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Historic Perspective
 The evolution of submarines began with watertight submersible boats being lowered into the sea with ropes with glass windows for exploration.
The first military submarine with screws and pedals was the “Turtle” in 1776, and improved by Fulton in the early 19th century with "Nautilus".
Gustave Zede built a 60-foot, battery-powered "Gymnote" capable of 8 knots for the French Navy with ballast tanks and periscope, but had no means
to recharge the batteries.
On the eve of World War I, submarine warfare came alive fitted with diesel electric rechargeable submarine batteries with torpedoes and guns on
deck. Later, snorkels were invented. Submarines sank more tonnage than surface ships in both World Wars, and the importance of submarines has only
increased, and the capability of a conventional submarine is independent propulsion (AIP) equipped with fuel cells, MESMA steam driving or sterling
engines to remain underwater for long durations. Nuclear powered submarines are Pearl shaped for high speed and long staying power underwater for attack,
and some of them have nuclear tipped missiles for deterrence.
In South Asia, Pakistan was first to realize the importance of submarines and it acquired PNS Ghazi (ex USS Diablo) in 1964, before the Indian Navy
did in 1966. Ghazi’s threat off Mumbai contributed to the Western Fleet being told not to go beyond Porbunder latitude in the 1965 war as Ghazi was on
the prowl. Submarines are prime war fighting machines, and even tiny Singapore possesses two Swedish 1,400-tonne Sjoormen submarines. One will be
exercising with Indian Navy in the next SIMBEX -2015.
Indian Navy’s Submarine ORBAT
A maritime nation’s Navy is a capital intensive three dimensional force, with ‘space’ gaining prominence as the 4th military dimension. Large navies
operate on surface, submarines operate under water and aircraft, drones and helicopters in the air. The planning and acquisition of assets needs to be
executed in a balanced equity based manner depending on the threat appreciation.
It takes time for manpower to be trained ‘to go to sea’ especially in submarines. In India the exercise of getting the Government ‘to assess the threat’
and make the three Services to think jointly, to acquire assets on a threat based model under a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) has not evolved.
In the 1980s, the Indian Navy boasted a large fleet of 20 submarines with experienced crew, which included 10 Kilo EKM -377 submarines with USSR
trained crews, 4 HDW-1500s of which two were built at Mazagon Dock Ltd (MDL), five old Foxtrots and the nuclear submarine INS Chakra on lease from 1987
to 1991.
At the same time, the aviation arm was expanded with INS Viraat, 18 Sea-Harriers, additional Sea-King Commando MK 42C helicopters , 8 Tu-142 large
Maritime Reconnaissance birds and Dornier-228s . The challenge for the Chief, Admiral RH Tahiliani, a test pilot himself was for instance to balance the
senior manpower and assets between the surface, submarine and aviation. That was managed well by posting outstanding surface Captains abroad but the plan
of building more submarines took a hit because of allegations bribe in the acquisition of HDW submarines in 1984.
MDL stopped submarine construction, due to a CBI inquiry. While no evidence has been established, the acquisition of the HDW boats with Transfer of
Technology (ToT) was good for the Navy. Notably, the HDW submarines were initially meant for Iran but the fall of the Shah of Iran saw arms agents transfer
the contract to India.
Thanks to that investigation though, no new submarines have been added since, and their strength is now down to 13, half under refit under pressure to
maintain fleet requirements.
Submarines are essential to train the surface and aviation arms and no Fleet exercise is complete unless Combined Submarine Exercises (CASEXes).
Although India has acquired the nuclear propelled (but not nuclear armed) INS Chakra 2 on lease from Russia, the submarine fleet is suffering due to
shortage of numbers and their obsolescence. In 1999, after a delay, the Government approved the Navy’s two line submarine building plan, one western and
one eastern, but it will be a decade before the second line delivers the boat.
Very recently though, the Government decided to build a second line of six boats, equipped with AIP (Air Independent Propulsion) within India under ToT.
One line to construct six French ARMARIS Type 75 Scorpene submarines at MDL commenced in 2006, and the first sub, due in 2011, will be out only in 2016.
In between, ARMARIS folded, its Spanish partner Navantia – which was to build the rear portions – had to walk away over contractual issues, and the French
DCNS took over with substantial cost escalations.
Two serious accidents took place on two 25 year old Kilo class submarines. INS Sindhughosh exploded and sank in Naval dockyard on August 14, 2013 with
loss of 18 lives. A fire on INS Sindhuratna on 26 February 2014 with loss of two lives put the submarine Orbat further back. A third submarine of the same
class, INS Sindhukriti, has been languishing in Hindustan Shipyard Ltd (HSL) under refit for a decade.
Concurrently the surface Indian Navy is expanding with 34 warships on order in Indian yards, while the six Scorpenes under construction are to be
delivered between 2016 and 2020.
India’s responsibilities in the 2 million sq Km of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), 7610 km coast line, offshore assets and security of far flung islands,
and to show the flag and combat piracy as the ‘net security provider’ in India Ocean Region (IOR), and occasionally operate in the Asia Pacific have strained
the Navy. The pressure is on the remaining ageing submarines to provide training with war patrol capability.
Indian Navy’s budget is only 18 per cent of defence layout, and hopefully, this will be increased in the next fiscal; there is no choice.
The Future of Submarines for the Indian Navy
Diesel submarines are warships of position whereas nuclear submarines are vehicles of maneuver and deterrence. The cost of building nuclear submarines
is approximately 50 to 75 per cent higher per unit than diesel- electric powered boats, but they have far greater capabilities. India needs at least six
nuclear powered nuclear armed (SSBN) boats of the 6300 tonne INS Arihant class, which is due to go for sea trials “very soon.”
But the next boats will have to have more power, 100 mw in comparison to Arihant’s 80.
Arihant’s weapon systems are ready, and on completion, she will be equipped with India’s indigenous plug and play SagarikaK-15/B-05 750 km range nuclear
tipped missiles towards creating India’s nuclear triad for deterrence.
Indian submarines have no separate operating base of their own but in Project Varsha, a greenfield submarine base is being set up South of Vishakapatnam
at Ramboli. The Indian Navy needs new facilities.
The tender, or Request for Proposals (RFP) for the long-delayed second line Project 75-I, for six conventional but AIP equipped boats for US$ 8 to 10
billion should be out soon as the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) cleared it on October 25, on ‘Get design and Make in India’ basis’.
The Government has been encouraging the private sector in the recent years, L&T's defence business chief, MV Kotwal is on record as saying: "We have
informed the MoD already about the capabilities and capacities, we have put in place for submarine building. These have already been demonstrated in the
Arihant project’.
The RFP is likely to be issued to L&T, Pipavav Defence and Offshore Services Ltd, and the state-run MDL and HSL.
Project 75-1 boats are to be fitted with AIPs for longer under water endurance. DRDO’s Ambarnath-based Naval Materials Research Laboratory (NMRL), along
with the Kochi-based Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), and L&T have since 2002 developed a fuel cell-based AIP system that will enable
submarines to stay submerged continuously for about 25 days. The indigenously-developed AIP module is expected to be ready for sea trials in 2015-16. A Maruti
car with hydrogen fuel cells has been driven successfully from Cochin to Mumbai as part of the development experiments.
Nuclear Submarines and Indian Navy Leap - 2014
The world saw a breakthrough in 1958 when with a miniature nuclear power reactor produced steam for propulsion under water and powered the USS
Nautilus which went round the world and under the North Pole uninterrupted.
The Indian Navy entered the nuclear submarine era with the first INS Chakra on lease from USSR in 1987/ The then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi embarked her
off vishakapatnam and had lunch dived with the officers and the coxswain.
INS Chakra was exploited for 72,000 nautical miles (133,000km), and the reactor was active for 430 days during 1987-1991 with five 63km range
Amethyst (SS-N-7 NATO Code name Starbright) missiles and 42 torpedo firings executed under Indian command with Russian supervision on board for safety.
India has to keep in mind the situational awareness in the Indian Ocean and adjoining waters. China has made strides and built 60 conventional and nuclear
submarines. The international waters are free for all but the fact is the Chinese Navy is also coming closer to the Indian shores by making port calls in
neighbouring countries while in Pakistan, it has funded the creation of a modern port at Gwadar.
Reports are that the Chinese Navy’s Jiaolong, a research submersible named after a mythical dragon's name, left Jiangyin in Jiangsu Province on
November 25 on Xiangyanghong-9 as carrier to commence a four month deep sea scientific expedition in Southwest Indian Ocean.
The International Seabed Authority (ISA) has allocated large tracts to China for sea bed mining. According to China’s National Deep Sea Center Director,
Yu Hongjun, it will dive 20 times to study biological diversity, genetic resources, poly metallic sulfides and hydrothermal microbes, as it has done in North
West Pacific. The vessel has already proved itself to a depth of 7,000 metres.
India needs to speed up modernization of its nuclear and conventional submarine fleets to ensure the Indian Navy’s ORBAT is balanced for its fighting edge
and the submarine arm is giving the support it deserves.
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