The recent news headlines have been filled with discussions about India’s slowing progress in upgrading its submarine fleet, a process crucial to its military stature. This lag has become particularly significant when compared to China’s rapidly advancing naval strength, which includes a much more robust and diverse submarine capabilities.
Submarines were first showcased as potent instruments of naval warfare during World War I, and they played even larger roles in World War II. The comparison of India’s current submarine fleet with that of China’s highlights the need for urgent modernization if it hopes to counterbalance China’s increasing naval power effectively.
India’s Current Submarine Portfolio
Presently, India’s undersea military strength is made up of 15 conventional diesel-electric submarines, known as SSKs, and a single nuclear ballistic submarine, classified as SSBN. A large portion of these submarines aged over 25 years old are undergoing upgrades. These diesel-electric submarines employ electric motors fueled by diesel engines for locomotion, requiring frequent resurfacing for air and fuel, which increases their detectability.
India’s SSKs consist of four Shishumar Class submarines, acquired and subsequently built in India with German collaboration starting in the 1980s. Eight others are Kilo Class or Sindhughosh Class purchased from Russia between 1984 and 2000. The last three are Kalvari Class Scorpene submarines (P-75), manufactured at India’s Mazagon Dock in alliance with France’s Naval Group.
Nuclear-Powered Submarines
Nuclear-Powered Attack Submarines, also known as SSNs, provide immense benefits over their conventional counterparts. Their underwater operational duration is restricted only by food supplies for the crew. Equipped with an arsenal of tactical weapons such as torpedoes, anti-ship cruise missiles, and land-attack cruise missiles, India is one of the six countries globally that possess these submarines. India currently has INS Chakra 2 SSN Submarine, leased from Russia until 2022.
SSBNs, in contrast, serve as an effective platform for launching nuclear weapons. The Arihant and three more SSBNs under construction will augment India’s Strategic Forces Command.
India’s Modernization Plan
The Indian government announced a 30-year plan (2000-30) for indigenous submarine construction in 1999. This plan involved two production lines of six submarines each, to be built in India with foreign Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) collaboration. The projects were labelled P-75 and P-75I, with expectations of receiving 12 new submarines by 2012-15. Another 12 would be constructed by 2030, replacing decommissioned submarines. However, the contract for P-75 was only signed in 2005 with France’s DCNS, now the Naval Group.
From the P-75 project, three Kalvari Class Scorpene submarines have been delivered so far. Meanwhile, P-75I is yet to get underway, with the Request for Proposal issued in July 2021.
Challenges to India’s Naval Ambitions
Several challenges pose significant hurdles to India’s efforts to modernize its naval force. These include China’s impressive naval prowess, delayed modernization efforts, a shortfall in essentials naval capacities, cancellation of crucial deals, slow development of the indigenous Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) system by the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), and comparatively lesser budget allocation to the navy.
With a fleet comprising 350 warships, including 50 conventional and 10 nuclear submarines, China already owns the world’s largest navy. Moreover, the Indian budget seems heavily skewed towards the Army, leaving less funding for the navy. As naval capability building is a time- and capital-intensive process, this leaves India stuck with slow-paced development compared to competitors like China.
The Path Forward
To maintain a strong position in countering China’s growing naval power in the Indian Ocean, swift mitigation of the gap in naval prowess has become an imperative for India. A rapid and strategic response is needed from the defence bureaucracy to address these modernization delays to meet its Quad (India, Australia, USA, and Japan) and Indo-Pacific commitments effectively.
Long-overdue reforms are also required in India’s decision-making processes and complex acquisition procedures to halt the reduction in its relative capabilities.
Sources: IE
