New Delhi: India is set to enhance its underwater combat capabilities with the commissioning of its second nuclear-powered submarine, INS Arighaat and the establishment of an advanced Very Low Frequency (VLF) communication facility in Vikarabad, Telangana. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will inaugurate the VLF transmitting station on October 15, which aims to bolster communication with submerged submarines during long-range patrols.
Once fully operational in two to three years, the strategically significant facility will enable continuous encrypted communication for submarines across India’s area of interest. VLF radio waves, operating between 3 to 30 kilohertz, can penetrate seawater to a specific depth, making them important for the command and control of nuclear submarines on deterrent patrols. Currently, the Indian Navy operates a VLF station in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, which has been in service since 1990, a Times of India report said.
India boosts submarine communication capabilities
The new VLF facility is crucial for maintaining constant communication as India prepares to induct more diesel-electric and nuclear submarines amid increasing Chinese naval activities in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The recent induction of INS Arighaat, a 6,000-tonne nuclear-powered submarine equipped with nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles, marks a major step in this direction. Unlike its predecessor, INS Arihant, which carries K-15 missiles with a 750-km range, INS Arighaat can launch K-4 missiles with a range of 3,500 km.
India plans to introduce the third submarine, INS Aridhaman, early next year, while a fourth submarine is under construction as part of the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project. Apart from that, the Prime Minister-led Cabinet Committee on Security recently approved the long-awaited Rs 40,000 crore ‘Project-77’ for the construction of two nuclear-powered attack submarines, which are expected to take 10-12 years.
Navy’s underwater capabilities get boost
On the conventional front, the Navy will commission the sixth French-origin Scorpene submarine, ‘Vagsheer,’ in December as part of the Rs 23,000 crore ‘Project-75’ at Mazagon Docks. Furthermore, negotiations are ongoing for the construction of six advanced diesel-electric submarines with air-independent propulsion capabilities.
