Reply With QuoteEgad, this might not be a good thing.
India plans nuclear-armed submarine
India plans nuclear-armed submarine
Washington, DC, Jun. 7 (UPI) -- India plans to build a nuclear ballistic missile submarine and a deep-water naval fleet, Defense News reported Monday.
India's new naval doctrine was adopted in May. It sets India on a course to develop a military capable of fighting an extra-regional adversary - ie, China - and "protecting persons of Indian origin and Indian interest abroad."
India wants to be in a position to police the Indian Ocean, gateway to the oil-rich Arabian Gulf.
"There is a strong case for India to acquire a non-provocative, strategic capability and the most viable platform by all accounts is the submarine," says the 148 page-Indian Maritime Doctrine, a copy of which was obtained by Defense News.
The doctrine takes particular note of China, which has nuclear missile subs and growing ties with Indian Ocean Rim nations such as Bangladesh, Iran, Myanmar, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka and Thailand, according to the newspaper.
Egad, this might not be a good thing.
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No bad news, and pakistan with new ICBM
planning is one thing actually doing it is another....nuclear subs and blue water fleets r expensive to build and maintain, i don't kno if it is feasible for india to do this....look at the ton of problems they had/r having with the arjun (over budget and seriously behind schedule). And an MBT is only a fraction as complicated as a nuke boat or an entire bluewater fleet....besides unless china and or pakistan buys a heavy aircraft carrier India really doesn't have a need for either...
lol, that simpsons joke is starting to scare me:
Krusty the Clown: Why don't we start with a joke?
Q: What's the difference between Pakistan and a pancake?
A: I don't know any pancakes that were nuked by India!
(silence)
Krusty: What, too soon?
We are continually told that commie countries are evil and democracies are good. Well India is the largest democracy in the world by population so what is the big deal?
They have already leased Nuclear Subs from the Soviets (Charlie class SSGNs) in the past and are likely to lease a couple of Akulas soon. It is an indigenous project but they will have Russian help as well as personal experience.
cold war like tensions with thier next door neighbor. scary. if russia had been next door to the US, scary!Originally Posted by GazB
I have mixed feelings about India's nuclear ambitions.....but I reckon the current environment existing between Pakistan/India and India/China isn't exactly that healthy.
What I mean by that is...with relatively small nuclear arsenals the risk exists that with a substantial intelligence coup a pre-emptive attack could be successful.......making a nuclear "deterrent" not very deterring.
the deployment of ballistic missile subs by India could possibly reduce the likelihood of a conflict going nuclear as the sub-based portion of a nuclear triad is arguably considered to be the least vulnerable......
why do you think the Israelis are so keen on their class of three Dolphin subs(3 being the smallest number allowing for a continuous station keeping deterrent)?
Also, why do you think the US is cosying up to India in recent years?
A nation with a valid nuclear deterrent and the ability to project it is a global player....it's likely India will be sitting at the adult's table in a couple of years
My reservation about it is that Pakistan may follow suit - beacuse India has it. I'm not that confident it wont increase tensions further still.
Although Pakistan has experience operating diesel/electric submarines......I don't think they are in the same league of capability as India...which has been learning how to effectively operate nuclear powered submarines for a number of years via a lease of Ex-Soviet nuclear subs.My reservation about it is that Pakistan may follow suit - beacuse India has it. I'm not that confident it wont increase tensions further still.
Also.....I suspect Pakistan's economy would not be able to absorb the huge cost associated with such a program without a catastrophic effect on the economy or a massive shift in defense budget expenditure away from it's already out-classed conventional forces.
Fair one - but I am afraid that we may end up with the situation where Pakistani defence may be part funded from outside. They may be willing to trade what expertise they have in order to shore up their parity with India.
Good point....something that always concerned me was Saudi & possibly Libyan financial support for Pakistan....out of fear that a quid pro quo would result in Pakistani nukes covertly getting into the hands of Saudi and/or Libyan forces.Fair one - but I am afraid that we may end up with the situation where Pakistani defence may be part funded from outside. They may be willing to trade what expertise they have in order to shore up their parity with India.
Its also the ultimate control exercised over these things. How can we be sure that some bloke with a bee in his bonnet isnt going to take his country into a war not sanctioned by his government ? The Russians, Chinese, US, France, Uk and Israel make pretty damn sure that no-one can start a nuclear war on their own and the opposition take a measure of comfort in that. Get some popular movement overthrowing a Government and in the chaos how do we know if someone hasnt got the matches and the keys to the powder room ?
So you are suggesting that the Russians, US, Chinese, French, Brits, and Israelis all take good care of their nuclear weapons, but the Indians just pick guys off the street...Its also the ultimate control exercised over these things. How can we be sure that some bloke with a bee in his bonnet isnt going to take his country into a war not sanctioned by his government ?
To be honest the largest democratic country in the world armed a with a few nukes and a significant economic and military numerical superiority not to mention a much larger population on the one side and a military dictatorship in a country that thought the Taleban was a good idea and you guys are worried about India?
Pakistans fighters don't even have BVR missiles... what makes you think they'll be getting nuclear power subs let alone nuclear armed and nuclear powered subs any time soon?My reservation about it is that Pakistan may follow suit - beacuse India has it. I'm not that confident it wont increase tensions further still.
Firstly, apologies for the use of bold text - its just to illustrate my answers
Their ability to aquire technology is not limited by what they currently have. They can either purchase know how or develop it themselves. The Uk launched is first Polaris sub in 1968 - 36 years ago. Funding Pakistan may come from interested parties abroad and we cant regulate that.
What we dont want is to spur them into thinking that they have to match India. . If the Indians put to sea sooner, that will only make Pakistan feel more at risk. Couple that with a regime change, a couple of border clashes and we might see the first use of nukes since 1945.
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