France is likely to partner with India on the development of six nuclear-powered submarines

Can France be a potential partner in India’s planned nuclear-powered submarine project? Aaccording to reliable sources, France has an advantage over the US, UK and Russia when it comes to jointly developing six submarines for the Indian Navy.

India’s Chief of Staff, General Bipin Rawat, and the Chief of Navy, Admiral Karambir Singh, may have their differences over India having a third aircraft carrier (the former is unsure of its usefulness given its cost, but the latter is determined to acquire it) . But her voice is one that strengthens the Indian Navy’s severely depleted submarine fleet.

The government’s preoccupation with Covid management may have delayed the final decision, but India’s Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) stands ready to approve the submarine project, especially if the Indo-Pacific has become a major strategic border in China and China consolidates its maritime footprint in the region.

If all goes well, according to reliable sources, France appears to have an advantage over the US, UK and Russia when it comes to hitting a deal to jointly develop six submarines (SSNs) for the Indian Navy.

Some clear signs would have been known in this regard, but the postponement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to France, scheduled earlier this month (May), may also have delayed this.

Modi was to visit the French SSN base in Toulon and the French SSBN (strategic nuclear missile submarines) base in Brest.

Why India wants to increase its submarine fleet

Submarines are vital to the Indian Navy’s strategy to deny the sea. Like the Navy Maritime Safety Strategy from 2015 says: “The Indian Navy will use denial of sea as an offensive measure to restrict the enemy’s freedom of action and interfere with its operations. It is exercised by suitable methods to prevent units of the enemy from operating in the designated sea area in order to thwart their intended purpose.

“To this end, the Indian Navy will primarily deploy submarines, which are excellent at performing sea denials in areas through which the opposing forces might attempt, including port approaches, areas of SLOC convergence (Sea Lanes of Communication) and also in the middle of the ocean.”

It is an open secret that if Beijing is developing the port of Gwadar in Balochistan as part of the CPEC (China-Pakistan Economic Corridor) project, it will develop an alternative route to mainland China, believing that an Indian underground Boat fleet could cause significant damage to Chinese ships sailing through the Malacca Straits.

Submarines are also an integral part of nuclear deterrence at sea, which ensures the survivability of nuclear weapons and enables states to safely inflict destruction on their adversary. In fact, countries like France and the UK don’t even have a nuclear deterrent on land and rely primarily on a nuclear deterrent at sea through SSBN.

Given India’s responsibility for the Navy in the Indo-Pacific, its submarine fleet is very small – one SSBN (ISN Arihant), one SSN (INS Chakra II, leased from Russia and returned next year) and 14 diesel-electric attack submarines ( SSKs). India’s second indigenous SSBN INS Arighat is expected to join the Indian Navy this year

India already signed a contract with Russia worth 3 billion US dollars (21,000 rupees) in 2019 to rent another Akula-class nuclear submarine for 10 years. Renamed Chakra-III, it will be shipped to the Indian Navy until 2025.

Obviously the South Asian nation needs more SSNs, and that explains the urgency for one final nod in the joint production of six SSNs, of which there are reportedly three on a priority basis. It is believed that each of them cost around 15,000 rupees.

The main focus on nuclear powered submarines is that they operate at high speed and unlimited range for long periods of time. Diesel submarines run on electric batteries and can only stay underwater for a few days at slow speed or a few hours at top speed.

India-France Defense Ties

The French Naval Group is the leading contender for the SSN project as France has two advantages. On the one hand, India is building six new Scorpène-class ships at the state-owned Mazagon Dock Ltd. in cooperation with the Naval Group. (MDL) in Mumbai.

The first of these submarines, the INS Kalvari, entered service at the end of 2017. The INS Khanderi (S22) went into operation in September 2019. The INS Karanj (S23), INS Vela (S24) and INS Vagir (S25) have been launched and are currently being tested at sea. The remaining ship, the INS Vagsheer, is under construction. India has professional experience in the joint production of marine platforms with France at home.

Second, France has been one of India’s most trusted allies since the latter was sanctioned over the 1998 nuclear tests. In contrast to the US or other European countries, France has never applied a regulatory regime against India that could bring an ongoing program to a standstill by relying on national or international regulations. This played a huge role in India when Rafale fighter aircraft were preferred to Eurofighters, F-16s. and F-18.

However, when it comes to SSBN, due to its strategic nature, it only needs to be locally made. According to Indian Maritime Strategy, “SSBN provides a credible, effective and survivable ability through stealth features that allow discreet and prolonged deployment and combat capabilities, including weaponry, and helps ensure punitive retaliation in accordance with our nuclear doctrine.”

SSBNs “also contradict an adversary’s strategy of seeking an advantage on nuclear stance and escalation.”

India’s fleet of SSBNs

The experience of Arihant must have been fruitful for the makers of the Arighat to avoid some of the mistakes associated with the indigenous SSBN of India. It was reported that the Arihant’s propulsion compartment was damaged in 2018 by water that was flooded after a tailgate was left open in the berth, and that a worker was killed during pressure tests on the hull in 2014 prior to commissioning.

It is believed that INS Arighat has a more powerful reactor than the one on INS Arihant and can displace 1000 tons more load than Arihant. It is said to carry more rocket load (supposedly four) than the Arihant (one).

Not much is known about the Indian SSBN missiles (SLBM) developed by the DRDO. Although the nuclear capable medium-range missile K15 Sagarika (range 750 km) was fired from underwater platforms, it is not clear whether it came from a submarine. However, it can be assumed that the future SSBNs (apart from Arighat, India is building three more S-2, S-3 and S-4 at the Vadodara shipyard) will have a medium K-4 (3,500 km) and a long range K-5 (6000 km) missiles.

Another SLBM with intercontinental range developed by the DRDO is the K-6, which is said to give the SSBN better striking ability and enable it to stay away from the enemy coast. The K-6 will reportedly carry multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles (MIRVs) that would allow the SLBM not to be intercepted.

India is reportedly building a supposedly secret underground submarine base on the east coast of Rambilli, 60 km from Vishakhapatnam, the headquarters of the Eastern Naval Command. Called INS Varsha, this would provide nuclear ships with charging stations and technical support areas for future nuclear-powered ships.

It was said that INS Varsha would be able to withstand nuclear attacks as well.

Underground bases are also important because when submarines leave or return to normal ports, they can be easily detected by enemy spy satellites, thereby compromising their class and number confidentiality.

This in turn gives the enemy an idea of ​​the defense preparations that are being made. This is where underground naval bases become crucial. The knowledge that the enemy cannot destroy the most important element of the Indian atomic triad and that it would face massive retaliatory measures is very deterrent.

INS Varsha is said to be a response to China’s underground nuclear submarine base in Yalong on the southernmost tip of Hainan Island, which is stationing the Shang-class SSNs and the Jin-class SSBNs.

It is believed that China established six such bases on its east coast and operated more than 60 Chinese submarines from there.