Chinese Subs Challenge India's Control Over Sea Routes

     China has said that submarines docking in Colombo are routine calls and are for refueling in anti-piracy missions in Gulf of Aden. But this is ridiculous. As the ultimate offensive weapon, even the thought of using submarines in anti-piracy ops is overkill. For that matter, even destroyers, frigates and corvettes are not cost-effective solutions in such missions. Modern offshore patrol vessels and special forces would be more than adequate.
 

It is clear that the nuclear submarines that do not require any basing facility in times of war were here earlier this year to test India's response and the waters, literally. Operation from Indian Ocean provides these lethal platforms the nuclear option against all adversaries including India. 

Conventional submarines, however, do require some form of support on extended missions which explains the presence of an auxiliary during the recent visit. Colombo or Hambanthota could well be on the radar of China for creation of such a facility. And Sri Lanka may find it increasingly difficult to say no to such Chinese requests. Even PNS Ghazi which ultimately met its watery grave off Vizag, was on a mission to sink Vikrant during 1971 war. It is on record that Ghazi was supported logistically by Sri Lanka on its passage to Bay of Bengal. 

China is aware that its merchant fleet, which carries more than 80% of its energy needs, and its trade through the Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs) happen under the watchful eyes of Indi an Navy. If there is any spillover of a conflict with India over land borders to the maritime domain, the Indian Navy is in a position to intercept these Chinese vessels even before they enter Malacca straits. 

The presence of nuclear or conventional submarines in areas where the Indian Navy would like to exercise Sea Control would make this task of the Indian Navy a challenging one. It also needs to be borne in mind that the concept of operations (CONOPS) of the Indian Navy is centered on the Carrier Task Force (CTF) whose center of grav ity is the aircraft carrier. Nuclear and conventional submarines would be able to target the aircraft carrier. 

Interdiction of merchant fleet by submarines and surface forces is a legacy from the World War though not witnessed since. What the deployment of the Chinese submarines would do as a game changer is challenge the modern surface forces of the Indian Navy in this possible task, to compel a shift in emphasis on anti-submarine forces. 

Sea Control by Indian Navy could become even more complicated should there be some synergy between Pakistan and China in operating sub-surface forces in the event of a maritime conflict. 

The Indian Navy depends largely on its newly inducted P8i Boeing, the older Tu 142 M long-range maritime and antisubmarine aircraft operating from Rajali, a naval air station in Arakkonam, and IL38 aircraft from Goa to keep track of submarines. This is complemented by a dwindling strength of Integral Helicopters in the form of Seaking Mk 42B and Kamov. While there is a lot of public awareness of the acute shortage of submarines, the same is not the case when it comes to both surface and integral anti-submarine assets. Many new surface vessels suffer from the lack of an integral dedicated helicopter for anti-submarine warfare missions. The delay in the acquisition of Mine Counter Measure vessels from South Korea adds to the challenges of the Indian Navy to keep its channels and vital areas clear of possible mines that could be planted by the Chinese submarines, which are designed to do just that.

It is clear that the government has to move on fast track at many levels and work closely with the Navy to overcome the above deficiencies, which would dent the capability of the Indian Navy to pursue its missions.On the part of the Indian Navy, it would need to work on all contingencies by scenario-building and work in a time bound manner to optimize the efficiency of the present capability to counter the designs of China till it achieves a balanced force structure. 

PLA visits to Sri Lanka port present an issue for India

Chinese vessels' frequent visits to the port of Colombo in Sri Lanka are causing concern for India as it engages with Sri Lanka in a joint military action called Exercise-Mithra Shakthi in the later country's Uva-Kudaoya training school, reports Huanqiu, website of China's nationalistic tabloid Global Times, which translated the original report from the Times of India.

The visits included one on Sunday when a Chinese submarine docked at the port after conducting an escort mission in the Gulf of Aden and waters near Somalia and another in mid-August when a Chinese amphibious landing ship and a frigate visited the port after another anti-piracy mission off Somalia.

Although Kosala Warnakulasuriya, spokesperson for the Sri Lankan navy, said the visits were no different from the 230 warships around the world that have visited the port since 2010 for refueling and restocking, Indian geo-strategist and thinker Brahma Chellaney said it suggests India's influence in the region has been weakened and called the frequent visits "a grave miscalculation," the Indian paper said.

Around 42 Indian special force troops have joined the three-week joint exercise that began Nov. 2. The exercise aims to enhance the interoperability of the two countries' militaries, according to News.LK, the official government news portal of Sri Lanka. It was the second time the two countries held such drills since December 2012 which took place in Nahan, Himachal Pradesh, India, said the Times of India.

Over the past few years, India has been regularly helping to train the Sri Lanka military and providing military equipment to resist China's influence over south Asian countries.

Eye On China, India And US Set To Ramp Up Joint Naval Drills

     India and the US are set to deepen and broaden their bilateral military exercises to include more warfare components involving nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers. They would also invite more countries to join the Malabar exercises as the two nations share concerns about the growing Chinese naval presence in the Indian Ocean.


Both the Indian and US navies have been warily watching the growing Chinese naval presence in the Indian Ocean, especially its submarine manoeuvres. In the recent weeks, India conveyed its displeasure to the Sri Lankan government at least twice over its decision to permit Chinese submarines to dock in its ports.

According to dependable sources, India and US officials have had detailed discussions, including at the Defence Policy Group meeting in Washington DC, on stepping up the bilateral naval exercises. The decision involves a series of steps, starting with increasing the nuclear submarine and aircraft carrier warfare components.

The two sides are also looking at adding both army and air force components to the traditionally naval exercise.

Sources said the two sides are looking at inviting more countries, thus expanding them mostly into trilateral exercises. In July 2014, India and the US invited Japan to the exercises held in north-western Pacific. Malabar has featured Australia and Singapore, besides Japan, in 2007.

Through most of the UPA tenure, especially under defence minister AK Antony, Malabar exercises off Indian coast have mostly been bilateral affairs, in an effort not to raises Chinese hackles.

However, under the new regime in New Delhi there is a noticeable shift in the strategic posturing, especially vis-a-vis China. In Washington DC in October, the joint statement issued by Narendra Modi and Barack Obama had referred to the situation in South China Sea. It was the first time that the two sides had so explicitly referred to the issue in an Indo-US joint statement.

The move to deepen and broaden the Malabar exercises flow from Modi's declared strategic vision, especially reflected in the joint statement.

The move comes even as the government is warily looking at the growing Chinese submarine activities in the region. It has for sometimes been uncomfortable about Chinese sending its submarines as part of their anti-piracy patrols. When INS Vikramaditya was sailing from Russia starting November 2013, a Chinese submarine was in Indian Ocean observing the carrier. At one point of time, the Chinese officially informed New Delhi about the presence of its submarine in Indian Ocean, though it said it was for anti-piracy operations.

Aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya finishes trials in Russia, delivery to India in mid-November

After a long running saga of hard-nosed negotiations since the late-1990s, cost escalations, refit delays and mishaps, aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya has finally completed its extensive sea trials in Russia. The 44,570-tonne warship, or the refurbished Admiral Gorshkov, is now all set to be handed over to India in mid-November. 


Defence ministry sources on Tuesday said INS Vikramaditya has "now successfully" finished its series of "sustained full-power and aviation trials" in the White and Barents Seas. "The carrier will now head back to the harbour at Severodvinsk. It will then be made ready for the commissioning on November 15. It will reach Indian shores, with an Indian crew commanded by Captain Suraj Berry, in early-2014," said a source. 

India has paid $2.33 billion for Vikramaditya's refit, instead of the original $974 million earmarked in the January 2004 contract under which the carrier was to be originally delivered by August 2008. India is also spending another $2 billion to induct 45 Russian MiG-29K naval fighters to operate from the decks of INS Vikramaditya and the under-construction INS Vikrant, which too has been delayed at the Cochin Shipyard till at least end- 2018. 

Given the huge delays in both the projects, the Navy will continue to flog its old warhorse, the 54-year-old INS Viraat, which is left with just 11 Sea Harrier jump-jets to operate from its deck, till 2018. The delays have also derailed the Navy's long-stated aim to operate two full-fledged carrier battle groups (CBGs) anytime soon, as was earlier reported by TOI. 

INS Vikramaditya was to be inducted into the Indian Navy by last December, as per the then re-revised time-frame  but serious engine and boiler malfunctions during the trials delayed the delivery by another year. 

With the Mumbai harbour not capable of handling INS Vikramaditya, the mammoth warship will be based at the Karwar naval base in coastal Karnataka, which has undergone its Phase-I development at a cost of Rs 2,629 crore. The government recently also approved the Phase-IIA expansion of Karwar, which gives India both strategic depth and operational flexibility, at a cost of Rs 13,000 crore.

P-8I delivered to Indian Navy touches down

India's long-range maritime snooping and anti-submarine warfare capabilities will get a huge boost when the first of the eight contracted Poseidon-8I aircraft touches down at the Arakkonam naval air station in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday.

Under the $2.1 billion deal inked with US aviation major Boeing in January 2009, the second and the third P-8I aircraft will reach the naval air station INS Rajali in August and November, with the other five being progressively delivered by 2015. India is going in for a repeat order of four more P-8I in a contract worth over $1 billion.

China concerned over India’s naval prowess, says US expert

   China wants to establish posts in Indian Ocean Region(IOR) preferably in countries like Sri Lanka and Seychelles due to the growing influence of India in the region, said Dr. Lora Saalman, an American expert on arms control. 
      Dr. Saalman is an associate at the Nuclear Policy Program of the Carnegie Endowment  at the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy, Beijing. Her research focuses on Chinese arms control policies, and Sino-Indian and Sino-Russian strategic relations. In an interaction with media persons in Hyderabad,India, she said some of the experts in China felt India was either on par with China or even surpassed it on naval power. Referring to strengthening of Indian Navy in recent years, she said the Chinese felt India might use its policy to control the Indian Ocean. “It is the first and foremost on their mind.” 
       Observing that this posts could be used by the Chinese as refuelling points , Dr. Saalman however added that not all engagement was negative as military could also be used to shore up economic interests in the region. Dr. Saalman said China was also increasingly focusing on India and looking at where India was heading in the wake of the latter’s defence modernisation programme.