Submarine Arm – Achilles Heel for the Indian Navy

Submarine arm is for the Indian Navy, what MiGs have been for the Indian Air Force (IAF) off late – the Achilles Heel – the chink in its armoury. Talking about sheer statistics, the Indian Navy last inducted a conventional submarine 19 years ago and its current fleet is down to 13 in number.

 

The resignation of the Indian Navy Chief Admiral DK Joshi and the government’s blatant eagerness to accept it following the spate of accidents faced by the Indian Navy’s submarine fleet point to a chronic problem in the Indian defence establishment – Armed Forces propose, MoD disposes. Despite the alarming situation of the Indian submarine fleet getting archaic and the Indian Navy seeking to maintain its edge in the Indian Ocean Region (in the face of the expanding submarine fleet of China and a strong submarine arm of Pakistan) proposing new acquisition, MoD kept dragging its feet.

In 2010 the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) sounded the red herring saying that the navy’s submarine fleet was ageing and by 2012 63 percent of its vessels would have completed their operational life. The report underlined the “serious slippages” in the induction plan as the genesis of the problem. "In what could seriously impact on the operational preparedness of the Indian Navy, more than 50 per cent of its submarines have completed 75 per cent of their operational life and some have already outlived their maximum service life."

With a number of platforms due for retirement, by 2015, the Indian submarine fleet is projected to be down to 10 underwater platforms. In contrast have the biggest navy in Asia China is known to have 8-10 nuclear powered submarines and 50-60 diesel submarines. Beijing is also actively aiding Islamabad in augmenting its fleet by constructing submarines for them.

The prophecy of the CAG seems to be eerily close as the Indian Navy submarines suffered three accidents – causing loss of lives and machines, as well.

The indigenous construction of the Scorpene submarines is already way behind the schedule, marred by constant allegations about corruption in the deal. The government is yet to sanction the construction of submarines under the Project P-75 I.