A secretive underground naval base is slowly taking shape close to China.
This is being developed by India with which China had a border standoff last year.
INS Varsha is a new naval base being developed under Project Varsha for the Indian Navy.
This base will be the home of the navy's new fleet of nuclear submarines.
The plan was to construct the base within a radius of approximately 200 km or around
125 miles from Visakhapatnam, the headquarters of the navy's Eastern Naval Command.
Earlier news reports suggested that Gangavaram had been the initial site for the new base
but new insights reveal it is now being developed at Rambilli, which is 50 km or 31 miles from
Visakhapatnam
This development is strategic in nature and holds key to India's undersea game plan in
the future.
In this video Defense Updates analyzes why INS Varsha secret underground naval base could
send down chills down China's spine?
Let's get started.
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The nuclear deterrence of a country depends on the nuclear triad.
A nuclear triad is the capability to launch nukes from land, air, and sea and consists
of land-launched nuclear missiles, strategic aircraft with nuclear bombs or missiles and
nuclear-missile-armed submarines.
While India has Agni series land-based missiles, and aircraft like Sukhoi 30 MKI, it has started
deploying Arihant class Ballistic missile submarines armed with SLBM (Submarine Launched
Ballistic Missiles)
Nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines are considered to be the most crucial weapon
for a country since they are the most survivable part of the nuclear triad.
A surprise preemptive strike might wipe out a country’s land-based missiles and nuclear
bombers, but it’s very difficult to track and take out ballistic-missile submarines
patrolling quietly in the depths of the ocean.
Since they can’t be taken out by ‘first strike’ and can retaliate against an enemy
with SLBMs, no sane adversary will attack a country that possesses a Nuclear Powered
Ballistic missile submarines armed with SLBMs.
The importance of these can be gauged from the fact that the 14 Ballistic Missile Submarines
of American Ohio class together carry approximately 50% of the total US active inventory of strategic
thermonuclear warheads.
SLBM armed nuclear-powered submarine is especially significant for India as it has a ‘No First
Use of Nuclear Weapons’ policy.
The idea of underground naval bases like INS Varsha is not new.
These were common during Cold War and China has also constructed them.
While spy satellites cannot track submarines in the ocean they can track them when these
submarines leave or return to the port.
This way an enemy can gauge the deployment of a submarine fleet including the exact variant
and numbers of submarines being operated at a particular time.
This compromises security and is absolutely untenable during war-like situations.
The place was chosen for its notable underground chambers.
These allow the submarines to enter and exit the base through tunnels.
So, the submarines thus don’t require to come to the surface and remain hidden from
the enemy spy satellites.
It would ensure the secret deployment of India's nuclear submarines.
The location will also ensure that it is it will have a large nearby facility of the Bhabha
Atomic Research Centre (BARC).
INS Varsha will have repair and maintenance facilities along with amenities for the crew.
As per reports, it will be big enough to accommodate large ballistic missile submarines such as
the Arihant class and upcoming S5 and nuclear attack submarines.
INS Varsha would be able to accommodate at least 12 big nuclear submarines at a time.
Diesel-electric submarines can also be operated from the facility.
The facility would be capable of withstanding even nuclear attacks.
This base has been compared to the top-secret Hainan nuclear submarine base for the Chinese
PLA Navy.
It was reported that the Indian government has diverged 670 hectares of forest land in
Rambilli to Project Varsha which was needed to house a strategic technical area and a
command and control center.
This was required for the Phase-II of the project.
Construction of Phase-I is reported to be in full swing.
INS Varsha is expected to be completed and operationalized by 2022.
Once completed INS Varsha will be instrumental in protecting our national interests and safeguarding
our sovereignty.
India is moving ahead with the construction of the Arihant class which is India's first
indigenous Ballistic Missile Submarine.
The plan is to have 4 of these.
INS Arihant displaces around 6,000 tonnes.
It has a length of 365 ft (111 m).
It is powered by an 83 MW nuclear reactor that drives a single seven-blade propeller.
INS Arihant has unlimited range & endurance limited only by essential supplies.
It will be able to carry 4 K-4 SLBM having a range of 3,500 km (2,200 mi) or 12 K-15
SLBM having a range of 750 km or 435 mi.
India is already built the second submarine of this class named INS Arighat.
It is currently undergoing trials and is expected to be commissioned later this year.
It is interesting to note that INS Arighat is larger than INS Arihant and is powered
by a nuclear reactor having more capacity.
INS Arighat will be able to carry 8 K-4s or 24 K-15s.
So, moving forward India will have an increasing number of submarines including nuclear-powered
ballistic missile submarines.
In this situation, INS Varsha will play a crucial role.