India-Australia Drills Targeting Submarines Seen Rattling China

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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...ills-targeting-submarines-seen-rattling-china

India and Australia will focus on anti-submarine warfare in their first ever joint naval exercises, signaling a growing strategic relationship to counter China’s increased activity in the Indian Ocean.

The war games starting Sept. 11 off India’s Visakhapatnam port in the Bay of Bengal will include exercises to protect a tanker from a hostile attack submarine. The area is near waters where China deployed a nuclear-powered submarine for the first time last year, as well as the Sri Lankan port where another unit surfaced twice. That caused a diplomatic uproar.

There’s the “potential for increased security tensions in the Indian Ocean,” said Captain Sheldon Williams, defense adviser at the Australian High Commission in New Delhi. “We sit right in the confluence of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. We have a significant responsibility for its security. That’s how we’re looking at it now.”


The drills -- first discussed a decade ago -- come as global powers vie for greater influence. The Indian Ocean’s sea lanes account for nearly half of the world’s container trade, including 80 percent of China’s oil imports.

“We’re seeing a genuine power play in the Indian Ocean,” saidRory Medcalf, head of the National Security College at the Australian National University in Canberra. “Indian security cooperation with the U.S. and its allies is increasing, which rattles the Chinese.”

War Games
Australia is dispatching Lockheed Martin Corp.’s P-3 anti-submarine reconnaissance aircraft, a Collins submarine, tanker and frigates, Williams said. Among assets India will deploy are Boeing Co.’s P-8 long-range anti-submarine aircraft and a locally manufactured Corvette, said navy spokesman Captain DK Sharma.

A month later in the same waters, India and the U.S. will conduct drills that U.S. Ambassador Richard Verma described as the most complex yet between the two nations. Japan has been invited to join.

China made strides into a region India considers its traditional sphere of influence, building ports in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and an oil pipeline to Myanmar’s coast. President Xi Jinping has also lobbied the Maldives, Seychelles and Sri Lanka to join a maritime version of his Silk Road trade rejuvenation project.

Most alarming for India, though, has been China’s deployment of submarines near its shores. A nuclear-powered submarine patrolled the Gulf of Aden on a two-month anti-piracy mission last year, according to Indian media reports citing an advisory from China’s Foreign Ministry to India’s embassy in Beijing.

A Chinese submarine also popped up in Sri Lanka’s Colombo port for "replenishment purposes" in September and November. Indiasays another Chinese submarine docked in May and July in Pakistan.

Rules-based Order
Those moves are prodding Prime Minister Narendra Modi to align India more closely with the U.S. and a “rules-based” approach for maritime security. That order’s threatened by China’s attempts to assert territorial claims in the South China Sea with the construction of artificial islands and runways.

While Australia doesn’t take sides in the South China Sea dispute, it’s concerned about China’s land-reclamation activities, Williams said.
“Certainly, the tension that that causes is not good for anyone, particularly the potential militarization of those areas,” he said.

China doesn’t appear to be backing off. Beijing’s leaders want to complete a free-trade deal with Sri Lanka by year’s end and announced more than $350 million in aid money last month.

“India alone cannot assure the security of the Indian Ocean, even if it regards the Indian Ocean as its backyard,” the China Daily said in an editorial. “If the Pacific Ocean is big enough to accommodate China and the U.S., so is the Indian Ocean to accommodate India and China.”
 

bengalraider

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Anti-Submarine Operations in the Indian Ocean

There is a shared realization that strategic stability in maritime Asia can no longer be taken for granted.

By Abhijit Singh
September 09, 2015
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As India and Australia prepare to embark on their first-ever bilateral naval interaction in the Bay of Bengal this month, reports suggest the exercises will focus on anti-submarine warfare (ASW). This is being seen as evidence of a growing regional consensus on the threat posed by Chinese undersea operations in the Asian littorals. Australia is reported to be sending a Lockheed Martin’s P-3 anti-submarine reconnaissance aircraft, a Collins-class submarine, and ASW frigates, while India will be deploying a P-8 long-range anti-submarine aircraft, along with other surface assets.

Over the past two years, China’s submarine deployments in the Indian Ocean have been a source of worry for Indian analysts. Since May this year, when a Chinese Yuan-class submarine visited Karachi, there has been growing unease in New Delhi over the possibility of greater Chinese submarine presence in India’s maritime neighborhood. Indian analysts say the sudden rise in submarine visits suggests a larger game-plan for the expansion of the PLA-N’s operational footprint in the Indian Ocean. In the garb of anti-piracy operations, Chinese submarines have been performing specific stand-alone missions – a process, China skeptics contend, meant to lay the groundwork for a rotating but permanent deployment in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

The pattern of recent PLA-N undersea deployments reveals a strategy to carve out controlled spaces in the Indian Ocean. Observers point to a Chinese Song-class visit to Colombo port in October last year, when the submarine docked at a harbor built and administered by a Chinese construction company. This was a violation of existing protocols which mandate that a foreign naval vessel dock in Sri Lanka Port Authority (SLPA) berths. Yet local authorities explained the anomaly by citing operational exigencies, almost as if they were under compulsion to accommodate Chinese submarines at an exclusive facility. At Karachi too, the PLA-N pulled of a clandestine one-week deployment that was revealed in the media weeks after it was completed.

Significantly, Chinese maritime planners have been raising the complexity of the undersea missions. The Yuan-class deployment at Karachi signaled an improvement over the visit to Colombo, where the Song-class submarine needed the reassuring presence of a support vessel. Employing the Yuan-335-class – equipped with air-independent propulsion (AIP) and increased under-sea endurance – in latter missions suggests Beijing is now preparing to upgrade its submarine operations in the Indian Ocean. Accordingly, the PLA-N has been fine-tuning its standard operating procedures, gaining critical undersea experience, as well as securing vital hydrological and bathymetric data to maintain a sustained presence in the IOR.

For some, the PLA-N’s emphasis on undersea operations in the IOR has been surprising, given that China has no territorial claims in the region. A closer examination of the recent deployments, however, makes the underlying logic clear. The evolving nature of contemporary maritime operations – where littoral-dominance is deemed an operational imperative – makes it incumbent on Beijing to devise a strategy that secures access to contested spaces. The Chinese navy seems to have modeled its template of operations in the IOR on the U.S. Navy’s maritime doctrine that predicates naval missions on “freedom of movement and maneuver” in the high seas. The recalibration of the China’s essential maritime posture towards greater “open-seas” presence is outlined in Beijing’s new defense white paper on “maritime strategy.”

In the PLA-N’s new framework of operations, submarines are likely to play an increasingly vital role. Apart from defending tactical maritime space and gathering of critical intelligence, China’s submarines could evade detection and target Indian submarines in the Indian Ocean. More crucially, their presence could render India’s interdiction capabilities in the IOR redundant. Submerged in the depths of the Indian Ocean, PLA-N subs could evade comprehensive surveillance measures by India, facilitating hostile attacks on Indian shores. To drive home the point, Beijing has been deploying nuclear submarines (SSNs) to the Indian Ocean, presumably to highlight growing Chinese confidence in maintaining a standing presence in the Indian Ocean Region, and India’s inability to defend its strategic littorals.

The defining shift in Chinese maritime strategy to a new “littoral” framework is best illustrated by the growing importance of the Yuan-class submarine in the PLA-N’s overseas operations. As a small, quiet, slow-moving anti-surface warfare platform, the Yuan plays a key role in littoral settings. Not only is it capable of traditional sub-surface killer (SSK) mission roles such as intelligence-gathering and coastal defense, its innovative design gives it an anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM) and land attack capability – an attribute deemed critical for the projection of combat power.

From an Indian perspective, it is the evolving China-Pakistan nexus that raises the most anxiety. Since February 2013, when a Chinese company took-over management of the Gwadar port, Pakistan’s naval engagement with China has grown significantly. This includes regular bilateral and multilateral exercises, including growing PLA-N presence in the “Aman” series of exercises in the Western Indian Ocean. China has also been assisting Pakistan with its naval modernization program, including a proposed sale of eight Yuan-class submarines, four improved F-22P frigates, and six Type-022 Houbei stealth catamaran missile boats. These deals, Indian analysts point out, have the potential to wreak the sub-continent’s maritime balance.

More importantly for India, Pakistan’s naval partnership with China could help extend the PLA-N’s operational reach beyond East Asia into what China calls the “far-seas.” Beyond facilitating regular missions – such as protecting the sea lines of communications, providing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and conducting naval diplomacy – the Pakistan navy could provide vital assistance to the PLA-N in projecting hard-power in the South Asian littorals. The rise in China’s near-coast submarine operations in the Indian Ocean, as well as a growing deployment of amphibious landing ships, certainly points to a propensity for greater maritime posturing in the IOR.

India’s forthcoming naval interactions are, therefore, likely to focus on contingencies arising from greater Chinese naval presence in the Asian littorals. If media reports are to be believed, the India-U.S. Malabar naval exercises in the Bay of Bengal later this month will move beyond the traditional focus of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations to also include anti-air and anti-submarine warfare operations. New Delhi has also dropped its customary insistence for a bilateral template of operations in the Indian Ocean and extended an invitation to the Japanese navy to participate in the exercises. Meanwhile, Canberra has expressed its willingness to partner India, Japan and the U.S. in “quadrilateral” exchanges that emphasize a “rules-based” maritime order in the Asia-Pacific.

As India and Australia reorient their maritime postures to cater to the new realities, there is a shared realization that strategic stability in maritime Asia can no longer be taken for granted. Both sides remain acutely aware that the preservation of maritime good order will require greater collective efforts by regional navies. The forthcoming exercises need to be seen as part of a broader regional attempt to preserve the balance of maritime power in the wider Indo-Pacific region.
 

bengalraider

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What is really required is for a tri partie collaboration to install a network of deep sea hydrophones aka SOSUS to track and monitor PLAN submarine activity.
 

I_PLAY_BAD

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It is high time China folds its tails between its legs.
No one will oppose peaceful growth.
But there are lot of noises about China and its ambitions which will surely affect her.
I am not telling this as a citizen of a rival country but a genuine advise.
 

no smoking

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It is high time China folds its tails between its legs.
No one will oppose peaceful growth.
But there are lot of noises about China and its ambitions which will surely affect her.
I am not telling this as a citizen of a rival country but a genuine advise.
Can dear "genuine adviser" tell us how China is suppose to fold its tails between its legs?
As a rising power, it is quite natural that she is building up her military force to protect her growing economic interest in overseas. As long as she is building up her military force, there will be lots of noise from her neighbours as that will change the power balance: A big guy is becoming even bigger, which means less for everyone lese.



Just look at your own country, there is already a lot of noise about your ambitions from your neighbours, that is why they are desperately asking Americans and Chinese to get in your neighbourhood---to balance your growing power. The reason the noise hasn't reach the same level of those regarding China is you hasn't get there yet.
 

I_PLAY_BAD

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Can dear "genuine adviser" tell us how China is suppose to fold its tails between its legs?
As a rising power, it is quite natural that she is building up her military force to protect her growing economic interest in overseas. As long as she is building up her military force, there will be lots of noise from her neighbours as that will change the power balance: A big guy is becoming even bigger, which means less for everyone lese.



Just look at your own country, there is already a lot of noise about your ambitions from your neighbours, that is why they are desperately asking Americans and Chinese to get in your neighbourhood---to balance your growing power. The reason the noise hasn't reach the same level of those regarding China is you hasn't get there yet.
You can build your military as you have a large land area to be secured. That is just fine. But you cannot bully smaller nations using that. Eg : You claim all of SCS which is greedy and absurd. Doesn't China realize the sea is common to all bordering countries ? Why does China claim it as a whole ? To show power ? That is BS. And this arrogance will surely hurt the chinese.

Who are the neighbors of India are making noise for the Chinese and US intervention? Probably it is singular, and that is Pakistan only. Pakistan is your bitch so it whines to you. Who else ?

It was unnecessary to invest in PoK to increase tensions with India. You think you threaten us. Wake up from your dream. When we cut PoK from Pakistan and claim our land back then we will see what happens to Chinese interests in PoK. Though It will not happen immediately.

China whines like a baby when India explores oil in SCS partnering with Vietnam. That will make it realize how it is to interfere in another country's internal affairs.
 

no smoking

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You can build your military as you have a large land area to be secured. That is just fine. But you cannot bully smaller nations using that. Eg : You claim all of SCS which is greedy and absurd. Doesn't China realize the sea is common to all bordering countries ? Why does China claim it as a whole ? To show power ? That is BS. And this arrogance will surely hurt the chinese.
First of all, the first government of China claiming the whole SCS is not PRC but ROC. Even today, the ROC government in Taiwan still claims an even bigger area in SCS. At the mean time, Vietnamese also claims all of SCS while Philippines include majority of SCS in their national map. Are these claims also bullying?

Who are the neighbors of India are making noise for the Chinese and US intervention? Probably it is singular, and that is Pakistan only. Pakistan is your bitch so it whines to you. Who else ?
Let me check: Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, they are all talking to either Americans or Chinese regarding weapons purchase, land lease, port lease, etc. Is there any country in South Asia we missed here? Oh, right, INDIA.

It was unnecessary to invest in PoK to increase tensions with India. You think you threaten us. Wake up from your dream. When we cut PoK from Pakistan and claim our land back then we will see what happens to Chinese interests in PoK. Though It will not happen immediately.
Yes, you can keep dreaming that one day you may take the land back. But I don't think so. You know why because the India's withdraw in 1971 tells us how much your country wants to pay for your dream.

China whines like a baby when India explores oil in SCS partnering with Vietnam. That will make it realize how it is to interfere in another country's internal affairs.
Yes, last time this "baby" cut the cable from India boat, guess who is crying like a baby. Well, not Vietnamese, nor Chinese, you know who.
 

amoy

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this signal that signal. can Indians take it easy with an ordinary anti-sub exercise?

these days China and Malaysia are holding a joint naval drill. then what signal is being sent to India? China is able to block the Malacca?

Indians shall stop reading too much into such chores.

~Tapa talks: Orange is the new black.~
 

I_PLAY_BAD

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First of all, the first government of China claiming the whole SCS is not PRC but ROC. Even today, the ROC government in Taiwan still claims an even bigger area in SCS. At the mean time, Vietnamese also claims all of SCS while Philippines include majority of SCS in their national map. Are these claims also bullying?
Of course. Those countries do not claim whole of SCS but what belongs to them as their lands border with the sea. They claim only what is rightfully theirs. It is China's greediness that is making it not to accept the reality and making it to bully smaller countries. Claiming the whole SCS is greediness of China.


Let me check: Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, they are all talking to either Americans or Chinese regarding weapons purchase, land lease, port lease, etc. Is there any country in South Asia we missed here? Oh, right, INDIA
What do these countries complain ? If you have any links post it here. Don't type some crap for the sake of argument. do you even know what kind of relationship India has with these nations ? Oh you are a Chinese, for your living peacefully with neighbors is a nightmare. Do you think the same about us ? Grow up.


Yes, you can keep dreaming that one day you may take the land back. But I don't think so. You know why because the India's withdraw in 1971 tells us how much your country wants to pay for your dream.
What you think doesn't matter at all. PoK and Aksai Chin legally belong to us and we will take it back peacefully one day. Just because you and your RANDI are occupying those lands doesn't make them your sovereign states.

Yes, last time this "baby" cut the cable from India boat, guess who is crying like a baby. Well, not Vietnamese, nor Chinese, you know who.
And you tries to put pressure on us again and what happened now ? You wore a string of pearls around your neck. Stop whining, it is chinese propaganda that India attacked first which is fed to your by fit-for-nothing communists. Stop believing that and start thinking.
 

no smoking

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Of course. Those countries do not claim whole of SCS but what belongs to them as their lands border with the sea. They claim only what is rightfully theirs. It is China's greediness that is making it not to accept the reality and making it to bully smaller countries. Claiming the whole SCS is greediness of China.
I guess you didn't even look at what they claim. Taiwan does claim whole of SCS, Vietnam claims almost whole of SCS while Philippine claims majority of SCS. Now, tell me, if their claims overlaps each other, which part is rightfully whose?




What do these countries complain ? If you have any links post it here. Don't type some crap for the sake of argument. do you even know what kind of relationship India has with these nations ? Oh you are a Chinese, for your living peacefully with neighbors is a nightmare. Do you think the same about us ? Grow up.
What they complain? No, my friend, their actions are louder than their words:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/27/india-bangladesh-china-idUSL3N0YG2QG20150527

http://theglobalobservatory.org/2015/05/sri-lanka-sirisena-tamil-tigers/

http://policywonks.in/commentary/chinas-maldives-strategy-how-much-of-a-threat-to-india






What you think doesn't matter at all. PoK and Aksai Chin legally belong to us and we will take it back peacefully one day. Just because you and your RANDI are occupying those lands doesn't make them your sovereign states.
Well, last time you are yielding that India will take them back at any cost, now you swift to "peacefully", what a surprise!


And you tries to put pressure on us again and what happened now ? You wore a string of pearls around your neck. Stop whining, it is chinese propaganda that India attacked first which is fed to your by fit-for-nothing communists. Stop believing that and start thinking.
Well, we don't whining but simply cutting your cable. And there is nothing you can do.
 

Mikesingh

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Most alarming for India, though, has been China’s deployment of submarines near its shores. A nuclear-powered submarine patrolled the Gulf of Aden on a two-month anti-piracy mission last year,
The Chinese use billion dollar nuclear subs for catching a couple of two-penny pirates??
Jeeez! What a waste of precious resources!

But the reality is that it's just an excuse trotted out by the Chinese. The real reason is area domination by showing their presence in the Indian Ocean.
 

I_PLAY_BAD

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I guess you didn't even look at what they claim. Taiwan does claim whole of SCS, Vietnam claims almost whole of SCS while Philippine claims majority of SCS. Now, tell me, if their claims overlaps each other, which part is rightfully whose?






What they complain? No, my friend, their actions are louder than their words:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/27/india-bangladesh-china-idUSL3N0YG2QG20150527

http://theglobalobservatory.org/2015/05/sri-lanka-sirisena-tamil-tigers/

http://policywonks.in/commentary/chinas-maldives-strategy-how-much-of-a-threat-to-india








Well, last time you are yielding that India will take them back at any cost, now you swift to "peacefully", what a surprise!




Well, we don't whining but simply cutting your cable. And there is nothing you can do.
No, Taiwan and Vietnam do not claim all of South China Sea. Can you substantiate their claims ? Any links of articles ? (I prefer links from neutral sources).

In all the links you provided where it is mentioned that those countries are asking for your help to save them from India ? India do not have any active disputes with any of them. You want them to be part of your string of pearls which our effective diplomacy is cutting. Understand that.

Taking back PoK and Aksai Chin with war was never my preferred option. If war is imposed no turning our backs to it.
 

amoy

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No, Taiwan and Vietnam do not claim all of South China Sea. Can you substantiate their claims ? Any links of articles ? (I prefer links from neutral sources).
What neutral? Obviously u have no clues re. ins and outs of the matter. It was Taiwan AKA officially the Republic of China (ROC) who laid down the 9-dash or 12-dash line that encroaches the South China Sea in 1930-1940, while most of present claimants were colonies without claiming SCS .

The PRC (CCP) carries on the claim after the civil war victory. The defeated KMT/ ROC shrank to Taiwan and a few Fujian islands while holding fast to its SCS claim. Up to date Taiwan still controls the biggest "natural" island of Spratlys - Itu Aba.



Per the above map VN overlaps the most with Chinese. VN even once snatched a reef from the Philippines by surprise.
 

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