India to launch indigenous n-submarine by ’09: Navy Chief

In perhaps the first official confirmation of the secretive project, Mehta said possessing nuclear submarine technology would complete India’s strategic triad by placing nuclear weapons under the sea. Land based missiles and air launched bombs are the two other nuclear delivery options that India has.

Given India’s stated policy of no first use of nuclear weapons, military experts insist that submarine launched nuclear weapons are imperative for a credible ‘second strike’ option primarily due to the ease with which they can be concealed and deployed.

China, incidentally, has started mass producing its second generation of nuclear submarines. India has a lot of catching up to do as the new ‘Shang’ and ‘Jin’ class submarines – details of which emerged earlier this year – are a big leap ahead of their older and noisier Hans class submarines.

However, before India gets its own nuclear submarine fleet, the navy will train its personnel on the Russian Akula sub. “We have not been operating on a nuclear platform and had taken the ‘Chakra’ on lease from Russia earlier. Now we want one more Akula sub to train our boys on how to operate a nuclear platform,” Mehta said.

The Navy chief also added that India is looking at having two operation carrier battle groups – one in the Eastern Fleet and the other on the Western Coast – by 2015. While the Navy is likely to have two aircraft carriers by 2011-12 if the Admiral Gorshkov is delivered as per the new schedule, India is planning to once again increase the life of the INS Viraat by operating it for ‘8-10 more years’.

The indigenous aircraft carrier currently being built at the Kochi shipyard is also likely to join the fleet by 2012, Mehta said.