In a significant move towards bolstering maritime security, India’s Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has recently approved the indigenous construction of two Project 75-Alpha nuclear attack submarines (SSNs). The procurement of indigenous nuclear-powered submarines capable of undertaking hunter-killer operations positions the Indian Navy as a formidable force capable of conducting anti-submarine warfare in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
GlobalData’s report, “Global Submarine Market Analysis and Forecast to 2033”, reveals that India will be spending about $31.6 billion on procuring various types of submarines over the next 10 years. Out of which, 30.5% will be directed towards the procurement of Project 75-Alpha SSNs during the same period. India is expected to procure a total of six SSNs under this program at an estimated value of $17 billion.
Udayini Aakunoor, Aerospace & Defense Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The acquisition of SSNs is a strategic move by India to modernize its Navy and tackle regional security challenges. To be built at the Ship Building Centre located in Vishakhapatnam with participation from the domestic private sector, they are expected to boost the country’s autonomy in complex naval shipbuilding.
“Designed to operate at greater depths and for longer durations than conventional submarines, the SSNs will enhance the Indian Navy’s ability to perform multiple roles, ranging from offensive operations to intelligence gathering, while also enabling it to maintain a continuous and discreet presence in strategically important maritime chokepoints, such as the Strait of Malacca, the Gulf of Aden, and the Persian Gulf.”
With their unlimited underwater endurance and offensive power, the SSNs will enable India to project power in the Indo-Pacific region while supporting self-reliant advancements in critical defense technologies. These advanced SSNs, coupled with the Indian Navy’s P-8I maritime patrol aircraft, would enhance the service’s ability to detect and track Chinese submarines operating in the IOR.
Aakunoor concludes: “India will also likely use these Project 75-Alpha SSNs to protect its in-service Arihant-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), which serves as the sea-based leg of the country’s nuclear triad. This, in turn, will enhance India’s second-strike capability as the survivability of its fleet of Arihant-class SSBNs will increase significantly owing to the protection provided by the Project 75-Alpha SSNs.”
