Navy and sub-surface warfare

DECEMBER 8 is the Submarine Day in India. The first submarine, the Foxtrot-class Soviet submarine, INS Kalvari, was commissioned on December 8, 1967, at Riga in USSR. It reached Visakhapatnam on July 8, 1968, under Lt. Commander C. Subramanyam.

The acquisition of submarine was a major milestone in the history of the Indian Navy. Though submarines were included in the very first naval plan presented by Admiral Hall in 1947-48 itself, the request was always turned down by the British who had a near monopoly over the transfer of naval equipment to India. The British did offer one, but the T-class submarine which was offered was already long overdue for scrapping. The offer was thus no less than a calculated insult to the Indian Navy. In the meantime, Pakistan had been offered the Ghazi in 1964. India sought and obtained four F-class submarines from the USSR. Pakistan also acquired three Daphne-class submarines from France. During the 1971 naval operations India and Pakistan had four submarines each. Over the years, both acquired more and better submarines. Submarines thus emerged as the new thrust area of the navies of both these states.

Radical transformation

In the last few decades, submarine warfare has undergone a radical tranfromation both in the field of propulsion system as well as the weapon system on board. Nuclear power replaced conventional diesel power for strategic submarines. Also, long- range ballistic missiles capable of being launched from submerged submarines became the backbone of the triad of nuclear weapons of the great powers. Over the years, the nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN) and nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) have been further sophisticated and continue to be of great significance in the context of nuclear strategy of great powers. India had acquired on a three-year lease the Chakra, an SSN from the USSR between 1988-91.

The same period has also witnessed great advances in the performance of conventional submarines. The engine performance has improved considerably with the introduction of diesel- electric power plant. It has also substantially reduced the noise level. Weapons have also improved beyond imagination. Initially, the guidance system of the torpedo was improved. They were either wire-guided or had acoustic guidance system. Their speed as well as range also increased. By the Eighties, fire-power of the submarine was further enhanced by modifying the torpedo tubes to enable them to launch long-range anti-ship (cruise) missiles like the American Harpoons. These SLCMs had an effective range of more than 100 km and were radar guided.

Pakistan quickly modified its Daphne-class and Agosta-class submarines so that they could launch the Harpoon SLCMs. India did not have the capability till recently. Reportedly, a few of the Kilo-class submarines are being modified to launch Russian SLCMs. India is also reportedly seeking the Amur-class Russian submarines that also have the capability to launch the SLCM version of the Klub missile.

Simultaneously, attempts are being made to enhance the underwater performance of the conventional submarine by providing it with a new type of power plant which can utilise liquid oxygen (instead of air) to fuel the power plant. Unlike other conventional submarines, submarines using this type of power plant do not have to come near the surface (snorkeling) to operate their power plant. Reportedly, the new power plant enhances the underwater performance by a factor of four. In fact, it provides a cost- effective alternative to nuclear power if the submarine is deployed in a tactical role over shorter range. Pakistan is going to fit one of its new modified Agosta-class submarines with MESMA liquid oxygen air-independent propulsion (AIP) system. It will be worthwhile to watch that experiment when India too is proposing to build more submarines in its Mazagaon Dockyard.

These developments have revolutionised the performance of these underwater weapons platforms. Traditionally, a submarine was seen as an underwater self-propelled platform best suited to target surface vessels. With increasing sophistication, it was also used to hunt and kill enemy submarines. In both cases, the target was sea-based. With the introduction of nuclear-powered submarines, armed with long-range ballistic missiles, the underwater platform could acquire targets far away on land. The submarine has now acquired a global reach.

New dimension

Today, the introduction of SLCMs, basically tactical missiles with conventional warhead, has added a new dimension to underwater warfare. While Americans have longer range SLCMs, others are also ehanching the range of their missiles. The Russian Klub missile has a range of about 180 km. No doubt, these missiles can also be launched from surface vessels like corvettes, frigates and destroyers or from an aircraft. But both the surface vessel as well as aircraft are relatively easier to detect and neutralise. Submarines, despite the enhanced sophistication in anti- submarine warfare (ASW), are still the most difficult of the three to detect and destroy. It also has a better chance of escaping after launching the missile.

High value targets

There is no doubt that submarines, capable of launching SLCMs, are likely to be more frequently used for precision attacks on high value targets not only on the surface of the water but also on land as well as platform fixed on the continental shelf. India's coastal belt on the Arabian Sea littoral as well as the Bombay High are saturated with such targets.

In 1971, Osa missile boats of the Indian Navy had attacked Karachi. Besides ships on sea or at anchor, the Styx missiles had also hit the oil tanks which were considerably damaged. These were short-range missiles (40 km) and were launched from a surface platform. It will be highly risky to repeat such a performance by using surface vessels because today's surface fleet can be easily detected by maritime patrol aircraft and neutralised by anti-ship missiles launched by aircraft, surface vessels and submarines. The same is true of any surface attack on major targets of India. One can even discount the possibility of a `sneak attack' on coast near Pakistan like the attack on Dwarka in 1965.

Given these constraints one can anticipate such attacks to be launched by submarines. The missile remaining almost similar, it is much easier and safer for submarines to approach the target undetected and launch the attack from a relatively safe distance of 100 km and more. Chances of safe return after the attack are also high. At the moment, neither India nor Pakistan has the adequate ASW capability to effectively sanitise off-shore waters up to about 150-200 km from the coast.

By 2005, India might have about five to six submarines capable of launching SLCMs. Pakistan too will have five Agosta-class submarines and possibly two Daphne-class submarines capable of launching SLCMs. The Pakistan Navy has proved its submarine warfare capability in the Arabian Sea both in 1965 and in 1971. There is no doubt that it would have further refined its tactics over the years.

The Pakistan Navy, even when starved of funds, had concentrated upon submarines as its priority weapon and has developed its submarine arm even at the cost of its surface fleet. India, on the other hand, has spread its assets more evenly under the concept of a `balanced fleet.' It has also costly and long-term programmes like the indigenous aircraft carrier and the so-called Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV), allegedly a covert designation for a nuclear-powered submarine programme. Both are being pursued for a number of years. One hopes that India might some day build its own small aircraft carrier. The fate of the ATV still remains uncertain. It must be a very powerful and dangerous weapon because it has already `sunk' one Naval Chief even before it could be launched!

India has an adequate, one can even say more than adequate, fleet of modern sophisticated surface vessels like destroyers, frigates and corvettes - most of them armed with various types of short- range cruise missiles. Some of them do deploy ASW helicopters and can be used in ASW role also. But these large surface vessels also offer themselves as prime targets to hostile submarines armed with SLCMs since the range of ASW weapons on these ships is less than the range of SLCM. They are also subject to attacks by aircraft armed with anti-ship missiles.

Credible deterrence

In view of the new threat posed to high value targets on land and to offshore platforms by submarines armed with SLCMs, it will be prudent to strengthen India's ASW capabilities. Since the area to be sanitised is vast, fixed wing aircraft as well as helicopters dedicated to ASW role will be needed. While the ship-based naval- air arm of the Indian Navy can best operate on the high seas away from the coast, shore-based ASW aircraft and related ASW capability needs to be upgraded and expanded. In this context it will be useful to evaluate the possibility of deploying ASW helicopters like the Sea King or India's proposed ALH onboard heavier Samar-class and, if possible, smaller Vikram-class OPVs (off-shore patrol vessels) of the Indian Coast Guard.

After having achieved a `balanced' fleet for decades, India should now try to further strengthen its ASW capability if it has to pose a credible deterrence to any naval threat in future. While a balanced fleet might be a good theoretical concept, a weapons mix tailored to meet the obvious challenge is a far better proposition.

K. R. SINGH

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