INS Varsha — the nuclear submarine base on east coast likely to be commissioned soon
INS Varsha Located near Rambilli in Andhra Pradesh, approximately 70 km from the Visakhapatnam naval base, is designed to house over a dozen nuclear-powered submarines of all designs.
The base has both underground facilities and overground facilities for berthing, maintenance and other related activities.
The base will significantly enhance India’s deterrence and operational capabilities in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and beyond particularly in the context of its nuclear submarine Operations.
The establishment of INS Varsha reflects India’s response to increasing its naval capabilities for sustained Second Strike capability by SSBNs and also deterrence patrols by nuclear powered submarines SSGNs.
All adversaries global or regional particularly China and Pakistan now must be taking note. As China’s naval presence expands in the Indo-Pacific, it will have to recognizes and take into full account the maritime capabilities of India.
INS Varsha will serve as a formidable base that allows for round the year covert operation of nuclear submarines, thus maintaining a credible deterrence against potential aggressors.
The base is expected to become operational by 2025-2026 and is designed to support various classes of submarines, including the Arihant-class, future S5-class and the SSGNs.
This strategic facility will cover all Operations not only in Bay of Bengal, Andaman Sea, Eastern Indian Ocean and beyond into Indo Pacific and Antartic.
INS Varsha has been constructed at an estimated cost of INR 30000Crores with advanced engineering techniques that include an extensive network of tunnels and underground chambers.
Thus nuclear submarines will be able to enter and exit the base without detection from enemy satellites. The facility will also feature modern docking facilities, repair yards, and command centres equipped with state-of-the-art technology for real-time coordination of naval operations.
The operationalisation of INS Varsha is expected to have profound implications for global security dynamics.
By enhancing its naval capabilities, India aims to strengthen its partnerships based on Equality with both Russia and Quad nations (the United States, Japan, and Australia), fostering collaborative efforts in maritime security and technological innovation.
This base will enable India to play quite an assertive role in ensuring stability within both the Eastern Indian Ocean Region and the Indo-Pacific region, countering any kind of expansionism by any power.
As INS Varsha nears completion, Indian Navy should start planning a similar base exclusive for nuclear submarine on the Western Coast too.
As brought out in NAVIGATING DANGEROUS WATERS, India should ideally have a fleet of 24 nuclear SSGNs and 12 SSBNs to solidify its position as a major maritime power capable of influencing global security dynamics effectively.
