Nuke Sub Arihant_IN's Pride

7/30/2019 Nuke Sub Arihant_IN's Pride

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Shashikant S Kulkarni

Aquarius Career Academy, Saptapur, Dharwad


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INS Arihant is a ballistic missile submarinearmed with twelve K-15 missiles, each

capable of carrying a 500-kg nuclear warheadto a target 750-km away.Ballistic missile submarines, termed SSBNs inthe US Navy (colloquial term: "boomers" or"bombers"), carry nuclear-tipped ballistic

missiles.


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The Arihant will not be alone. Two otherboomers are under construction at L&T's Haziraplant. These will, probably, be followed by more

-- equipped with longer-range nuclear-tippedmissiles. An attack submarine's nuclear plant eliminates

the need to surface, allowing it to remainunderwater for months. India will shortly beleasing an advanced "Akula II class" attacksubmarine -- named INS Chakra -- from Russia,followed by a second after a year long interval.


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In addition to a new fleet of nuclear submarines,a growing stable of major surface warships iscatapulting the Indian navy into the league of

serious maritime powers. Cochin Shipyard is building a 40,000-ton

indigenous aircraft carrier, which is likely to becommissioned into the Indian Navy in 2014,followed by a successor vessel in 2017. Thecontroversial INS Vikramaditya, as the Gorshkovwill be renamed, could also be commissioned by2012.


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India's three defence shipyards -- Mazagon DockLimited, Mumbai; Garden Reach Shipbuildersand Engineers, Kolkata; and the smaller Goa

Shipyard Limited -- have more warship ordersthan current capacities can handle.

The latest order placed on Mazagon and GardenReach is for seven new-generation stealthfrigates under Project 17A, 5600-ton warships,each capable of dominating vast stretches ofocean.


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India's growing skill in integrating disparatesensors and weapons on indigenous warships

gives them heavier punches than most otherwarships of the same weight class.

Other than the great naval powers -- US,Russia and, now arguably, China -- mostmajor navies operate in alliance with one of

the big players.


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Since the Cold War, for example, Britain'sroyal navy has functioned in alliance with the

US navy, specialising in anti-submarinewarfare, and relying on US cover for crucialaspects like anti-air defence.

In contrast, India has always rejected military

alliances.


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"India is different. We can operate for a shortwhile as a partnership navy, but definitely not aspart of a military alliance. We, therefore, need a

balanced navy with all-round capability whichcan operate alone for as long as it takes." But even while rejecting formal alliances, Indian

navy admirals realise that to be taken seriously,a navy must be visible.

That has spawned a series of annual exerciseswith foreign navies


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The desire for a more powerful and visiblenavy is rooted in growing concern over India's

7,516 km of coastline, the vulnerability ofwhich stood exposed during the 26/11terrorist strikes.

Naval officers point out that India's entire

land mass is just 3.28 million sq km.


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"It's important to strut your stuff," says anaval planner, "you visit a foreign port and

invite your counterparts to a cocktail party onboard. While sipping their drinks on thewarship's deck, they are taking note of theweaponry you're carrying. You're sending a

clear message."


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90 per cent of India's trade by volume and 77 percent by value is transported by sea.

India's current oil import level of 74 per cent of

consumption will rise to 88 per cent ofconsumption by mid-century. Almost all of thatcomes by sea.

The navy is also expected to protect busyinternational trade routes that pass close byIndian shores (100,000 freight vessels annually;one billion tons of oil).


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The deep-water Karwar naval base, located 34nautical miles (55 km) south of Goa, is alreadyfunctioning. Aimed at decongesting Mumbai, Karwar

will be base for more than 40 ships, including theaircraft carrier Vikramaditya when it is commissioned. Also nearing completion is INS Kadamba, an

administrative support base, commissioned in 2005.Another important addition is the new NavalAcademy at Ezhimala, 280 km north of Kochi,inaugurated this January to train 750 cadets a year.You will need professionals to man the Indian Navy'sgrowing fleet.

Nuke Sub Arihant_IN's Pride

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