India launches project to make six nuclear submarines: Navy chief

New Delhi, December 1 : Faced with a belligerent China, India has launched its project to build six more nuclear-powered submarines. The nuclear power will allow them greater endurance under sea as the submarines need not surface to ‘breathe’.
Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba, while replying to a question, said on Friday, “We have launched the project to make six SSNs (nuclear-powered submarines) and I will not say any further as it’s a classified project.”
Addressing a press conference ahead of the Navy Day (December 4), Admiral Lanba, on being asked about the threat from Chinese submarines in the Indian Ocean under the garb of anti-piracy patrols, said, “For a sub it’s an odd task to be on anti-piracy patrol. We have carried out threat assessment of PLA (People’s Liberation Army) submarines.”
PLA subs are coming for two deployments every year. This pattern is on since 2013.
In yet another hint at how India is challenging China, the Admiral said, “We are deployed 24×7 in key areas in the Gulf of Aden to straits of Malacca besides the straits of Sunda and Lumbok.” These are the ingress and egress routes to the Indian Ocean.