India to launch its first home-built nuclear submarine

[CactusCarlos]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/9464590/India-to-launch-its-first-home-built-nuclear-submarine.html

NS Arihant, planned to be the first of five submarines of its class, will be ready to begin sea trials, said Admiral Nirmal Verma, the navy commander. When the vessel eventually becomes operational, India will be able to launch nuclear missiles from the sea, land and air, joining a handful of countries possessing the "nuclear triad".

The strategic aim is to deter China and Pakistan and establish India as the leading power in the Indian Ocean.

"INS Arihant is steadily progressing towards becoming operational," said Adml Verma. "We are pretty close to putting it to sea."

The navy was poised to "complete the triad, and our maritime and nuclear doctrines will then be aligned to ensure our nuclear insurance comes from the sea," added Adml Verma. "Given our unequivocal 'no first-use commitment', a retaliatory strike capability that is credible and invulnerable is an imperative."

INS Arihant will carry the K-15 ballistic missile, which carries a nuclear warhead. However, this weapon has a relatively modest range of less than 500 miles, raising questions about its ability to hit a target in China.

Nonetheless, Adml Verma's statement is likely to provoke a strong reaction from Beijing, which warned India against 'arrogance' earlier this year following its successful launch of the Agni IV intercontinental ballistic missile, a land-based weapon which can strike any city in China.
Mohan Guruswamy, from the Centre for Policy Alternatives in New Delhi, said the imminent launch of the new submarine "changed the equation [between India and China] considerably."

He pointed out that India ws also planning to launch six nuclear-powered attack submarines, adding that within seven years the country should have a varied fleet which would, in theory, be able to block Chinese access to the Indian Ocean via the Strait of Malacca. "They could be sitting off Karachi – or China. It's an investment for the future," said Mr Guruswamy.

 

[BlueStateSaint]

Things are about to get 'interesting' in the Indian Ocean.  IIRC, the Indian Navy has at least one aircraft carrier already.

[DefiantSix]

Things are about to get 'interesting' in the Indian Ocean.  IIRC, the Indian Navy has at least one aircraft carrier already.

Yup. They bought the hull from the Russians, IIRC...

[BlueStateSaint]

Yup. They bought the hull from the Russians, IIRC...

Didn't they already have the INS Vikrant or something named similarly?

[Gina]

Wouldn't it be fun to be the first crew on that when it dived 

[DefiantSix]

Didn't they already have the INS Vikrant or something named similarly?

Yes.  Vikrant was built on the 'HMS Invincible' design.  They then bought the hull that had been intended to be the Russian Carrier 'Admiral Kuznetsov'. That turkey is supposed to be going through sea trials at the moment, and they have a third, built on the same pattern as 'Kuznetsov', which just began construction.

[BlueStateSaint]

Yes.  Vikrant was built on the 'HMS Invincible' design.  They then bought the hull that had been intended to be the Russian Carrier 'Admiral Kuznetsov'. That turkey is supposed to be going through sea trials at the moment, and they have a third, built on the same pattern as 'Kuznetsov', which just began construction.

Seeing that the Chinese CV is supposed to be on a half-compleded Russian design, are the Chinese CV and the Indian CVs the same class?

[DefiantSix]

Seeing that the Chinese CV is supposed to be on a half-compleded Russian design, are the Chinese CV and the Indian CVs the same class?

Oops.  There I go showing my racist white guy POV, mixing up my brown peoples again.

Disregard my connection of the Indians with the 'Kuznetsov'.

[Bondai]

Well isn't that special. A nation of 1.2 billion people with huge unsolved issues such as poverty, illiteracy, corruption, and inadequate public healthcare wants to spend money on building a submarine, not to mention the operational costs. The same country by the way that can't even provide the most basic of services for it's rural population. In many area's there is still no electricity, running water,sewer system, roads,schools, and the list goes on. You bet, this sounds like one hell of a good idea and the best way to use their resources. It should help them make a bunch of new friends in the area.

[thundley4]

Well isn't that special. A nation of 1.2 billion people with huge unsolved issues such as poverty, illiteracy, corruption, and inadequate public healthcare wants to spend money on building a submarine, not to mention the operational costs. The same country by the way that can't even provide the most basic of services for it's rural population. In many area's there is still no electricity, running water,sewer system, roads,schools, and the list goes on. You bet, this sounds like one hell of a good idea and the best way to use their resources. It should help them make a bunch of new friends in the area.

Some of those arguments are the same ones the left use to back cutting the military here. 

[Bondai]

Some of those arguments are the same ones the left use to back cutting the military here. 

The biggest difference being that these problems the left say's we have exist mainly in their little minds, while in India they are for real.

[DefiantSix]

The biggest difference being that these problems the left say's we have exist mainly in their little minds, while in India they are for real.

The Indians may be using this as an opportunity to follow the US's example in getting out of the Great Depression: World War II rescued our economy from the depths of FDR imposed socialist policies, and after India's dubious flirtation and it's inevitable results, perhaps they see this as a chance to bring them back from the depths of "3rd World" status.

[thundley4]

The biggest difference being that these problems the left say's we have exist mainly in their little minds, while in India they are for real.

That's true and those problems mostly happen under Republican presidents.

[obumazombie]

Some of those arguments are the same ones the left use to back cutting the military here. 

Yes, but hardly apples to apples comparison.

[vesta111]

Well isn't that special. A nation of 1.2 billion people with huge unsolved issues such as poverty, illiteracy, corruption, and inadequate public healthcare wants to spend money on building a submarine, not to mention the operational costs. The same country by the way that can't even provide the most basic of services for it's rural population. In many area's there is still no electricity, running water,sewer system, roads,schools, and the list goes on. You bet, this sounds like one hell of a good idea and the best way to use their resources. It should help them make a bunch of new friends in the area.

Except for the population numbers, the same thing could have been said about the first builders of our Sub Fleet.  Insane men with an insane idea back then.

Our country had no rural electricity, no running water or sewer systems, schools were catch as catch can, and public roads were filled with horse shit or just followed the meandering paths of the cows.

The big city's had a horrid health system, huge disease rates, one of the reasons why it was healthier to live in the boondocks.   

Yet, some crazy people experimented with an insane idea that today has won us freedom in many wars, gave jobs to hundreds of thousands and today is our first line of defence.   The Silent Service, God bless any and all who served or are now serving in a world unnatural to humans as living on the moon. 

[rich_t]

Where are they going to put the slurpy machine in that thing?

[Gina]

Where are they going to put the slurpy machine in that thing?

 

[obumazombie]

Where are they going to put the slurpy machine in that thing?

A red dot slurpee machine, right next to a feather casino slot machine.

[CactusCarlos]

Where are they going to put the slurpy machine in that thing?

 

H5