereby strengthening India's security and influence in the Indian Ocean region and the South China Sea.China's growing presence in the seaThe importance of this new move of the Indian Navy increases further when we see the ever-increasing presence of China in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). About 7-8 Chinese naval warships and 3-4 paramilitary ships can be seen in the region every month, which may increase further in the future. Chinese surveillance ships like "Xiang Yang Hong 3" and ballistic missile tracker "Yuan Wang 7" have already been seen close to Indian maritime borders. This is an indication that China is trying to strengthen its hold in the Indian Ocean Region, to stop which India has given priority to its nuclear submarine strength.Increase in India's naval capability by building submarinesThese submarines to be built at the Ship Building Center in Visakhapatnam will be 95% indigenous and will be different from the Arihant class submarines. They will be developed under Project Advanced Technology Vessel. These submarines will further strengthen India's security in the Indian Ocean region. At present, permission has been given to build two submarines, but four more submarines can be built in the future.Why is a nuclear submarine needed?Nuclear-powered strike submarines can stay underwater for a long time, which helps in protecting against enemy attacks and carrying out secret operations. China already has 6 Shang class nuclear submarines, while the Akula class submarine to be received from Russia for India has been delayed till 2028. Due to this, India needs to improve its defense capabilities. Given the limitations of conventional diesel-electric submarines, nuclear submarines provide a better solution to this challenge. Diesel-electric submarines have to surface to charge batteries, making them vulnerable to enemy attacks. On the other hand, diesel submarines equipped with air-independent propulsion can stay underwater for a long time, but their speed and weapon capacity are limited.Increase in the strength of the Indian NavyIndia's new nuclear submarines will not only help in stopping the growing influence of China, but will also give the Indian Navy the power to monitor and counter China's activities in the Indian Ocean Region. The inclusion of these submarines will increase the capacity and offensive capability of the Indian Navy unprecedentedly. Along with this, India has recently commissioned its second SSBN (nuclear submarine) INS Arighat, which is capable of carrying out missile attacks against enemies at sea.India's place in the nuclear triadIndia successfully tested the K-15 SLBM in 2022 from its first SSBN submarine INS Arihant, strengthening its position in the nuclear triad. With this, India became the sixth nuclear triad country in the world after the US, Russia, Britain, France and China. This means that India has become capable of carrying out nuclear attacks from land, air and sea, significantly increasing the country's security.ConclusionGiven China's increasing naval activities and its influence in maritime areas, India's decision to build new nuclear submarines is strategically very important. This move will give the Indian Navy more strength to counter the challenge of China in the Indian Ocean region. Along with this, it is also a big step towards indigenous manufacturing and self-reliance, which will further strengthen India's defense capabilities.