Race to Renew India Submarine Force Amid Rising China Threat
- Depleted fleet leaves India vulnerable to underwater attack
- China rapidly expanded fleet to grow regional capabilities
The undocking of Indian Navy's first Scorpene Submarine INS Kalvari in April 2015.
Photographer: Divyakant Solanki/EPAThis article is for subscribers only.
After years of delay, India’s navy is preparing to take delivery of one of the world’s stealthiest and most deadly fighting tools: the INS Kalvari, an attack submarine named after a deep-sea tiger shark.
The commissioning later this month of the Scorpene class submarine is a milestone in India’s effort to rebuild its badly depleted underwater fighting force, and the first of six on order. It comes as China’s military expands its fleet to nearly 60 submarines -- compared to India’s 15 -- and increases its forays into the Indian Ocean in what New Delhi strategists see as a national security challenge.