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By Asim Qadeer Rana
Islamabad, Oct 28: New Delhi’s audacious Naval adventure continues – destabilising the South Asian strategic balance, launching its second Atomic Submarine – INS Arighat, in Indian waters – due in first quarter of coming year 2024.
India has first developed its nuclear powered submarine – Arihant (Slayer of Enemies) in 2016. Arihant vessel has undersea nuclear and ballistic delivery capabilities.
India is only the sixth country to develop a nuclear-powered vessel, after the United States, Russia, France, the United Kingdom, and China.
The second under watercraft is being developed with a whopping cost of over $15 Billion – an emergent defence alert for both “Pakistan, and China.”
India is already in the mode of establishment of its third nuke vessel under development phase since year 2021, at Vishakapatnum, Andhhra Pardesh, according to one defence analyst having knowledge of naval capabilities of Asian countries.
The upcoming nuclear submarine(s) is being developed jointly by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), select Indian Navy (IN) personnel, and Russian scientists – technicians, and one private contracted Indian multi-tech company Larson & Toubro, said the analyst.
This is the second sea venture of India, after “Asia’s largest Naval base, to be developed by year 2025, at strategic port area of Karwar, Karnataka” which would be home to Indian aircraft carriers, over 100 warships – submarines, and with multiple airstrips spread on an area of 11,000 acres.
India currently have 17 diesel electric submarines, and one nuclear arsenal vessel.
The aim of Indian government is to add six nuclear submarines by the year 2033, in its sea defence line.
Pakistan :🇵🇰:
Islamabad based defence while speaking to PrideNews on Saturday, remarked: “Our (defence) position to Indian government’s complexed and disputable maritime expansion is clear, that Pakistan believes in a strategic balance in the region, and for keeping this balance India shall not paddle into a controversial expansion of its defence business in sea, which surely is detrimental to secuirty of not just Pakistan, but to the whole South Asian region.” Pakistan in 2009 criticised the launch of India’s nuclear submarine declaring its official position: “Pakistan will take appropriate steps to safeguard its security without entering into an arms race,” the then Forigen Affairs Spokesperson Abdul Basit Khan, for Pakistan said in response to launch of Indian nuclear U-boat.
Asked that in the past Pakistan did venture for its maritime expansion in Indian Ocean with the assistance of few friendly countries, the defence analyst responded: “Pakistan Navy actively pursues its developmental operations for the safety, and secuirty of the state, since Pakistan has international cooperation(s) with Turkey, China, and few other countries.”
It is worth noting that in May 2002 anti-state elements did hit famous Pakistan – French maritime partnership meant for its submarine project(s) in Karachi.
On May 8, 2002, a terrorist driving a car laden with bomb hit a bus carrying French naval engineers, and technicians which led to killing of 11 French naval officials, and two Pakistanis.
“Pakistan knows how to safeguard its waters,” asserted the defence analyst.
Ends.
