Indian Military Confirms Deploying NUCLEAR Subs as Tensions With Pakistan Flared
- Indian Military Confirms Deploying NUCLEAR Subs as Tensions With Pakistan Flared
by https://sputniknews.com/
Tensions between the two nuclear-armed Asian powers escalated last month, after an incursion into Pakistani territory in Kashmir by Indian Air Force warplanes to strike at Jihadist militants led to skirmishes in the air and small arms and artillery fire along the shaky Line of Control border.
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Major combat units of the Indian Navy including the INS Vikramaditya aircraft carrier-led battle group, nuclear submarines “and scores of other ships, submarines and aircraft” were quickly shifted from exercises to operational deployment as tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad escalated, India’s Ministry of Defence revealed in a statement Sunday.
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“A clear and resolute message regarding the operational posture of the Indian Navy to prevent, deter and defeat any misadventure by Pakistan in the maritime domain was also issued during the tri-services press conference” on 28 February, the statement added.
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The Defence Ministry did not clarify which “nuclear submarines” were deployed, although the Indian Navy presently has two kinds of nuclear-powered subs at its disposal, including a single Chakra (Akula II) class attack submarine leased from Russia, and the INS Arihant, an Indian-made ballistic missile submarine capable of firing up to 12 submarine-launched nuclear ballistic missiles. The Navy also has some 14 diesel-electric subs.
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Indian warships were redeployed out of the Theatre Level Operation Readiness Exercise (TROPEX 19), an annual inter-service series of drills involving the Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force and Army, as tensions with Pakistan escalated after the 14 February terrorist attack on an Indian military convoy in Kashmir.
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