In some distant areas like the South and East Ch-i-na Seas, where the Ch-inese have overwhelming air and sea superiority, only SSNs can be usefully deployed to blockade Chi-nese ports or the Malacca Straits to deny access to the Indian Ocean to Chi-nese warships or Chinese merchant ships carrying oil from West Asia.
To meet all these requirements, the Indian Navy needs at least six SSBNs, eight SSNs and 18 conventional submarines. August 2013 was an eventful month for the Indian Navy. On August 10, the nuclear reactor of the much-delayed SSBN Arihant went critical.
Another much-delayed project, the first India-built 37,500-tonne aircraft carrier Vikrant, was launched at Kochi on August 12, and should commence sea trials in 2016, with induction in 2018.
Also, on August 29, India's first dedicated military satellite (GSAT 7) was launched by a European rocket. Operational on September 14, this unique maritime satellite provides the Indian Navy with a dedicated satellite for instant communication and instant situational awareness across the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean by sending data in simple digital symbols. The Air Force and Army satellites are a few years behind the Navy.
