NEW DELHI: India’s major naval combat edge over Pakistan will begin to somewhat erode from next year onwards when the latter begins inducting eight advanced Hangor-class diesel-electric submarines from China. India’s long-pending conventional submarine-building plan, in sharp contrast, is yet to even kick off.Pakistan Navy chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf has confirmed in interviews to Chinese state media that the first Hangor-class submarine will enter active service next year. All eight boats, four each being built in China and Pakistan, under the estimated $5 billion deal, will be delivered by 2028. They will boost Pakistan’s ability to patrol the north Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean, he said.The Hangor or Type 039A Yuan-class submarines, in addition to having advanced sensors and weapons, are also equipped with the Stirling air-independent propulsion (AIP) to boost their underwater endurance.While nuclear-powered submarines can stay underwater for months on end, diesel-electric boats must surface or snorkel every couple of days to get oxygen to recharge their batteries. Those with AIP, however, can stay submerged for around two-three weeks to significantly boost their stealth and combat capabilities. India, at present, has no conventional submarine with AIP.“The submarines will undoubtedly boost Pakistan’s A2/AD (anti-access/area denial) capabilities in the Arabian Sea. We will have to find a solution for it. China, of course, is always there to help Pakistan, which was very evident during Operation Sindoor,” a senior Indian military official told TOI.The IAF during its strikes on terror hubs on May 7 was initially surprised by Pakistan’s use of Chinese-origin jets like J-10s armed with PL-15 air-to-air missiles, with ranges over 200-km, in a fully-networked sensor-shooter loop, as was reported by TOI earlier. The deep military collusion between China and Pakistan along the land borders has now well and truly expanded to the maritime domain. “After the overwhelming dominance demonstrated by the Indian Navy in the north Arabian Sea during Op Sindoor, Pakistan will be better prepared the next time, plugging gaps with help from China and Turkiye,” another officer said.The Indian Navy, of course, has the submarine-hunting P-8I long-range aircraft and MH-60R Seahawk helicopters of US-origin as well as anti-submarine warfare warships, all armed with advanced radars, sonars, missiles, torpedoes and multifunctional rockets.The depleting underwater combat arm, however, remains a big worry. The `Project-75 India’ to construct six new German-origin diesel-electric submarines with AIP at Mazagon Docks for over Rs 70,000 crore is still some months away from being inked. Under P-75I, which was granted the initial “acceptance of necessity” way back in November 2007, it will take at least seven-eight years for the first boat to roll out after the contract.Apart from the six new French-origin Scorpenes, the Navy is left with just six old Russian Kilo-class and four German HDW submarines in its conventional underwater fleet. It also has two nuclear-powered submarines armed with ballistic missiles (SSBNs) in INS Arihant and INS Arighaat, while a third one will be commissioned as INS Aridhaman early next year.China has over 50 diesel-electric and 10 nuclear submarines, while Pakistan has three French Agosta-90B and two Agosta-70 submarines at present. “Pakistan is trying to build its third leg of the nuclear triad by equipping its Agosta-90B boats with 450-km range Babur-3 cruise missiles. The Hangor-class boats will certainly have the Babur-3 missiles,” another officer said.
