Indian Navy to Shift to Submarines, Construction of Third Aircraft Carrier Takes a Back Seat

There are changes in the defense plans of India from the construction of its third aircraft carrier. Emphasis on keeping its submarines relevant to the number of surface ships is currently the priority.

According to the current defense chief, choosing submarines over a single aircraft carrier will have an impact in the battlefield. It is crucial to check the weaknesses of the Navy as threats from China and Pakistan are getting more apparent with their modern warfare weapons, according to Defence News.

In a press brief, the Indian Chief of Defense Staff, General Bipin Rawat, said that the presence of two Indian aircraft carriers is sufficient. But if there are fewer subs, then it must be addressed. More submarines are needed to keep a balance, according to The Diplomat.

On February 10, Rawat was interviewed and he indicated that the third flat top may not be acquired. He added that it shall be acquired if it is needed in the battlefield. He also stressed that it depends on how the general situation will pan out in the next decade.

Submarines are more likely to be developed, especially those with nuclear reactors that will be crucial for the Indian navy. A plan exists to have 6 next-generation attack submarines that will make the Indian Navy equal to many nuke attack subs like France.

Presently, India owns four nuclear submarines already. Four of the first Arihant Class ballistic missile submarines are in operation and have done deterrence patrols. The new K-4 ballistic missiles passed the test launch last January. Further upgrades to Indian's arms are the S-5 missile sub, which is under development.

Construction of the third flat top has been in the works for quite some time, this next carrier will be bigger than the two first carriers. The next behemoth of a carrier will be the INS Vishal, whilethe second carrier INS Vikrant is still getting built. The former is yet to be completed and remains untested in actual service.

With Chinese aggression at an all-time high, the defense chief is not deciding on giving the go signal to the INS Vishal project. The Shandong and Liaoning are larger than two of India's carriers, though the Vishal will be as big as the two others. What makes things urgent is that China will be gunning for a fourth carrier that worries India a lot, according to Forbes.

Another concern is the upgrades of the Pakistani and Chinese submarine forces, which prompted the Indian navy to reckon with the situation. News of upgrades for the subs of Pakistan started an arms race. Other systems that are on their list is the Turkish Zargana anti-torpedo defensive system, and getting 8 Type-039B submarines from China. What India lacks is Air-Independent Power (AIP) for silent running that nuke submarines need to acquire.

Many crucial things depend on this project, and not giving importance to the Vishal project will deprive several international defense firms. INS Vikrant is under construction with the help of foreign firms, that are working on its completion. Several countries like Russia and Britain are offering designs as the final form of the INS Vishal.

India has been producing submarines with help from other countries. This shows that adding more submarines is not a problem, but it might be crucial in the future battlefield.