A Boomer (or 6) for India?

It seems India is developingthe technology needed for a new submarine class with the capability of launching nuclear ballistic missiles. And they are doing it in a hurry.

Indian Navy currently operates 16 conventional diesal-electric submarines. The diesal-electric submarines include 10 Russian Kilo-class, four German HDW-class and two Foxrot-class submarines.

India currently doesn't have a nuclear-powered submarine nor submarine-launched ballistic missile capability but Admiral Mehta says, "We have come to the final threshold. I think within two years or so, we should have that kind of a capability."
(DefenceTimes.com Article)

India, who is not a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty states, isn't growing their stockpile of nuclear weapons, but rather expanding heir ability to use the ones they already have in this move. As always, the development of such capability will increase tensions with the also nuclear armed Pakistan.

Currently the US is involved in developing a treaty and program to lift the moratorium on selling nuclear technology to India for civilian uses. Under the treaty, India would open its civilian nuclear program to international inspection by the IAEA as well as maintain its halt on nuclear weapons testing in return for material and technological aid from the US in its civilian plants. In my opinion this is a good thing. However, this latest move to develop ballistic missile submarines culd just put more in the hands of the treaties opponents.

Fighting A Shrinking Force

The Day.com reports this morning a defence appropriations bill to increase production of the Virginia Class submarines in 2011 (vice the planned and previuously funded 2012) has been signed by the President. A compromise between what the delegation (2010)wanted and what the Navy had already planned is an encouraging sign to submariners facing growing pressures and op-tempos due to a rapidly shrinking fleet while the number of missions remainsthe same or even escalates.

Some key quotes from the article:

The overall challenge this country faces with a dwindling fleet is something we really shouldn't wait until 2011 to address. It's a problem today, and we should be moving on it as quickly as we possibly can.

We changed the Navy and the administration's position because we acted as an independent branch of government, evaluating the maritime needs of the country and the merits of the Virginia-class program. The fact that we were able to change their position suggests that we can do it again.

- US Rep. Joe Courtney (D) while discussing the need to continue to pressure to advance the date to 2010 or even 2009.

Justine Sessions, a spokesperson for Senator Chris Dodd (D), added the Senator is working towards the same goal, and that "Sooner is always better in this case."

The article can be found at: TheDay.com

The Iranian Subs at Sea

The USS Vicksburg recently spotted two of the reported three Iranian kilos running on the surface in the Persian Gulf. Highlighted in a story from the Navy Times:

Officials aboard the cruiser Vicksburg spotted and photographed two surfaced Iranian Kilo-class submarines in the Persian Gulf a few weeks ago, the ship’s skipper told Navy Secretary Donald Winter during a visit to the ship on Saturday.
The Russian-designed diesel-electric attack subs were tracked and photographed by sailors onboard the Mayport, Fla.-based ship, said Capt. Chip Swicker. Crew members showed Winter the photographs of the surfaced subs. The Vicksburg did not communicate with either of the subs, Swicker said.
“They watched us and we watched them,” he said.
Crew members aboard the cruiser didn’t consider the encounters hostile, although it wasn’t clear if the Iranian boats surfaced within view of the cruiser or if the U.S. warship happened to see the Iranian subs while they were already running on the surface. Iran has a fleet of three Kilo-class SSKs, according to Jane’s Fighting Ships.
Swicker indicated the Vicksburg was close enough to Iranian waters at the times of the encounters that crew members didn’t consider it out of the ordinary to see Iranian navy vessels.

The scary part of this article is that apparently, they Vicksburg was unaware of their presence until they spotted them on the surface. While it is erroneous in my opinion to connect this incident to the incident when the Chinese submarine surfaced in the middle of a battlegroup (as the Navy Times did), there there seems to be a pointed need for either enhanced ASW training and capability for surface ship crews, an enhanced submarine presence to perform ASW missions, or both. I see this as becoming more vital given the current escalating tensions between the US and Iran combined with Iran's stated,(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghadir_(submarine)). Bubblehead also has some news concerning the Iranian program (http://bubbleheads.blogspot.com/2007/11/new-iranian-submarine-certainly-looks.html).

Another disturbing side of the Ghadir Class is Iran's claim the boats can reach Israel's coast. Whether or not it is true, this couls also be an attempt to interfere with the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks by a nation with an acknowledged goal of the destruction of this key American ally.

SSN 780

Finally, a name is known for the SSN 780. She is now declared the USS California.

Six ships have previously carried this name for the US Navy, starting with a wooden steam boat originally named the USS Minnetonka (launched July 3 1867, renamed May 15, 1869) during the Civil War and culminating with CGN 36, the lead ship of a nuclear powered cruiser class, she was decommissioned in Oct 1, 1998.

During the interim, the intervening ships were:
ACR-6, a Pennsylvania class armored cruiser,
SP-249, protected NYC harbor during WWI,
SP-647, protected San Franscisco harbor during WWI, and
BB-44, sunk during the Attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941 she was refloated, repaired and took the fight to the enemy in the following combat actions: the invasions of Saipan, Guam, and Tinian, the Leyte Campaign (including the Battle of Surigao Strait), the Battle of Lingayen Gulf (where she was damaged in a kamikaze attack, but sailed on for two weeks in support of the operation), and the Okinawa Campaign (http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-c/bb44.htm).

Now SSN 780 will be joining this historical and honored tradition.