Editorial: Boost for naval prowess

In terms of operational nuclear warheads, China, with 500, is way ahead of India (172). However, India has close ties with both the United States and Russia, which have over 1,700 such warheads each

The commissioning of INS Arighaat, India’s second nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, marks a significant step towards boosting the country’s naval prowess and nuclear deterrence capabilities. With the hegemonic China modernising its military and nuclear capabilities at a rapid pace —initiating production of its next-generation ballistic missile submarine and holding nuclear-armed sea patrols on a regular basis—, it becomes imperative on the part of India to catch up quickly and improve its preparedness. There is a long way to go. In terms of operational nuclear warheads, China, with 500, is way ahead of India (172). However, India has close ties with both the United States and Russia, which have over 1,700 such warheads each. Beijing’s muscle-flexing in the Indian Ocean Region has been keeping New Delhi on its toes. According to the Swedish think-tank SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute), India is strengthening the undersea leg of its nuclear triad as well as developing long-range missiles. Though the Indian Navy has been making rapid strides in recent years in terms of indigenisation drive, with the commissioning of mighty warships, the pace of expansion of its fleet size enough to challenge China on the high seas is still not up to the mark. The quicker turnaround by the naval shipyards is all the more important now from a strategic point of view because the Chinese navy is increasing its reach at a rapid pace. Despite considerable efforts, warship construction endeavours continue to suffer from systemic deficits. A programme mired in delays and cost overruns needs a critical audit.

However, the presence of INS Arighaat is expected to boost the country’s maritime capability and send out a strong message to China that India is not to be trifled with in the seas. Built at the Ship Building Centre in Visakhapatnam, INS Arighaat is expected to operate under the Strategic Forces Command (SFC), similar to the INS Arihant. India is now among six countries in the world to have a nuclear triad comprising weapons on land, in the air and at sea, after the US, Russia, China, France and the UK. More importantly, the submarine’s systems and equipment are totally indigenous. This underscores the significance of self-reliance in the defence sector for a country which carries the tag of being the biggest arms importer in the world. At the same time, the stakeholders should guard against the temptation of resting on their laurels and becoming complacent. China’s nuclear one-upmanship knows no bounds; so does the secrecy of its operations. No wonder the US, concerned about Beijing’s rapid N-weapon build-up, has made a renewed push for holding talks on nuclear arms with the fellow superpower. While keeping a close eye on these developments, India should ensure that its ballistic submarine programme continues to uphold the policy of having ‘credible minimum deterrence’ in sync with its ‘no first use’ commitment.

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