Filling the submarine gap

Addressing this deficiency should be a top priority for the new govt, given India's role as the gatekeeper to the Indian Ocean

One of India's most critically delayed military acquisitions is the "30-Year Submarine Building Plan," which the Cabinet cleared in 1999 to create a fleet of 24 conventionally-powered submarines. Operating in concert with the navy's long-range maritime patrol aircraft, these would deny hostile submarines the freedom to range unchallenged in the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, and the northern Indian Ocean.

The 30-year plan envisioned building six conventional boats (the traditional naval appellation for submarines) in India to a western design - presumably French, German or Swedish. Another six would follow, based on an eastern design most likely Russian, South Korean or Japanese. Having accumulated expertise from both the west and the east, Indian shipyards would design and build the next 12 submarines indigenously.

Separately, in another top-secret initiative, navy and Defence Research and Development Organisation designers would build a small fleet of nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs) as well as nuclear-powered submarines armed with nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles (SSBNs). The SSNs, with their ability to remain submerged for weeks, even months, would be capable of conventional missions at long ranges, and the Indian Navy has twice leased SSNs from Russia in order to develop the capability to operate them. The nuclear-armed and propelled SSBN fleet would not go into battle against enemy submarines and warships. They would constitute the underwater leg of the nuclear triad - India's nuclear deterrent.

A quarter of a century has elapsed since this shiny new submarine plan was finalised, but not even Project 75 construction of the first six submarines - has been completed. And with Project 75-India (abbreviation: Project-751) still to be tendered, building 18 submarines in the remaining five years is beyond the realm of possibility.