Non intrusive power projection.

As the LTTE retreats deeper into the jungles, hoping that a ceasefire would save them to fight another day or through other means, many of our fellow citizens want the government to do something about the situation, from forcing a ceasefire to the very few demanding to wipe out the LTTE.

Both options would be very difficult to implement given that the big bad dragon and its ever obedient green monster have their eyes set on the tear-drop island they have already made deep inroads into the island, the irony is that the LTTE is our bastard child.

A very interesting observation is that we have been involved in the conflict for a long time, even after the Military forces came back from the Island, Indian Navy has been at work cutting off the supply routes of LTTE and denying them opportunity to indulge in gun running and smuggling narcotics.

A direct involvement by our nation at this stage could have been counter productive, the recent activity in Tamil Nadu is a example of that. Providing the Sri Lankan military forces with what ever equipment we could and controlling the sea was&is a very effective way of helping to contain the LTTE, the naval efforts will go unnoticed in the media, as when operating that far away from land the only way media can get its hand on pictures and information of operations is if the Navy provides it to them.

A strong LTTE is about as useful for us as Mr. Bhindarnwale in golden temple, the reason behind saying that is that we know they will never become a peaceful organisation, and if we take action against them we will only help them to hurt us where it matters.

We should help push LTTE into a corner which should force them to behave in the desired manner, and the only safe way of doing this is by ensuring that they have a hard time at sea.

One of the difficulties the Navy faces and will continue to face in such operations is that the Navy is spread around several operations and duties in the region with too few ships for control, this is exactly the problem the Navy is trying to sort with its vision for 2022, they require more help and understanding from the governments that will be in power around the next decade (2010-2025)

Vision 2022: sub surface

Submarines will form a vital part of our nations defensive and offensive capability, long ranged land attack cruise missile equipped nuclear submarines offer the safest possible method to strike targets, the submarines also form the most survivable part of the nuclear deterrence and they are invaluable intelligence collection assets.

Recently Indian navy has sought smaller submarines that can be attached to the larger submarines in order to help deliver special forces where ever it is they need to go, these submarines offer a very lethal capability in the coming decades as undersea UAV versions offering reconnaissance and attack capability without putting our own men and expensive equipment in harms way.

Submarines in the region will not be restricted to area denial roles in the coming decade, they will be able to project power on sea and land far away from the shores of the nation they serve when China and Pakistan acquire the capability to launch land attack cruise missiles from submarines we will have to give a tremendous boost to our surveillance capabilities on the oceans surface, under it and above it.

Looking at the Indian Navy it is obvious that the submarine branch has been ignored, and as a result the Navy might fall short of the projected 25 number in service by 2022 in absence of some creative and decisive decisions.

Submarines are the most mysterious aspect of a navy, and no one is ever willing to talk about their capability to friends or foes, which would be a good reason to start building them ourselves.

Another good reason to build indigenously would be that by 2022 we will have four types of front line submarines serving with the Indian navy, which will cause a lot of problems in managing the logistics and maintenance thankfully this is something that Indian Navy could be given a doctorate in, there is only one way to avoid this building local and building original.

Selection of 6-12 modified submarines from France ( a evolution of the Scorpene series) for the Project-75I will ensure that a lot of these problems are resolved, it seems to me that the Indian Navy is seriously looking at launching a major indigenous SSK building program when the Project-75I closes up and will utilize the technology transfer and the experience of building these two types for that.

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6 Scorpene Class Submarines from Project 75:

Most of the information related to this project is available, these are the submarines that should have started commissioning into the navy some how this was delayed, which will cause delays in the future programs.

6 Submarines from the Project 75I:

These submarines will feature AIP systems and VLS for cruise missiles, from the released images it seems that the submarines will have a 10 cell VLS the missile would in all probability be from BrahMos Corporation.

Hopefully the numbers of these submarines will be increased to meet the 2022 target.

ATV project:

Not much reliable information about this project is available in the media.
According to some articles the first technology demonstrator submarine will feature a 4 cell VLS capable of storing up to twelve 700km ranged ballistic missiles and will eventually carry up to four 5000km ballistic missiles from the Agni project.

The number of the VLS cells could be increased with subsequent submarines in order to have a true nuclear deterrent in the form of a nuclear powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), it has been mentioned several times that a total of five SSBNs are to be developed in this project, a 12-16 cell VLS system will give a total of 60-80 nuclear missiles.

If the current submarine completes trials and the first modified SSBN completes construction by 2013 we should have the required number of submarines by 2022.

Once the SSBN production line is open the project will in all probability shift its focus towards the development of a SSN and introducing improvements into the SSBN, the status of SSN’s in service by 2022 is hard to predict with the available information. Any number would contribute to the projected plans for 25 submarines.

Kilo Class Submarines:

2 Kilo Class Submarines acquired in 1997 and 2000 will remain in service, serving as training assets in all probability as they will be outdated by the more recent induction in our Navy and other regional naval forces.

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