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New Delhi, The <keyword id="43909" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="defence-Ministry" source="Orion">defence ministry</keyword> on Thursday approved the proposed procurement of 26 Naval variant of <keyword id="6381048" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rafale" source="Orion">Rafale</keyword> jets from France, people familiar with the development said. The project was cleared by the Defence Acquisition Council (<keyword id="456872" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="DAC" source="Orion">DAC</keyword>) headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on a day Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins a two-day visit to Paris. <br /><br />The DAC, which is the defence ministry's highest decision making body on procurement, also cleared a proposal for construction of three more Scorpene submarines in India. <br /><br />The mega <keyword id="75940" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="defence-projects" source="Orion">defence projects</keyword> are expected to be announced after wide-ranging talks between Prime Minister Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Friday. <br /><br />The DAC's approval to the projects came around a week after they were cleared by the Defence Procurement Board (DPB). <br /><br />The Indian Navy is looking for procurement of 26 deck-based fighter jets for indigenously-built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. <br /><br />After a lengthy process, the Navy had narrowed down on Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet and French aerospace major Dassault Aviation's Rafale M aircraft for the procurement. <br /><br />Later, Rafale-M, the naval variant of the lethal jet, emerged as the winner in the tight race.  <br /><br />India has already procured 36 Rafale jets from France for the Indian Air Force. <br /><br />The Rafale jets are India's first major acquisition of fighter planes in 23 year after the Sukhoi jets were imported from Russia. <br /><br />Another important project with France would be the follow on order of three Scorpene submarines. <br /><br />Under Project 75, six Scorpene submarines have already been made in India. PTi MPB DV DV

Procurement of 26 Rafale jets for Navy approved

An internal assessment has found out it is affordable to build an indigenous set of nuclear-powered submarines than getting it constructed with foreign technology.<br />
<br /> Presently, India is constructing six <keyword id="144378" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Scorpene-submarines">Scorpene submarines</keyword> under a licence agreement from France for Rs 18,000 crore, a deal which was signed in 2005. The price can shoot up if inflation is calculated for the ten year build period.<br />
<br />
However, ET has been told that an internal assessment has brought out that the cost of constructing six new nuclear-powered attack submarines, derived from the design and expertise gained from the INS Arihant - India's first nuclear boat - would be close to Rs 35,000 crore.<br />
<br />
"According to our calculations, if we are to build six attack submarines based on the existing design of the Arihant, the cost would not exceed Rs 35,000 crore," a source involved in the process told ET.<br />
<br /> It is noteworthy <keyword id="6355100" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Navy">Indian Navy</keyword> will release a tender notice for six more conventional submarines which is likely to cost more than Rs 60,000 crore, called Project 75 I.<br />
<br />
“The huge difference in pricing is due to the licence fees charged in the case of the Scorpene and the cost of technology development that would be factored into project 75I from the vendor,” officials told ET.<br />
<br />
"In the case of the indigenous nuclear attack submarines, the design is already with us. It has been designed in India and the only cost would be the construction and fitment of weapons," the source said.

It is affordable to have a Made-in-India nuclear submarine than a foreign one. Here’s how

<br /> '<keyword id="336053" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="The-Australian">The Australian</keyword>', Australia’s biggest-selling national newspaper has uploaded some new documents that give out information regarding the operating instructions of the underwater warfare system of the six <keyword id="144378" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Scorpene-submarines">Scorpene submarines</keyword> that were being built by French firm <keyword id="191088" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="DCNS">DCNS</keyword> for the Indian Navy.<br />
<br /> A top defence analyst says that the documents can be a threat to the security of the combat vessels, since these documents, having the Indian Navy insignia on it and marked "<keyword id="3599642" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Restricted-Scorpene-India">Restricted Scorpene India</keyword>," give details of the sonar system, used to gather intelligence underwater.<br />
<br />
These documents also reveal a wide range of technical specifications of these sonars, also detailing their functionalities.<br />
<br />
Even though the Navy has is yet to officially react to these documents, some sources say that they pose no harm to national security, adding that the released information also exists on "many naval defence websites".<br />
<br />
When contacted, the paper said that it was told that the secret data was removed from DCNS, which is owned by Thales (35%) and the French government (65%) by a employee who worked a sub-contractor in 2011. He then took it to a private company in Southeast Asia, from where it was passed on to a branch in another Southeast Asian nation. It was then that a disk containing the data was posted to an Australian company via regular mail.<br />
<br />
India's defence ministry said that as per him, there was no eminent security risk, while the French government said that the information in the documents only showed how the submarines operate, which does not compromise with their security.<br />
<br />
"The Indians can object to the fact that these documents show the Pakistanis how to maintain their submarines and that's annoying, but it doesn't tell the Pakistanis how to detect an Indian ship, or how we build a submarine in France. Not at all," the source said.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://iadnews.in/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Chilean-navys-Scorpene-type-submarine.jpg"><em>Image source</em></a><br />

Australian media might have uploaded sensitive documents regarding Scorpene submarines

<keyword id="6355100" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Navy">Indian Navy</keyword>'s <keyword id="10262545" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="fifth-scorpene-class-submarine">fifth Scorpene class submarine</keyword> '<keyword id="7597040" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="vagir">Vagir</keyword>' was launched on Thursday at Mumbai's Mazagon Dock. Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik launched the submarine through video conferencing. <br /><br />Vagir is part of the six Kalvari-class submarines being built in India. The submarines, designed by French naval defence and energy company DCNS, are being built as part of Indian Navy's Project-75. <br /><br />INS Kalvari, the first of the six Scorpene-class submarines, was launched in 2017, followed by Khanderi, Karanj and Vela. <br /><br />These submarines can undertake missions like anti- <keyword id="7584329" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Surface-warfare">surface warfare</keyword>, <keyword id="1137331" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="anti-submarine-warfare">anti-submarine warfare</keyword>, intelligence gathering, mine laying, and area surveillance, an official said. <br /><br /><strong>SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/economy/news/indian-government-approves-the-pli-scheme-for-10-sectors/articleshow/79172901.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Indian government approves the Production Linked Incentive scheme for 10 sectors worth ₹2 lakh crore</a></strong><b><br /> <br /> </b><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/spicejet-shrink-its-losses-to-112-59-crore-in-the-second-quarter-ended-september-30/articleshow/79172678.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink"><strong>Spicejet is losing one rupee where it was losing four thanks to cheaper fuel and cut in rentals</strong></a><br />

Indian Navy's fifth Scorpene class submarine Vagir launched at Mumbai's Mazagon Dock

The latest issue of massive data leak of <keyword id="554932" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Scorpene-submarine">Scorpene submarine</keyword> has put India in a tough spot as the secrets regarding the combat capabilities of the India-made, French design Kalvari submarine are out. But, we cannot deny the fact that <keyword id="6355100" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Navy">Indian Navy</keyword> is the fifth largest in the world and its submarine strength has become better, even if it is not that impressive when compared to China.<br />
<br />
India is doing everything to push the undersea naval fleet and has incorporated many nuclear-powered attack submarines.<br />
<br />
Here are the details of the submarines that have been de-commissioned, commissioned and under-construction.

These are the submarines that Indian Navy has in its
fleet

India suffered a major blow after the classified data of French Scorpene submarines were leaked. The information leak about the India-made, French designed submarines-Kalvari-is huge as 22,000 pages on the secret combat capabilities of the submarines are now out in the open.<br />
<br />
The Indian defence officials are assessing the damage and an enquiry is underway. This massive classified document data leak is crucial to India and this is how it is going to affect the country's defense capabilities.

This is how the
massive Scorpene submarine data leaks affect India

<keyword id="3036226" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Khanderi">Khanderi</keyword>, the second Scorpene class submarine, was launched at the <keyword id="4055876" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="mazagon-dock-shipbuilders-limited">Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited</keyword> (<keyword id="191089" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="MDL">MDL</keyword>) in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Mumbai&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Mumbai</a>. The submarine has superior stealth and the ability to launch a crippling attack with torpedoes as well as tube-launched anti-ship missiles whilst underwater or on surface.<br />
<br />
The launch was initiated by the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Union+Minister+of+State+&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Union Minister of State </a>for <keyword id="32723" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Defence">Defence</keyword>, Subhash Bhamre. The submarine was launched by the Union minister's wife, Bina Bhamre. Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Sunil Lanba was also present on the occasion when the submarine was separated from the pontoon on which it was assembled.<br />
<br />
The state-of-the-art features of this Scorpene class submarine include superior stealth and the ability to launch a crippling attack on the enemy using precision guided weapon. The attack can be launched with torpedoes, as well as tube-launched anti-ship missiles, whilst underwater or on surface. The stealth features will give it an invulnerability, unmatched by many submarines.<br />
<br />
Also, the submarine is designed to operate in all theatres, including the tropics. All means and communications are provided to ensure interoperability with other components of a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Naval+task+force&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Naval task force</a>. It can undertake multifarious types of missions typically undertaken by any modern submarine, i.e anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying, area surveillance, etc.<br />
<br />
Khanderi is the second of the six submarines being built at MDL in collaboration with M/s DCNS of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=France&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">France</a>, as part of Project 75 of <keyword id="6355100" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Navy">Indian Navy</keyword>. The first one, <keyword id="2797754" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kalvari">Kalvari</keyword>, is completing sea trials and will be commissioned shortly into the Indian Navy, a defence official told ET.

Second Scorpene class submarine Khanderi launched; these are its state-of-the art features

New Delhi (India), July 10 (ANI): In a major development, India is planning to buy 26 Rafale fighter aircraft and three <keyword id="4045841" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Scorpene-class" source="Orion">Scorpene class</keyword> conventional submarines from France.<br /><br />The proposals have been placed before the Defence Ministry by the defence forces and are likely to be announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to France this week, government sources told ANI.<br /><br />As per the proposals, the Indian Navy will get 22 single-seated Rafale Marine aircraft along with four trainer aircraft.<br /><br />The Navy had been pressing for acquiring these fighter aircraft and submarines urgently as they have been facing shortages in view of the security challenges around the country.<br /><br />The aircraft carriers INS Vikramaditya and Vikrant have been operating the MiG-29s and need the <keyword id="925199" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rafales" source="Orion">Rafales</keyword> for operations on both carriers.<br /><br />Meanwhile, the three Scorpene class submarines would be acquired under the repeat clause by the Navy as part of Project 75 where they would be built in the Mazagon Dockyards Limited in Mumbai.<br /><br />The deals are estimated to be worth over Rs 90,000 crore but the final cost would be clear only after the contract negotiations are completed which will be held after the deal is announced.<br /><br />India is likely to seek price concessions in the deal and would be insisting on having more 'Make-in-India' content in the plan, sources said.<br /><br />Industry sources said for the Rafale M deal, India and France are expected to form a joint team to negotiate the deal like it was done for the previous Rafale deal for 36 fighter aircraft.<br /><br />The proposals have been discussed in the defence ministry at high-level meetings already and are likely to be placed before the defence acquisition council in the next few days and expected to be accorded Acceptance of Necessity by the government before the announcement in France. (ANI)<br /><br />

India to buy 26 Rafales, 3 Scorpene submarines from France, deals likely to be announced during PM Modi's visit

The government will soon begin the process for the Rs 60,000-crore submarine programme, having recently unveiled a major policy for indigenous defence manufacturing in the country.<br /><br /> The project would be the first of its kind, to be launched under the ambitious 'Strategic Partnership' (SP) model that was finalised last month with plans to involve leading private players that would contribute in defence production.<br /><br /> The <keyword id="43909" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Defence-ministry">defence ministry</keyword> would most likely roll out the Expression of Interest for the project, after which the process for mega deal would begin.<br /><br /> As of now, <keyword id="90593" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Larsen-and-Toubro">Larsen and Toubro</keyword> and <keyword id="2731751" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Reliance-Defence">Reliance Defence</keyword> are the only two defence firms that satisfy the eligibility norms for participation in the P-75 (I) programme, to build six submarines.<br /><br /> The programme will be a follow-on project of <keyword id="2796032" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Project-75">Project 75</keyword> of the <keyword id="6355100" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Indian-Navy">Indian Navy</keyword>, under which six Scorpene-class submarines are currently being built by <keyword id="358530" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Mazagon-Dock-Limited">Mazagon Dock Limited</keyword> in Mumbai. These submarines have been designed by French naval defence and energy company DCNS.<br /><br /> The government would soon begin the process to shortlist the foreign original equipment manufacturers for the project under the <keyword id="4640843" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sp-model">SP model</keyword>. <br /><br /> As per the model, select private firms and foreign entities would be engaged in building military platforms like submarines and fighter jets. <br /><br />(Image source Bangladesh Defence)<br />

Government’s submarine programme worth Rs. 60,000 crore to be started soon

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Reuters/Shailesh Andrade</span></p><p class="caption">The Indian Navy's Scorpene submarine INS Kalvari escorted by tugs as it arrives at Mazagon Docks, a naval-vessel ship-building yard, in Mumbai, October 29, 2015.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>India has contacted six foreign shipyards with a formal request for information about building six nonnuclear submarines.</p><p>The request comes as part of Project 75I, a program worth over $12 billion, <a href="http://www.defensenews.com/naval/2017/07/26/indian-navy-formally-launches-submarine-acquisition-program/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">according</a> to <keyword id="6354810" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Defense">Defense</keyword> News.</p><p>New Delhi asked shipyards in Russia, France, Japan, and Germany, among others, for information about six submarines equipped with air-independent-propulsion systems, which allow nonnuclear subs to operate without access to atmospheric oxygen, replacing or augmenting diesel-electric systems.</p><p>New Delhi is seeking "a proven, effective, state-of-the-art, electric heavyweight torpedo; a land attack missile, and perhaps even an underwater-to-air missile against enemy helicopters and mines," Anil Jai Singh, a retired Indian navy commodore and defense analyst, <a href="http://www.defensenews.com/naval/2017/07/26/indian-navy-formally-launches-submarine-acquisition-program" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">told</a> Defense News.</p><p>Once a response is received from interested shipyards, India will issue a formal request for proposal, then put three or four of the shipyards on a shortlist.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Shailesh Andrade/File</span></p><p class="caption">Employees stand in front of the Indian navy's first Scorpene submarine before being undocked from Mazagon Docks, a naval-vessel ship-building yard, in Mumbai, April 6, 2015.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>It will be a multiyear process, in part because of New Delhi's Strategic Partner policy, under which a foreign shipyard will be paired with a domestic one in order to compete for the contract.</p><p>One contractor <a href="http://www.defensenews.com/naval/2017/07/26/indian-navy-formally-launches-submarine-acquisition-program" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">told</a> Defense News that the strategic-partner selection should be done by 2019. Another analyst and retired Indian navy officer said it could be "a good seven to eight years after a deal is signed" before the first sub build under the P75I program hits the water.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>RNGS REUTERS</span></p><p class="caption">The Indian and Chinese submarine fleets, as of December 2014.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>India's interest in submarines comes as China's growth has increased traffic in the Indian Ocean and through the narrow Malacca Strait connecting it to the waters of East Asia, both above and below the water.</p><p>India has been <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/china-troops-to-overseas-base-operational-security-concerns-for-us-2017-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">tracking Chinese submarines</a> entering the Indian Ocean since 2013, and a 2015 US Defense Department report confirmed that Chinese attack and missile submarines were operating there.</p><p>China has framed its activity in the Indian Ocean and along the African coast as focused on non-military operations, including humanitarian aid, emergency missions, and anti-piracy patrols.</p><p>Indeed, the 550-mile-long Malacca Strait, bordered by Indonesia's and Malaysia's jungle shorelines, has <a href="https://www.pri.org/stories/2014-03-27/world-has-new-piracy-hotspot" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">become a hotspot</a> for pirates eyeing the 50,000 ships that pass through it each year.</p><p>But that activity - coupled with Beijing's growing economic activity in the Africa as well as the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/china-troops-to-overseas-base-operational-security-concerns-for-us-2017-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">numerous facilities and alliances</a> it has established along the coast of South Asia - have made India and others wary.</p><p><span>"The pretext is anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden," an Indian defense source </span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/pentagon-report-on-china-military-base-expansion-2017-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">told The Times of India</a><span> in May. "But what role can submarines play against pirates and their dhows?"</span></p><p>India has already posted warships near the Malacca Strait to monitor maritime activity and has US-made P-8I Poseidon surveillance planes stationed on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, an archipelago northwest of the Malacca Strait where India <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/malabar-2017-photos-of-us-india-and-japan-war-games-in-indian-ocean-2017-7/#while-indias-navy-is-smaller-than-chinas-new-delhis-control-of-the-andaman-and-nicobar-islands-give-it-advantageous-position-relative-to-the-malacca-strait-which-connects-east-and-southeast-asia-to-the-indian-ocean-in-june-indian-warships-were-assigned-247-patrols-at-the-western-edge-of-the-malacca-strait-to-monitor-maritime-movement-in-the-area-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">plans to expand</a> its security presence.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Christopher Woody/Google Maps</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>The US has <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/malabar-2017-photos-of-us-india-and-japan-war-games-in-indian-ocean-2017-7/#indian-air-and-naval-forces-were-already-posted-at-the-andaman-and-nicobar-islands-and-new-dehli-is-looking-to-expand-security-infrastructure-there-the-us-has-also-agreed-to-sell-surveillance-drones-to-india-which-may-also-be-deployed-to-the-area-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">agreed to sell</a> New Delhi surveillance drones that could be paired with the Poseidons and used to track Chinese maritime movements in the area - including those of submarines. It is also working to build radar stations on islands in the Indian Ocean and an "undersea wall" of sensors between southern India and northern Indonesia.</p><p>China, which is heavily reliant on imported fuel, got about 80% of its oil imports and 11% of natural-gas imports from ships transiting the Malacca Strait. The Tribune of India <a href="http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/indian-navy-looks-to-dominate-malacca-straits/421162.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported</a> in June that India's activity around the strait was "part of the target given to the Navy to ensure its dominance in the Indian Ocean by 2020."</p><p>India's growing focus on submarines and submarine warfare was underscored during <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/malabar-2017-photos-of-us-india-and-japan-war-games-in-indian-ocean-2017-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the Malabar 2017 naval exercises</a>, conducted with the US and Japan in mid-July. Anti-submarine warfare was one of the exercise's components.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/China Daily</span></p><p class="caption">Chinese sailors on top of a submarine during a China-Russia joint naval exercise in the Yellow Sea, April 26, 2012.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>New Delhi's increasing focus on its southern approaches and the broader Indian Ocean come in contrast to centuries of attention paid to security threats at and around its northern boundaries (India and China are currently embroiled in a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/26/world/asia/dolam-plateau-china-india-bhutan.html?_r=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">dispute</a> over territory on the China-Bhutan border.)</p><p><span>"This is a tectonic shift in India's security calculus, that it has to protect its southern flank," Brahma Chellaney, a professor of strategic studies at the Center for Policy Research, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/10/world/asia/india-us-japan-war-games-china.html?smid=tw-nytimesworld&amp;smtyp=cur&amp;_r=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">told</a> The New York Times.</span></p><p><span>China - which recently <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/china-troops-to-overseas-base-operational-security-concerns-for-us-2017-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">dispatched troops</a> to its first overseas base in Djibouti, sent warships to naval exercises with Russia in the Baltic Sea, and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-spy-ship-seen-near-us-australia-talisman-saber-war-games-2017-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">deployed a surveillance ship</a> to observe US-Australia naval drills - has reacted to developments in the region with dismay. </span></p><p><span>An editorial published this month in the state-run newspaper China Daily <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/malabar-2017-photos-of-us-india-and-japan-war-games-in-indian-ocean-2017-7/#china-for-which-the-malacca-strait-provides-the-main-channel-for-maritime-trade-and-energy-shipments-has-reacted-with-disquiet-an-editorial-this-month-in-government-run-english-language-newspaper-china-daily-said-it-was-beijing-that-should-feel-security-concerns-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said Beijing is the one</a> "that should feel 'security concerns,' given the importance of the Indian Ocean for its trade and oil imports."</span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/pakistan-tested-submarine-launched-nuclear-capable-missile-india-babur-2017-1">Pakistan says it has fired its first submarine-launched nuclear-capable missile</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="c5MmV0ODE6uTXkkvOWEys-k6Djxmr5kT" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

India is shopping for submarines as China extends its reach into the Indian Ocean

<p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Stephane Mahe/Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">File photo of an employee looking at the propeller of a Scorpene submarine at the industrial site of the naval defence company and shipbuilder DCNS in La Montagne near Nantes, France, April 26, 2016.</p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><p><span>After a strong two years, the<span> dollar has remained more or less flat during the last few months, with the trade-weighted dollar index hovering near a range of 93 to 98.</span></span></p><p><span><span>But now, some analysts are arguing that the greenback could have some room to go.</span></span></p><p>"...<span>the foundation for a powerful USD rally is in place. In many aspects, the USD outlook is stronger than it was last year," argued a Morgan Stanley team led by Hans W. Redeker in a recent note.<br /></span></p><p><span>"<span>Valuation has moderated and the market is expecting fewer hikes over the next 12 months than it did at this time last year. With only 27bp priced in, including 15bp in December, there is less scope for hikes to be priced out. As a result, risk appetite may suffer in response to any downside surprise in growth, in turn boosting the USD," they explained.</span></span></p><p><span><span>Meanwhile, a BNP Paribas team led by Steven Saywell wrote in a note that they remain "cautiously positioned for USD gains later this year via USDJPY, EURUSD."</span></span></p><p><span>Still, not everyone shares that view.</span></p><p><span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-and-clinton-could-be-bad-for-the-dollar-2016-10">Jefferies' chief market strategist, David Zervos, recently</a> had a more bearish take, <span>arguing that this year's presidential election could lead to a weaker American currency. </span></span><span><span>That is in part because of the </span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-and-hillary-clinton-us-economic-policy-2016-9">two major-party nominees' somewhat skeptical positions on free trade</a><span>, with Republican Donald Trump being the more negative influence.</span></span></p><p><span><span>In any case, the US dollar is closing out the week on a strong footing, and is up by 0.4% at 98.68 as of 10:57 a.m. ET.</span></span></p><p><span><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Investing.com" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/580a2c9fc524024d008b61a2-960/screen shot 2016-10-21 at 10.56.01 am.png"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span></a><p class="source"><span>Investing.com</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></span></span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/waffle-house-index-used-track-hurricanes-fema-matthew-2016-10">FEMA is tracking Hurricane Matthew using the 'Waffle House Index'</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="RqdTJkNjE6P7Zz1ngH-16GYRNnLnymBd" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

'The foundation for a powerful US dollar rally is in place'

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Jim Bourg</span></p><p class="caption">Indian sailors watch military vehicle on parade during India's Republic Day parade in New Delhi, January 26, 2015.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>India is increasingly wary of Chinese activity in the Indian Ocean.</strong></li><li><strong>In response, India has worked to boost its military capacity and build partnerships with countries in the region.</strong></li></ul><p><br />A spike in tensions between China and India along their <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-chinas-xi-wants-to-put-relations-with-india-on-right-track-xinhua-2017-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">shared border</a> in the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/video-of-chinese-indian-troops-fighting-with-stones-at-himalaya-border-2017-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Himalayas</a> this summer <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-india-and-china-agree-to-disengagement-along-disputed-frontier-indian-government-statement-2017-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">eased</a> in August, but the two Asian powers are still at odds.</p><p>China has grown its influence in the region through commercial and infrastructure deals with countries throughout Asia, including those that border India.</p><p>Beijing's expanding ties have concerned its neighbors, perhaps none more so than India, which regards Chinese activity in the Indian Ocean warily.</p><p>As a result, New Delhi has sought to strengthen its diplomatic ties with neighbors and bolster its military capacity - drawing on longstanding relations with the US and other partners in the region to do so.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">An Indian soldier.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>China has pursued commercial port and infrastructure projects in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/indias-concern-with-beijing-expansion-grows-with-sri-lanka-port-deal-2017-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sri Lanka</a>, Myanmar, and Pakistan and has opened facilities in the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/mar/22/china-seychelles-indian-fears-encirclement?CMP=share_btn_tw" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Seychelles</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/china-troops-to-overseas-base-operational-security-concerns-for-us-2017-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Djibouti</a>, the stated purposes of which include humanitarian and anti-piracy efforts, though they appear to have military uses as well.</p><p>India, for its part, has continued its years-long efforts to build security relationships with its neighbors in the region, and it appears to be taking a more <a href="http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/10/17/is-india-starting-to-flex-its-military-muscles/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">muscular approach</a> to defending its interests, putting a special focus on its maritime approaches.</p><p>A <a href="https://www.indiannavy.nic.in/sites/default/files/Indian_Maritime_Security_Strategy_Document_25Jan16.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">document</a> released by the Indian navy in late 2015 noted that the country's "prominent peninsular orientation and flanking island chains overlook strategic sea lanes in the Indian Ocean, linking her security and prosperity inextricably to the seas."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco</span></p><p class="caption">Indian sailors aboard INS Kadmatt arrive for a four-day goodwill visit in the Philippines, October 3, 2017.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Chinese activity in the seas surrounding India has also led New Delhi to shift its strategic posture.</p><p>After long focusing on the country's northern borders, Indian leaders have turned their attention to the country's nearly 5,000-mile-long southern coastline, where security and energy infrastructure is concentrated.</p><p><span>"This is a tectonic shift in India's security calculus, that it has to protect its southern flank," Brahma Chellaney, a strategic-studies professor at the Center for Policy Research, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/10/world/asia/india-us-japan-war-games-china.html?smid=tw-nytimesworld&amp;smtyp=cur&amp;_r=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">told</a> The New York Times this summer.</span></p><p><span>In July, Japan, India, and the US took part in the latest iteration of the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/malabar-2017-photos-of-us-india-and-japan-war-games-in-indian-ocean-2017-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Malabar naval exercises</a>, in which anti-submarine warfare was a major component.</span></p><p>Maritime security was <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/india-japan-begin-anti-submarine-warfare-exercise/articleshow/61322598.cms" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a focus</a> of the Indian <keyword id="6354810" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Defense">defense</keyword> minister's bilateral meetings with Japanese officials in September. It was also slated to be a <a href="http://indianexpress.com/article/india/james-mattis-india-visit-aimed-at-taking-indo-us-defence-ties-to-next-level-4858715/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">topic of discussion</a> during Defense Secretary Jim Mattis' trip to India in late September.</p><p>In October, India and Indonesia - both democracies and neighbors on the Indian Ocean - carried out <a href="https://thediplomat.com/2017/10/india-indonesia-maritime-patrols-kick-off" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">another round</a> of biannual joint naval patrols, aimed at boosting interoperability between their forces.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Shailesh Andrade/File</span></p><p class="caption">Employees stand in front of the Indian navy's first Scorpene submarine before being undocked from Mazagon Docks, a naval-vessel ship-building yard, in Mumbai, April 6, 2015.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>During the last days of October, India and Japan <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/india-japan-begin-anti-submarine-warfare-exercise/articleshow/61322598.cms" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">carried out</a> intensive anti-submarine warfare exercises in the Indian Ocean, involving naval aircraft from both countries.</p><p>French Defense Minister Florence Parly was also recently in India, where she discussed the strategic situation in South Asia and helped prepare for French President Emmanuel Macron's visit in early December. India and France have also <a href="https://mediaindia.eu/business-politics/india-france-enhance-maritime-cooperation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">expanded their joint efforts</a> to monitor activity in the Indian Ocean.</p><p><span>"We are sharing information in all formats - human, satellite and even electromagnetic as both the countries are worried about the implications that the Chinese expansion in the Indian Ocean region can mean to the international community," a senior French official reportedly <a href="https://mediaindia.eu/business-politics/india-france-enhance-maritime-cooperation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said</a>.</span></p><p><span>Japan is also expected to propose a <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-diplomacy-kono/japan-to-propose-strategic-dialogue-with-u-s-india-and-australia-nikkei-idUSKBN1CV03K" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">strategic dialogue</a> between it, the US, India, and Australia to counter Chinese expansion in Asia via its "Belt and Road" policy, which is aimed at establishing trade and transportation networks in the region.</span></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikoyan_MiG-29K#/media/File:A_MiG_29K_aircraft_lands_on_INS_Vikramaditya.jpg">Indian Navy</a></span></p><p class="caption">A MiG-29K prepares land aboard Indian aircraft carrier Vikramaditya in 2014.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Alongside those diplomatic efforts, India has worked to improve and expand its military capacity, drawing up a list <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-defence-firms-eye-billion-dollar-chance-for-made-in-india-2017-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">tens of billions of dollars</a><span> of foreign fighter jets, armored vehicles, submarines, and helicopters it is looking and pursue a "Made in India" policy in order to develop its domestic defense industry.</span></p><p>The first of six diesel-electric advanced attack submarines - designed by a French firm and built in India - is <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/scorpene-class-submarine-likely-to-be-commissioned-by-november-december/articleshow/60839555.cms" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">expected</a> to be commissioned in November or December. And this summer, New Delhi contacted foreign shipyards about <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/india-to-buy-submarines-amid-china-naval-activity-in-the-indian-ocean-2017-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">building six nonnuclear submarines</a>.</p><p>German and French shipbuilders have <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-defence-firms-eye-billion-dollar-chance-for-made-in-india-2017-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">expressed interest</a> in an Indian submarine contract worth up to $10 billion. India has also talked to Japan about buying advanced subs, but reaching a deal has been <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-09-13/abe-modi-bromance-may-not-overcome-hurdles-to-submarine-sale" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">difficult</a> for both sides.</p><p>India has agreed to buy US-made drones that could be used to track Chinese maritime activity and to purchase <a href="https://thediplomat.com/2017/06/boeing-wins-contract-to-support-indian-navys-new-sub-killer-planes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">P-81 Neptune</a> aircraft, one of the most advanced anti-submarine-warfare planes in the world. (The waters around the Malacca Strait, which connects the Indian and Pacific Oceans, are <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/malabar-2017-photos-of-us-india-and-japan-war-games-in-indian-ocean-2017-7/#while-indias-navy-is-smaller-than-chinas-new-delhis-control-of-the-andaman-and-nicobar-islands-give-it-advantageous-position-relative-to-the-malacca-strait-which-connects-east-and-southeast-asia-to-the-indian-ocean-in-june-indian-warships-were-assigned-247-patrols-at-the-western-edge-of-the-malacca-strait-to-monitor-maritime-movement-in-the-area-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">an area of focus</a> for India.)</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>(US Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Tyler Preston/Released)</span></p><p class="caption">Lt. Christopher Ground gives a tour to Indian sailors aboard Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Howard.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p><span>"I believe that the US is ready to help India modernize its military. India has been designated a major defense partner of the US. This is a strategic declaration that's unique to India and the US. It places India on the same level that we have many of our treaty allies," US Navy Adm. Harry Harris, head of Pacific Command, <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/us-ready-to-help-india-modernise-its-military-says-top-us-commander-harry-harris-1737122" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said</a> in August.</span></p><p>Prior to Indian <span>Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US this summer, India's defense minister <a href="https://www.defensenews.com/global/2017/06/22/india-russia-to-iron-out-defense-projects-worth-10b/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">went to Russia</a> to address weapons deals that had been delayed, including the purchase of four frigates and the lease of a nuclear-powered submarine.</span></p><p>The Indian navy has asked Russian aircraft manufacturer MiG to "<a href="https://www.defensenews.com/land/2017/08/04/indian-navy-wants-russian-mig-29k-jets-to-be-ruggedized/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ruggedize</a>" its MiG-29K aircraft to better withstand aircraft-carrier operations. India is also <a href="http://forceindia.net/decks-cleared-contract-signing-s-400-adms-december/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">set to buy</a> Russia's advanced S-400 missile-defense system. Russia also overhauled and updated the <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/slideshows/infrastructure/russian-warship-to-indian-icon-ins-vikramadityas-journey-in-pics/virkamaditya-jpg/slideshow/57651589.cms" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Vikramaditya</a> aircraft carrier for India between 2004 and 2013, though New Delhi <a href="https://thediplomat.com/2016/11/confirmed-indias-next-aircraft-carrier-will-be-nuclear/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">has pursued</a> indigenously built aircraft carriers since.</p><p>India has contracted a South Korean firm to build <a href="https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia-pacific/2017/08/17/india-mine-sweeper-program-hits-another-roadblock/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">minesweepers</a> and with Russia to acquire <a href="https://www.defensenews.com/air/2017/10/20/indian-air-force-wants-out-of-fighter-program-with-russia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fifth-generation fighters</a> - those projects have foundered, however.</p><p>India imports <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-defence-firms-eye-billion-dollar-chance-for-made-in-india-2017-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">about 90%</a> of defense equipment, and its "Made in India" initiative seeks to bring foreign firms to India to partner with domestic companies - deals that would bring India's homegrown defense contractors up to global standards.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/helima-croft-rbc-commodities-emerging-markets-oil-demand-growth-2017-7">RBC commodity chief: India and China will dictate oil's future</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

Amid simmering tensions with China, India is looking to gain an advantage at sea

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong>India and China, the world's two most populous countries, have a long history of conflict.</strong></li><li><strong>In recent years, India has been watching China's navy expand into the Indian Ocean.</strong></li><li><strong>Now New Delhi plans to bolster its fleet in order to keep an edge in the ocean it abuts on two sides.</strong></li></ul><p>India has watched warily as China's navy has ventured into the Indian Ocean, and now New Delhi plans to expand its navy to keep its edge in the ocean with which it shares a name.</p><p>India's navy <a href="https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2018/12/04/India-to-add-56-warships-six-submarines-to-naval-fleet/2151543950800/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">currently</a> has 140 warships and 220 aircraft, and navy chief Adm. Sunil Lanba <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/navy-looking-at-inducting-56-warships-and-submarines-admiral-lanba/articleshow/66917971.cms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Monday that there are 32 ships and submarines under construction in Indian shipyards</p><p>Delhi has also approved the construction of another 56 warships and six submarines, part of a 10-year plan. "By 2050, we will also have 200 ships, 500 aircraft and be a world-class navy," Lanba <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/indian-navy-chief-admiral-sunil-lanba-5477138/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.</p><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div></span></p><p><span>One of those six submarines will be from Project-75I, a $12 billion initiative to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-to-buy-submarines-amid-china-naval-activity-in-the-indian-ocean-2017-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acquire advanced subs</a> equipped with air-independent-propulsion systems that allow nonnuclear subs to operate without atmospheric oxygen, replacing or augmenting diesel-electric systems.</span></p><p><span>Lanba also said that the second of India's Scorpene-class diesel-electric subs had been through the needed trials and would be commissioned soon. The first of the class was inducted in December 2017.</span></p><p><strong><em>Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-growing-submarine-force-worrying-pacific-us-2018-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">China's growing submarine force is 'armed to the teeth' - and the rest of the Pacific is racing to keep up</a></em></strong></p><p><span>India said in November that is first domestically built nuclear-powered missile sub, INS Arihant, had completed its first deterrence patrol, giving the country the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/r-india-says-nuclear-submarine-makes-first-patrol-modi-warns-against-misadventure-2018-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ability to fire nuclear weapons</a> from land, air, and sea. </span></p><p><span>The Arihant was a message to rivals, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the time: "Don't try any misadventure against India."</span></p><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div></span></p><p><span>Lanba also said on Monday that plans to produce India's second domestically built aircraft carrier had "received the necessary impetus," <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/navy-looking-at-inducting-56-warships-and-submarines-admiral-lanba/articleshow/66917971.cms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to The Economic Times. The Indian Express <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/indian-navy-chief-admiral-sunil-lanba-5477138/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the government is wary of the cost of a third carrier but that Lanba had said "the cost is justified in the Combat Battle Group."</span></p><p><span>India's first carrier, INS Vikramaditya, is a modified Kiev-class carrier purchased from Russia. </span><span>The first domestically built aircraft carrier, the second overall, is under construction and is expected to undergo sea trials in three years, Lanba said.</span></p><p><strong><em>Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/japan-india-talk-logistics-and-base-sharing-deal-amid-china-tensions-2018-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2 of Asia's biggest militaries are working on a deal that could give them an edge over China</a></em></strong></p><p><span>The third carrier will take seven to 10 years to build, Lanba said, but it would allow India to operate two carriers at all times, complementing India's submarine force.</span></p><p><span>"A submarine is for 'sea denial,' while the a carrier battle group is for sea control," Lanba said. "Carrier battle groups will enhance the navy's role in the" Indian Ocean Region.</span></p><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div></span></p><p><span>Delhi's efforts to enhance its position in the Indian Ocean are not limited to ships.</span></p><p><span>A naval air station in the northern Andaman and Nicobar Islands boosts connectivity in the region and improves surveillance in the area. The islands are west of the Malacca Strait, through which much of the shipping between the Indian and Pacific oceans passes - including Chinese subs. </span></p><p><span>India has <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/To-fight-Chinas-Andaman-and-Nicobar-forays-India-deploys-submarine-hunters/articleshow/50632020.cms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">already deployed</a> its variant of the advanced US P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft to the islands.</span></p><p><strong><em>Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-china-more-us-made-sub-hunting-planes-2018-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">With an eye on China, India is looking to buy more US-made advanced sub-hunting planes</a></em></strong></p><p>Negotiations are <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/navy-looking-at-inducting-56-warships-and-submarines-admiral-lanba/articleshow/66917971.cms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">underway</a> to build a naval base in the Seychelles, at the opposite end of the Indian Ocean. In addition to exercises with partners in the region, the navy is conducting patrols with the Maldives, where India appears to have come out ahead in <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/24b0bb54-c22d-11e8-95b1-d36dfef1b89a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a geopolitical struggle</a> with China.</p><p><span>"In Maldives, there is a government which is favourable to India. We are providing [exclusive economic zone] patrols with Maldives. We continue to do so ... we will move forward in all discussions, not only in maritime," Lanba <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/navy-looking-at-inducting-56-warships-and-submarines-admiral-lanba/articleshow/66917971.cms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Monday.</span><a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/66917971.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&amp;utm_medium=text&amp;utm_campaign=cppst"></a></p><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div></span></p><p><span>Delhi has been<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-to-buy-submarines-amid-china-naval-activity-in-the-indian-ocean-2017-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> tracking Chinese subs</a> entering the Indian Ocean since 2013. Lanba's comments come as China's warships grow increasingly active there.</span></p><p><span>At any time, Lanba said Monday, there are six to eight Chinese navy ships in the region: a three-ship anti-piracy force in the Gulf of Aden and three to four survey vessels. </span><span>"In October, a Chinese submarine was deployed and spent a month in the Indian Ocean," he added. "All this was in 2018."</span><a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/66917971.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&amp;utm_medium=text&amp;utm_campaign=cppst"></a></p><p><strong><em>Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-subs-better-than-chinese-subs-but-it-may-not-matter-in-a-conflict-2018-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US submarines are better than China's 'by far,' but in a war that may not matter</a></em></strong></p><p><span>India's Eastern Fleet commander Rear Adm. D.K. Tripathi said Wednesday that India's navy had over the past year moved to mission-based deployments to maximize their time at sea. </span></p><p><span>"We are monitoring all that is happening in the Indian Ocean," he <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/navy-monitoring-all-happenings-in-indian-ocean/articleshow/66956758.cms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> when asked about the presence of other navies.<a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/66956758.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&amp;utm_medium=text&amp;utm_campaign=cppst"></a></span></p><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div></span></p><p><span>India has a long history of tension with its northern neighbor, including several wars over a disputed boundary in the Himalayas.</span></p><p><span>For now, the land border remains the Indian military's primary focus, as the army is the dominant wing of the armed forces, Faisel Pervaiz, a South Asia expert at the geopolitical-analysis firm Stratfor, told Business Insider in October. </span></p><p><span>But Chinese naval activity, as well as diplomatic overtures through Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative, have worried Delhi.</span></p><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div></span></p><p>"For India, the concern now is that although it maintained this kind of regional hegemony by default, that status is beginning to erode, and that extends to the Indian Ocean," Pervaiz said. "India wants to maintain [its status as] the dominant maritime power in the Indian Ocean, but ... as China's expanding its own presence in the Indian Ocean, this is again becoming another challenge.</p><p><span>On Monday, when asked to compare to the Indian navy to those of China and Pakistan, Lanba <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/second-indigenous-aircraft-carrier-got-necessary-impetus-says-navy-chief-admiral-sunil-lanba/story-DV0HoMadxIxdg65EsNoHAL.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Delhi was still on top where it mattered.</span></p><p><span>"As far as the Indian Navy is concerned, we have only one front. And that is the Indian Ocean. We have overwhelming superiority over Pakistan navy in all fields and domains. In the Indian Ocean region, the balance of power rests in our favor compared to China."</span></p>

India is beefing up its navy to counter China's increasingly powerful fleet

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Andrew Renneisen / Stringer / Getty Images</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>The US is the world's most powerful military, according to firepower.</strong></li><li><strong>Russia and China aren't far behind.</strong></li></ul><p>President Donald Trump has reemphasized military strength, reportedly planning to ask for <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-trump-to-ask-for-716-billion-in-defense-spending-in-2019-budget-washington-post-2018-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$716 billion</a> in <keyword id="6354810" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Defense">defense</keyword> spending in 2019 - a 7% increase over the 2018 budget (though spending is currently <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-signs-700-billion-military-budget-into-law" target="_blank" rel="noopener">limited</a> by budget caps).</p><p>US defense spending is the highest in the world, more than the combined budgets of the next several countries. But US plans to ramp up acquisitions of military hardware will only add to an already booming arms industry.</p><p>Between 2012 and 2016, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/20/global-arms-weapons-trade-highest-point-since-cold-war-era" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more weapons</a> were delivered around the world than during any five-year period since 1990.</p><p>Below, you can see <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/most-powerful-militaries-in-the-world-ranked-2018-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the world's top 25 militaries</a> and the assets they can deploy to the battlefield, as ranked by Global Firepower Index.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Jenny Cheng/Business Insider</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p><span>The ranking assesses the diversity of weapons held by each country and pays particular attention to the manpower available.</span></p><p><span>"Balance is the key - a large, strong fighting force across land, sea and air backed by a resilient economy and defensible territory along with an efficient infrastructure - such qualities are those used to round out a particular nation's total fighting strength on paper," the ranking states.</span></p><p><span>But a few defining aspects of those countries' ability to muster military power are not directly related to their armed forces.</span></p><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Shailesh Andrade/File</span></p><p class="caption">Employees stand in front of the Indian navy's first Scorpene submarine at Mazagon Docks in Mumbai, April 6, 2015.</p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><p><span>Geographical factors, logistical flexibility, natural resources, and local industry all influenced the final ranking, Global Firepower said. </span></p><p><span>Each of the top 10 countries have a labor force of more than 30 million people. Three of the top five - the US, China, and India - have more than 150 million available workers.</span></p><p><span>The following 15 countries vary more widely in labor-force size - from 123.7 million in Indonesia to 3.9 million in Israel - but they still have more than 37.2 million workers on average.</span></p><p><span>Industrial and labor capacity are complemented by robust logistical capabilities, including extensive railway and roadway networks, numerous major ports and airports, and strong merchant-marine corps. </span>Extensive coastlines and waterways also facilitate the movement of goods and people.</p><p>For the US, those logistical capacities have been tested by increasing activity in Afghanistan as well as efforts to built up its presence in Europe.</p><p>The US Army's 1st Armored Division Sustainment Brigade served as the logistics headquarters in Afghanistan in 2017. During its six-month deployment, the unit distributed more than 380 million gallons of fuel throughout Afghanistan - a landlocked country roughly the size of Texas.</p><p><span>"It's not easy to [transport] fuel. You have to get it to the right place at the right time. You have to make sure it's of the right quality, and you have to make sure you have storage on one end and distribution capability on the other end," Col. Michael Lalor, the brigade commander, <a href="https://www.army.mil/article/200672/army_logisticians_shift_efforts_to_distribute_more_fuel_equipment_across_afghanistan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in late February. "That's what always kept me up at night."</span></p><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>US Army/Sgt. Jaccob Hearn</span></p><p class="caption">Vehicles and other cargo are unloaded from the USNS Bob Hope by the soldiers of the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, November 1, 2017.</p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><p>US Military Sealift Command (MSC), which oversees the US Navy's fleet of mostly civilian-crewed support ships, is adding ships to boost its presence around Europe and Africa, in response to both insurgent activity and growing tensions with Russia - all of which have added tension to the US's already strained supply lines.</p><p>In 2017, MSC moved twice as much ordnance, three times as many critical parts, and one-third as much cargo in Europe and Africa as it did in 2016.</p><p>"I definitely don't see (activity) going down any time soon," Capt. Eric Conzen, MSC commander in Europe and Africa, <a href="https://www.stripes.com/news/navy-s-civilian-run-ships-playing-bigger-supply-role-amid-russia-tensions-1.513934" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Stars and Stripes</a> of his unit's workload. "There's a desire for it to increase."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/comparing-russia-most-advanced-military-equipment-nato-hardware-us-defense-2017-1">How Russia's most advanced military equipment stacks up against NATO hardware</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

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