India Planning On Launching Ballistic Missile Submarines

It was inevitable, I suppose:

INS Arihant, planned to be the first of five submarines of its class, will be ready to begin sea trials, said Admiral Nirmal Verma, the navy commander. When the vessel eventually becomes operational, India will be able to launch nuclear missiles from the sea, land and air, joining a handful of countries possessing the "nuclear triad".

The strategic aim is to deter China and Pakistan and establish India as the leading power in the Indian Ocean.

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INS Arihant will carry the K-15 ballistic missile, which carries a nuclear warhead. However, this weapon has a relatively modest range of less than 500 miles, raising questions about its ability to hit a target in China.

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He pointed out that India is also planning to launch six nuclear-powered attack submarines, adding that within seven years the country should have a varied fleet which would, in theory, be able to block Chinese access to the Indian Ocean via the Strait of Malacca. "They could be sitting off Karachi – or China. It's an investment for the future," said Mr Guruswamy. 

(Full story here).

500 miles may not seem much, but it is sufficient to reach the major Chinese cities if parked somewhere off the coast of China...or detonate high over China to produce an EMP burst. Probably more importantly to India, though--at least over the short run--is that it is sufficient to threaten Pakistan.