India Launches Nuclear Submarine

Source: New York Times

NEW DELHI — India launched its first nuclear-powered submarine in a ceremony in southern port city of Vishakhapatnam on Sunday, becoming one of just six nations in the world to have successfully built one.

After years of relying on rented Russian submarines, the government unveiled the 367-foot Arihant, which means “destroyer of enemies” in Hindi. The new vessel is part of a broad effort by the Indian government to create a military that matches India’s rising global stature.

Indian military officials said the submarine would be capable of carrying nuclear weapons, however Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who attended the ceremony, said that the it was not built to threaten India’s neighbors.

“We do not have any aggressive designs,” he said. “We seek an external environment in our region and beyond that is conducive to our peaceful development and the protection of our value systems.”


Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/27/world/asia/27india.html

Probably true ... but I doubt Pakistan/China will see it that way ....


Let the Arms race begin!!!

let alone a real one :rofl:

Pakistan will use this to beg for more handouts however.

China already has nuclear subs.

Arms race is real...

In a departure from the past practice of acquiring submarines from France, Pakistan will buy three German Type 214 submarines.

"Along with my fellow Republicon Homelander Chickenhawks, I strategeristically salute the War Profiteers of Indier. Smirk."

- xCommander AWOL (R - FAILURE)

the cost/unit by building a few more these ...


and soon their navy will be saddled with a whole bunch of these killing machines

kid lifting bricks instead of being at school!

* who is a War Profiteering fatcat

More dead whales and dolphins due to military BS fucking up the planet.

They want to be considered a major power. And all the major powers have a lot of big guns and toys.

If I lived in that neighborhood, I'd want at least one too. China has at least five and the US and Russia have around a hundred each. Britain and France have over ten.

Granted, a nuke sub is really only good in a conflict that has already totally gone to hell. It's pretty much done for deterrent purposes at this point.

Of course, India has to keep in mind that nukes won't stop a bunch of crazed religious fanatics from shooting up hotels and train stations...and isn't very useful against pirates either...Conventional weaponry isn't particularly useful for insurgencies and petty thugs...

Both monitoring them, and taking action. India has taken a forward role in tackling the piracy problems in the Indian Ocean. IIRC, they've sunk more pirate vessels so far, than Russia and the US combined.

and I know the US has been cultivating stronger ties in that regard and relying more on them for policing actions in the Indian Ocean.

"First we got the bomb, and that was good
'cause we love peace and motherhood
Then Russia got the bomb, but that's okay
'cause the balance of power's maintained that way.

Who's next?

France got the bomb, but don't you grieve
'cause they're on our side (I believe)
Then China got the bomb, but have no fears:
they can't wipe us out for at least five years.

Who's next?

...

...who is also a major arms supplier to India. the US probably sold them a lot of the parts for the nuke sub and provided technical assistance along the way. Yeah, let's just keep encouraging every country in the world to arm itself to the teeth with WMDs. Good one!

make anything without US parts and US assistance!! :sarcasm:

Or are you just talking out of your ass like most are on this thread? I've seen maybe two posts assessing the strategic implications of the sub or the technical specifications.

Instead it's mostly pie in the sky "OH NOES THE INDIANS HAVE NOOKES" thread. Useless speculation that has no merit whatsoever. The article itself has stated this sub was indigenous built.

And not one person can convincingly tell me why it's bad that India has this capability - or why it's bad that the US would encourage this...

If you're concerned about the arms race, you should wonder why the hell the US has provided Pakistan with a few billion in aid.