A key
American partner, India, is set to conduct another missile test that will have a wide range of consequences
on regional dynamics for years to come.
India’s new
K-4 nuclear-capable, submarine-launched ballistic missile is expected to have a
range of 3,500 kilometers, a serious improvement over its current operational
missile of the same kind.
When coupled with India’s burgeoning nuclear-powered ballistic missile
submarine program, India is set to seriously increase its second-strike
capability in the coming years.
This trend
aligns with India’s ongoing efforts to modernize its military with particular
focus on naval power. A heftier military capability will extend India’s
national influence and potentially rival China.
India’s
current operational submarine-launched ballistic missile, the K-15, has a range
of approximately 750 kilometers and was designed to be used by the INS
Arihant, India’s first indigenously built nuclear-powered ballistic
missile submarine.
While the
Arihant is primarily a training platform that will be used to train crews for
future nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, it is also capable of
conducting deterrence patrols. India currently has plans
to build up to five nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines of a similar
design in the future.
Based on the
Arihant’s design, these will most likely be used in naval bastions, with cover
provided by other naval vessels and aircraft in the Bay of Bengal or near the
Andaman and Nicobar islands. These submarines lack the necessary speed and
stealth capabilities to effectively defend themselves against hostile attack
submarines.
That is why
the increased range of the K-4 is so significant. It would give India the
capability to strike targets in China or Pakistan from the Bay of Bengal in the
event of war. India is also expected to increase naval facilities on the Andaman
and Nicobar islands for
this purpose.
Some have argued that this new capability from India
could lead to more destabilization and conflict in the region rather than less,
forcing an arms race in anti-submarine weapons or adding a destabilizing
element to future crises.
While that
may be the case, second-strike capability is a priority for India due to its
policy of “no first use” with its nuclear arsenal. In order to maintain
deterrence, it has to ensure that its arsenal cannot be neutralized by a
preemptive strike.
Nuclear-powered
ballistic missile submarines have secured this capability for the U.S., Soviet
Union/Russia, and China for years, and India seems set to cultivate this
technology for its own security.
As the U.S.
looks to India to play a more active role in the Asia-Pacific region, this
growth in capability will enhance India’s ability to step into that role,
further increasing the potential of the U.S.-India strategic partnership.
Source :- The National Interest
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