Control on Chinese infiltration in the Indian Ocean! Secret talks will take place under the sea, Navy’s new base control station is ready

New Delhi : India has recently inducted its second nuclear powered submarine INS Arighat into the Navy. This is part of a plan to expand both the strategic and conventional underwater combat fleet. Along with this, the Navy is now setting up a new advanced facility for smooth communication with its secret hunters present on long distance patrol.

Rajnath Singh inaugurated

The project of Very Low Frequency Communication Station in Vikarabad, Telangana will be inaugurated by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on October 15. A source told our associate newspaper Times of India that the strategically important VLF facility, when fully operational in two-three years. This will then provide 24×7 encrypted communication connectivity to submarines across the entire Indian territory.

How does VLF work?

he/she said VLF radio waves, which operate in the frequency band of 3 to 30 kilohertz, can penetrate seawater to a certain depth for such purposes. Only a few countries have such VLF capabilities, which are particularly important for ‘command and control’ of nuclear submarines deployed on long-range deterrent patrols.

Keep an eye on China’s infiltration

The Navy has been operating a VLF station at Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu since 1990. The new state-of-the-art VLF facility at Vikarabad is required to ‘maintain 24x7x365 communication’ for the planned induction of diesel-electric and nuclear submarines. It aims to keep a close eye on China’s increasing naval incursions into the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

On August 29, India commissioned its second 6,000-tonne SSBN (nuclear-powered submarine with nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles) INS Arighat, which is also capable of carrying K-4 missiles with a range of about 3,500 km . Before that, INS Arihant was equipped with only K-15 missiles with a range of 750 km.

What is Navy’s next plan?

India plans to induct a third SSBN with 7,000 tonne displacement in the form of INS Aridhaman early next year. A fourth one is also under construction under the secret Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project. As previously reported by our associate newspaper TOI, there are also plans to eventually build a 13,500 tonne SSBN. It will have a more powerful pressurized light-water reactor of 190 MW.

Additionally, on October 9, the PM-led Cabinet Committee on Security also approved the long-pending Rs 40,000 crore ‘Project-77’ for the construction of two nuclear-powered attack submarines (called SSN in naval parlance). Approved. It will take 10-12 years to build these SSNs, with 190 MW reactors and a displacement of 9,800 tonnes, which are meant for conventional (non-nuclear) warfare.