India's Kalvari class of submarines will become more capable, potent, and dangerous after being equipped with heavy-weight torpedoes, an Indian Navy veteran has said.
The comments of Captain DK Sharma, a former spokesperson of the Indian Navy, came in the wake of media reports that suggested that the country's blue water force was set to acquire torpedoes from both foreign sources and domestic firms.
The comments of Captain DK Sharma, a former spokesperson of the Indian Navy, came in the wake of media reports that suggested that the country's blue water force was set to acquire torpedoes from both foreign sources and domestic firms.
More Power to India's Kalvari Class Subs
At present, the Indian Navy has six modern stealth submarines in its fleet with three more set to join its ranks in the next few years.
In this light, Sharma stressed that the capability of the submarine is in its stealth, and when they are armed to the teeth, they become a very potent platform to neutralize a threat. Hence, if one has bigger-range torpedoes, it will only boost the capabilities of the Indian Navy's submarines.
The defense expert explained that a submarine as a platform is a deterrent.
The defense expert explained that a submarine as a platform is a deterrent.
"The moment one comes to know that the submarine is there or if one plants a seed in the enemy's head that outside the harbor there might be a submarine which is armed with such potent torpedoes or missiles or other weapons, that complicates the rival's problems," Sharma told Sputnik India on Friday.
He expressed that it puts a very, very big doubt in the adversary's mind whether to leave the harbor or use that area.
Sharma opined that having a toothless submarine would not cause any problems for the enemy.
"But the moment it is armed and equipped with deadly weapons, which have solid ranges and can prosecute the adversary, that makes all the difference in modern warfare. That's why heavy torpedoes will only make the Kalvari class submarines more capable, more potent, and more dangerous," he emphasized.
India's Domestically-Made Torpedoes Rank Among World's Best
Sharma also asserted that India's indigenous Electrical Heavyweight Torpedoes (EHWT) were as good as their foreign counterparts.
He stated that the very fact that these torpedoes are taking so much time to come out, means that they have undergone extensive trials and testing.
"So, it is not that they are not as good as their foreign counterparts, they are even better because India has arrived in a big way now," Sharma noted.
He commented that India was not producing defense equipment earlier but now it was doing it and the country has all kinds of testing and trial labs and the expertise and the prowess to make military hardware, and that's why it was manufacturing it domestically.