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Each invader brought new warfare technology and strategies. Alexander had organized cavalry and pikes, while the Muslims came with archers on horseback, composite bows and gunpowder. The British had organized military divisions, diplomacy and handheld firearms. On most occasions the new type of warfare caught the Indians by surprise.

Since gaining independence on Aug. 15, 1947, Indians have desired to master the art of military technology. India’s newly commissioned nuclear submarine, launched on July 26 in the southern port of Vishakhapatnam, is an example.

The 367-foot INS Arihant, which means “destroyer of enemies,” will not be operational for another three years, but has already showcased India’s growing power. The United States built missile-launching submarines called “boomers” in the 1970s and 80s, which former U.S. President Ronald Reagan called “peacemakers” because they would balance the Soviet Union’s capability and diminish the threat of war. Similarly, India’s Arihant is expected to balance China’s growing presence in the Indian Ocean.

The INS Arihant, India’s only nuclear submarine, cost a staggering US$2.9 billion to build. The cost exceeded the initial budget due to the added costs of learning its new technologies. Four more similar submarines are planned; one or two are said to be in the advanced stages of construction. But there is no hurry, as one is sufficient for now.

A British nuclear submarine sank Argentina’s battleship, the General Belgrano, and brought a quick end to the Falklands War in 1982. The war lasted 74 days, but the British prevailed because Argentina could not recover from the loss.

The Arihant is an updated model of a Russian nuclear submarine – NATO code-named Charlie II – that India leased in the 1990’s. The Russians retired the last of their Charlie II submarines in 1994, but former Russian President Boris Yeltsin shared its basic design data with India as a gesture of goodwill. However, the Russians did not pass its nuclear reactor technology to India.

The Arihant’s surface and submerged displacement ranges from 6,000 to 7,000 tons compared to the 4,000 to 5,000 tons of Charlie II. Its submerged speed is also higher at 25-35 knots compared to Charlie’s 25-30 knots. The Arihant can dive to 300 meters. Its armaments initially will be 12 Indian-built K-15 missiles with a range of 750 kilometers and six torpedo tubes. Later, the missile tubes will be fitted with nuclear-tipped missiles with a range of 3,500 kilometers.

Building the 85-megawatt pressurized water reactor that powers the Arihant posed tremendous problems. India’s Bhabha Atomic Research Center contributed the core design, uranium enrichment and related functions while the Defense Research and Development Organization handled the rest of its construction. Miniaturizing the design to fit the submarine was the main problem that BARC faced. Without Russian technical help it would have taken another five years to complete. A replica of this reactor has been operating on land for the past four years.

Building the hull was not easy either. Indian scientists lacked metallurgical knowledge of suitable materials for the hull. The selected steel required precise handling, cutting and welding. At times it appeared that Indian hull builders could not accomplish this, which added to manufacturing delays and cost overruns. Three extra years were added to perfect fabrication techniques. This explains why it took 10 years from the formal design to the actual commissioning of the submarine.

Two earlier attempts in the 1970s and 80s had been abandoned. The lease of the Russian Charlie-class submarine was critical for the Indians to learn its secrets.

Nevertheless, critical processes of the Arihant’s reactor are not yet functioning. For the uranium core reaction to sustain itself usually takes two to three years. However, every step is a new learning curve for Indian scientists, and taking it slowly is not a bad approach.

The Americans and Russians took shortcuts in their hurry to build seaworthy nuclear submarines. This resulted in the Russian submarine K-19 suffering a catastrophic nuclear reactor failure on its maiden sea voyage, while the United States lost its first nuclear submarine “Thresher” on a deep-diving drill. Three other Russian nuclear submarines have sunk, compared to two U.S. ones.

In short, commissioning a nuclear-powered submarine is a challenge, especially for India, which is new to the technology. China took 30 years to come up with its comparable 094-class submarine, commissioned for sea trial in 2004. Its earlier 093 class was a dud and for display only. It can prowl the South China Sea but cannot cross into the Indian Ocean. To overcome design problems the Chinese also had to purchase technology from Russia.

By 2013 India will have two nuclear submarines, one locally built and the other leased from Russia. Along with a French Scorpene submarine and a Russian upgraded aircraft carrier, India will have a formidable force positioned at the western mouth of the Strait of Malacca, should China ever decide to act in haste. Barring a few powerful Russian-built ships, China’s fleet is poor-quality reverse-engineered copies.

China unabashedly showed off its naval might in April this year with 25 vessels, two of which were nuclear submarines. It has built a large naval base at the southern tip of Hainan Island, with the capability to hide multiple nuclear submarines. Interestingly, concurrent to their naval display, China spread false rumors that a Chinese naval ship had forced an Indian submarine to surface off Somalia’s coast during pirate patrol duty. China later denied the incident, which is an indication of how seriously they view India’s naval developments.

With aircraft carriers, Scorpene submarines, Brahmos missiles and nuclear submarines, India’s naval punch is far superior to China’s. They can easily handle the Chinese if they cross the Strait of Malacca. China’s base in Hainan Island would be 13 days away, while India’s land bases would be only a day or two away. Besides, India’s land-based planes could keep the Chinese flotilla within its gun sights at all times.

Let India not hide its long-range power ambitions. Let China know that its interest in the Indian Ocean should be minimal. Pranksters in Pakistan cannot be ignored either, lest they stage another Mumbai-type attack and then brandish their nuclear weapons to counter Indian anger.

With nuclear weapons at sea, India can easily counter Pakistan’s threats. Pakistan has so far shown little concern beyond the usual displeasure from the foreign office. Its navy chief, Admiral Bashir Noman, is reportedly hoping that Arihant will not perform.

The INS Arihant is another milestone in India’s world power equation. The U.S. reaction has been lukewarm. The Americans don’t mind this new military development, but they don’t want to encourage it. They would prefer for India to play a bigger role in world politics. But sooner or later India must reverse its 2,300-year-old history of invaders looting, conquering and ruling it.

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(Hari Sud is a retired vice president of C-I-L Inc., a former investment strategies analyst and international relations manager. A graduate of Punjab University and the University of Missouri, he has lived in Canada for the past 34 years. ©Copyright Hari Sud.)