Sources said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Cabinet Committee on Security has given the go ahead for the construction of two nuclear-powered attack submarines that will be designed and constructed indigenously. These are in addition to the Arihant class of nuclear-powered and nuclear-armed submarines that are already in service.
As per plans, India will eventually induct six nuclear-attack submarines. These will be powered by a larger nuclear reactor that will give them almost unlimited endurance. It will have conventional weapons onboard to hunt and target enemy vessels at sea.
The Arihant project – two submarines under the class have been inducted – are not just nuclear-powered but also equipped with nuclear-capable missiles and are a vital part of India’s second-strike capability.
Sources said that the new class of attack boats cleared by CCS will be fully indigenous and will not require any foreign assistance. India has acquired technical capability to carry out the complex project.
CCS has also cleared ₹34,500 crore deal to acquire MQ9B drones from the US under a government-to-government pact. India will get a total of 31 drones that will be divided between the armed forces. The long-range drones will be armed and will add to the two that are already on lease by the Indian Navy.General Atomics, the manufacturer of MQ9B, has a tie up with Bharat Forge to make UAV components and has also committed to setting up a global maintenance hub for drones in India. Once in service, MQ9Bs will operate from three planned hubs, including INS Rajali in Tamil Nadu from where two of the drones leased by the Navy already operate. One of the drones was recently lost during operations. The other hubs are expected to come up in north India and the northeast.
