Defence and Security

Last week, the CBI filed two chargesheets against serving and retired naval officers, and some others, for allegedly sharing details of the ongoing modernisation project of India’s Kilo Class submarines.

·         The kilo category submarines includes foreign submarines that are being retrofitted.

·         Currently, india has fifteen standard diesel-electric submarines, classified as SSKs, and one nuclear ballistic submarine, classified as SSBN.

·         Of the SSKs, four are Shishumar category, that were bought then in-built india in collaboration with the Germans beginning 1980s; eight are kilo category or Sindhughosh category bought from Russia (including erstwhile USSR) between 1984 and 2000; and 3 are Kalvari category Scorpene submarines designed at India’s Mazagon Dock in partnership with France’s armed service cluster, earlier called DCNS.

·         The SSBN, INS Arihant, is a nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, built indigenously.

·         A second SSBN, INS Arighat, an upgraded version of Arihant, is likely to be commissioned within the next few months.

·         Most of India’s submarines are over twenty five years recent, and plenty of are becoming refitted.

·         History of india’s submarine acquisition  India got its 1st submarine, INS Kalvari of the Foxtrot category, from the ussr in Dec 1967.

·         By 1969, it had four of these. throughout the 1971 war with pakistan, the submarines were baptized into war.

Why have there been delays in modernisation?

·         The 30-year arrange (2000-30) for autochthonous submarine construction, approved by the cupboard Committee on Security in 1999, envisaged 2 production lines of six submarines every, in-built india in partnership with a foreign Original equipment Manufacturer (OEM).

·         The projects were known as P-75 and P-75I. however the contract for P-75 was signed solely by 2005, with France’s DCNS, currently the naval service cluster.

What are the current projects underway?

·         Of the six being built, P-75 has delivered 3 Kalvari category Scorpene submarines thus far.

·         P-75I is yet to require off.

·         Why ar nuclear submarines therefore coveted? SSNs have infinite capability to remain dived.

·         As theyre not propelled by batteries, they have not emerge for charging by a diesel motor.

·         Propelled by a nuclear-powered engine, these submarines solely need to come to the surface for replenishing provides for the crew.

·         SSNs also are ready to move quicker underwater than standard submarines.

·         All this permits a navy to deploy them at farther distances, and faster.

·         They are just like the fighter jets of the underwater world.

      How many does India have?

·         India is among Six Nations that have SSNs, alongside the United States, the UK, Russia, France and China.

·         India got its 1st SSN in 1987 from the Soviet Navy, that it rechristened INS Chakra, that was decommissioned in 1991.

·         In 2012, india got another Russian SSN on a ten-year lease, known as INS Chakra two, that has since been came back to Russia.

·         The government has additionally determined that of the twelve submarines to be built indigenously when the P75 and P75i projects, six would be SSNs rather than SSK.

·         India is taking 2 SSNs on lease from Russia, however the 1st of them is predicted to be delivered solely by 2025.

·         But, throughout now india has developed its own SSBNs, INS Arihant and INS Arighat.

·         Unlike the other submarines, the SSBNs are strategic programmes and fall under the Strategic Forces Command, the tri-services command responsible for India’s nuclear weapons.

·         India is building at least two larger SSBNs that will have bigger missiles, called S4 and S4* projects.

·         The four SSBNs are expected to be commissioned before 2030.