11-14-2007, 02:56 AM
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N-submarines will make India’s deterrence credible
24 Sep 2007, 0014 hrs IST,Rajat Pandit,TNN
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NEW DELHI: Only nuclear-powered submarines armed with nuclear-tipped missiles can provide real muscle to India’s strategic deterrence posture, which revolves around the no-first use (NFU) policy.
"The most credible of all arsenals in a second-strike is the nuclear-armed missile submarine," holds the Navy’s new strategy document titled ‘Freedom to Use the Seas: India’s Maritime Military Strategy (IMMS)’. Supposed to "complement" Navy’s war doctrine, a reading of IMMS shows the absence of "a credible nuclear weapon triad" in India’s arsenal, or the capability to launch nuclear-tipped missiles from air, land and sea, continues to haunt the force. Nuclear-powered submari-nes have higher speeds and can stay submerged much longer than conventional diesel-electric submarines since they do not have to surface or snorkel frequently to get oxygen to rec-harge batteries. Consequently, they provide a much more stealthier launchpad for nuclear weapons.
But, at present, India neither has nuclear submarines, nor SLBM (submarine-launched ballistic missile) capabilities. It makes do with only the rail and road-mobile Agni family of missiles and fighters like Mirage-2000s and Sukhoi-30MKIs, which can deliver nuclear weapons. As reported earlier, India is taking strides towards having its own nuclear submarines under the hush-hush Rs 14,000-crore ATV (advanced technology vessel) programme at Vishakapatnam.
But even as India gears up to lease an Akula-II nuclear submarine from Russia by mid-2008, sources say the first of the five long-delayed ATVs will become fully-operational only by 2010 at the earliest.
There is also hectic activity underway to develop SLBMs and SLCMs (cruise missiles) under the equally-secretive ‘Sagarika’ project. But only four-five tests have been carried out from "submersible pontoon launchers" so far. It will take another three-four years for an integrated SLBM or SLCM capability to be ready.
"Our NFU policy amply illustrates India’s intentions of using the nuclear deterrent only as a retaliatory measure of last resort. The sea-based leg of the nuclear triad enables a survivable second-strike capability and is, therefore, a critical enabler for the NFU nuclear doctrine to attain credibility," says the IMMS.
The IMMS points out that the "nuclear submarine option" is the "preferred arsenal" for "small nuclear forces" since it is both stealthy and cost-effective. Deterrence, after all, can be achieved with a lesser number of missiles at sea than if they are land-based. China, the only Asian country with SLBM capability, of course, has forged ahead in this area, with a very active SSBN (nuclear submarines with long-range strategic missiles) programme.
The IMMS, in fact, says the Chinese navy has an "ambitious modernisation programme", to go along with its "attempts" to gain a "strategic toehold" in the Indian Ocean region. The importance of the sea-based leg can be gauged from the fact that even the US and Russia will ensure that two-thirds of the strategic warheads they eventually retain, under arms reduction agreements, will be in the shape of SLBMs.
rajat.pandit@timesgroup.com
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N-submarines will make India’s deterrence credible-India-The Times of India |
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