FIGHTER jets roar overhead, spitting out decoy flares. Helicopters clatter past, bearing commandos rappelling down ropes. Warships lurk in the waters beyond. All week the crowds on the beaches of Visakhapatnam, a coastal Indian city, have been thrilled by the dress rehearsal for the Indian navy’s great martial show: the International Fleet Review between February 4th and 8th. The extravaganza will draw ships from more than 50 countries.
The last review took place 15 years ago in Mumbai, on the west coast. This time it is being held on the east side—a signal to another rising naval power in that direction: China. India wants to show that in the Indian Ocean, it is supreme. Still, for the sake of good-neighbourliness, China has agreed to participate in the review.
Many will be looking out for one vessel in particular: the INS Arihant, India’s first nuclear-powered submarine armed with ballistic missiles (SSBN, in military jargon). The 6,000-tonne boat will provide India with the third leg of its nuclear “triad”—it already has land- and air-launched nukes. But in doing so, it will also risk...Continue reading
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