Chinese and Indian Navies play hide-n-seek?

Lookie what we have here:

news.bbc.co.uk...

A Chinese MSM media hoax? Or a reality? And if it is a reality, what really happened?

Some other interesting (related?) developments:
www.indianexpress.com...
www.bharat-rakshak.com...

Something's abrew here?

(edit: title)

[edit on Wed Feb 18 2009 by The Vagabond]

Could be just propeganda, or it could be a simple matter of "cat n mouse" play between India and China..similar to how the US and former Soviet Union played that game during the Cold War.


Cheers!!!!

India and China are competing over Africa's resources, and that in large part means competing for future control of Somalia and its ports. Piracy is a source of revenue for Somali factions. Therefore neither country can really trust the other to be even-handed in anti-piracy operations and needs to keep tabs on the other.
Not only that, but accordiing to Blackwater, at least the US (no word on other nations over there) may be using ships in the area to hold prisoners turned over by surrogates in Somalia. www.chicagotribune.com...

I've dealt with several aspects of the situation in this thread but must confess I haven't been keeping it current as much as I should. I'll have to get back on that considering this development.

Additionally, these anti-piracy operations are a significant step out from its borders for traditionally non-aligned India. The outcome of the operations will probably shape the role that India chooses for itself in the international community over the next decade or so and just how assertive they want to be.

Nations like China and also African nations which are less in India's favor than their neighbors, may find it in their interest for India to choose a lower level of activity and assertiveness. They might therefore want to cause setbacks for India, and cannot be trusted not to seize any opportunity to rattle India's confidence, cause India embarrassment, or even inflict losses.

One could even speculate that the incident in which the INS Tabar sunk the Ekawat Nava 5 might have been a trap baited with bad intelligence.

I don't see any conspiracy in this, but perhaps something that's expected out of a military operation, Chinese warship detects an unknown submarine and forces it to surface, either that or attacks it.

I suppose such underhanded military tactics are common, one side test the other side's military mettle by shadowing each other for cat and mouse games.

It could have been a submarine belonging to an rogue group.

Americans and Russians have been doing it to each other for years.

I didn't know India had any submarines actually. This is the first time I've heard of it.

Just a suggestion, but maybe you could edit your OP to actually have some kind of description of what this thread is discussing. Just posting a link and saying "Looky what we have here" doesn't set the stage for much of a discussion.

reply to post by mattifikation


Point noted. I was trying to attract the 'experts' (orangetom, schaden and other submariners) with that topic language though I do concede that it is cryptic for others.
I cannot change the OP title anymore so I'm guessing this needs a mod?

India has 8-10 Kilo clas submarines of which only 50% are operational. They have 4-5 legacy classes as well and those are mostly in dry dock as well.

India has signed deals for up to 6 SSK submarines (3 scorpene and 3 more; don't remember which kind but AIP capable) due in the next 3-4 years.
India is leasing a hunter-killer SSN (nuclear powered) Akula-II class Russian sub for 10 years starting this year or next. The procurement was delayed due to an accident onboard the vessel during Russian sea trials that took the lives of 20 russian sailors.

India plans to release its first indigenous SSGN/SSBN (nuclear powered) submarine by the end of 2009, the first of 3 in all.
So say around 5 years from India's sub force should look like this:

1 Hunter Killer SSN Akula II
2-3 SSGN/SSBN second strike nuclear tipped ATV submarines
6 SSKs with 3 AIP capable
10 Kilo Class SSKs

I can do the title change. Just U2U me with what you want it changed to if you like, or it can stay as is if you prefer.