While India could have only covered certain parts of Pakistan with K-15, K-4 enables it to have wider range covering not just whole of Pakistan but also large part of China.
The AUKUS deal was signed in 2021 with the US pushing out France, which was in talks with Australia to sell 12 conventional diesel-electric submarines.
Satellite images from Planet Labs from June appear to show cranes at Wuchang shipyard, where the nuclear-powered attack submarine would have been docked.
Submarine can carry 12 K-15 ballistic missiles with a range of 750 km or 4 K-4 missiles with range up to 3,500 km. Major step in strengthening country's second-strike capabilities.
These submarines are 170m long & estimated to travel up to 29 knots once submerged. They stand out in stealth capabilities compared to their predecessors & can carry 16 Bulava missiles.
Deal envisages sale of American US Virginia class submarines to Canberra & development of a new nuclear-powered submarine. Beijing calls it ‘serious nuclear proliferation’.
Congressional Research Service report highlights challenges in expanding fleet. Schedule could derail regional plans to counter Beijing’s growing power over Indian & Pacific Oceans.
Chinese efforts at surveying and prying underwater, especially in the Indian Ocean region, have not ceased, and are likely to continue in the future too.
The collusion between the new class of bureaucrats, politicians, businessmen and trade union bosses perpetuates itself partly because of the short-run benefits and partly because they see no way out of the system, wrote author MH Mody in 1980.
IAF is firming up plans to revamp airlift capabilities with medium transport aircraft that will be assembled in India & serve as its main workhorse. Embraer is leading contender as of now.
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