Washington appears to have decided that the best military choice now is to rely on a cold war type coalition, with its most trusted allies at its center. As a result, it has announced the AUKUS trilateral security pact, a u.s, UK, and Australian military partnership to fight china’s increasing threat in the indo-pacific. We and the UK will enable Australia to design and build up to eight nuclear-powered attack submarines, which is the high point of the AUKUS partnership. However, caused tensions between Australia and France and the US because Australia has pulled out of a 40 billion dollars. Contract inked in 2016, with France to provide submarines to Australia and make a deal with UK and US. in this partnership. The united states and UK will transfer naval nuclear propulsion technology to Australia. Such a move represents a significant policy shift for the united states, which has previously gone to great lengths to prevent the transfer of naval reactor technology to other countries, except its world war ii, ally, the united kingdom and now with Australia. Why? The u.s won’t give India nuclear submarines. Indian navy chiefs and naval veterans have raised the prospect of indo-us collaboration on nuclear reactor propulsion technology, but their American counterparts have respectfully declined. The u.s, with over 70 operational nuclear submarines, has more nuclear submarines than Russia, France and UK put together. Indian officials began discussing the possibility of buying or leasing ussn’s, but the?
US show no commitment to a stable defense relationship by leasing a few Los Angeles class ssns to India. This request might have sounded out of place, considering that India already operates nuclear submarines, becoming the world’s sixth country to have nuclear submarines when it commissioned the ins arihant. In 2016,
But, however, the arihant is an SSBN that is nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, a slow-moving bomber and a stealthy launch platform for nuclear weapons. But what the Indian navy wants are ssns. The arihant and three more SSBNs are under construction and a part of the strategic forces command.
Now, if we look at the relationship between us UK, Australia is very different from that with India. Neither Washington nor London is likely to easily hand over any technology to India. Some years ago, Britain said to India that what you were asking us for the kind of technology we don’t give to even our closest allies, both u.s and UK, have far greater technology and the reactors of u.s latest submarines.
Don’t need to be fueled for their lifetime, whereas the arihant will have to be taken to a dry dock cut, open and refueled every six to seven years. US nuclear submarine used the most sophisticated nuclear reactors. For instance, the newest Virginia class ssns have reactors that use bomb-grade uranium u-235 enriched to over 90 percent. They are designed to operate for 33 years without refueling with India.
Us has consistently refused to discuss any possibility of partying with know-how on naval nuclear reactors. Why? India want ssn, Indian navy wants ssns, because it can perform a series of tactical missions from escorting SSBNs to accompanying its carrier, battle groups and hunting enemy warships. The key in an SSN is its high performance nuclear reactor, which is why they are regarded as the crown jewels of nuclear technology. Only the five permanent members of the un security council possess this technology.
Signs are widely considered to be the most technologically advanced military systems ever created. They can go at incredible depths and, unlike traditional diesel, electric submarines do not require surface for recharging of their batteries. Their submerged endurance is limited only by the crew’s endurance or food supplies. They can carry twice the weapon load of conventional submarines and move twice as fast India plans to construct and build a fleet of six indigenous project 76 ssns with a new nuclear reactor. The plan is up for approval by the cabinet committee on security this year, but even if it is approved, the first unit is not expected to enter service before 2032 naval authorities feel that external help, perhaps from Russia or France, may be required for this project.
In 2017, Indian navy chief visited a french shipyard for a closer look at its newest barracuda class ssns. Meanwhile, it continued sending out feelers to the us for nuclear reactor propulsion technology for submarines and surface ships. So if neither the united states nor the united kingdom are available to help India, french may be an option, but they would be quite costly. Also, France wants to get back into an indo-pacific initiative, and this isn’t the first time they’ve supported India in obtaining defense technologies. That the?
US has refused to supply India, which has a lot of experience in building nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, like the arihant, might turn them into attack vessels ssns, but their top speed is only around 18 to 20 knots per hour underwater and top speeds of 30 to 35 Knots are suitable for an attack submarine. A more powerful reactor would require design changes and higher stress tolerance for its hull and components. In the last couple of years, Indian naval leaders have also explored various options, and France is already helping India make the kalvari class conventional submarines. Then, of course, the Russians are always there. The soviets gave India eight conventional submarines of the foxtrot class, and top soviet officials hinted at the possibility of delivering a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines in the future.
The k-43, the world’s first real sign cruise missile launching submarine, was leased from the soviet union in 1987.
The submarine which entered soviet service in 1967 was capable of firing anti-ship missiles from beneath the surface for India to reach its full potential. It will require protection from dominance and breathing room to re-establish its economy on a more buoyant path. This break will allow it to catch up with technology and strengthen its military. India will need to seek external balancing while preparing to fight its own wars.
Old practice must be broken, and new alliances must be formed wherever there is a convergence of interests. Meanwhile, india’s search for new naval nuclear reactors continues. It’s now likely that India may find another partner willing to transfer nuclear submarine technology in France.
