India on alert for Pakistani submarine’s return foray to Bay of Bengal

Kolkata, June 29 (IANS) PNS Hangor, built by China for Pakistan, is an advanced diesel-electric attack submarine with stealth features. After its induction into the Pakistan Navy at Karachi, the PNS Hangor visited Colombo in Sri Lanka. It was while returning from Colombo that a senior Pakistan Navy officer indicated that the platform would return to the Bay of Bengal.

The PNS Hangor is the lead vessel of eight such submarines being built in China and Pakistan. What gives it an advantage over the Indian Navy’s diesel-electric submarine fleet is its Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) system that allows it to remain submerged for up to three weeks without surfacing to recharge batteries.

BNS Pekua, on the other hand, is an advanced naval base developed by China for Bangladesh near Cox’s Bazar. The base can accommodate up to eight surface vessels and six submarines. With Bangladesh possessing only two submarines, it is clear that the base will be used by Chinese Vessels and those from friendly countries.

Dhaka renewed ties with Islamabad when Mohammad Yunus was heading the interim government in Bangladesh, and the relations have continued after the new government took over in February this year.

“BNS Pekua will certainly be a matter of concern for India, given the fact that New Delhi can do nothing if Chinese and Pakistani warships – both surface and sub-surface – berth there. India will simply have to deploy more assets for surveillance, leaving other areas uncovered. That is the real strategy,” a retired vice admiral of the Indian Navy said.

BNS Pekua has dry dock facilities for submarines. These facilities are designed keeping the Chinese Type 039A/039B submarines in mind.

The PNS Hangor is an export variant of this type. “BNS Pekua may turn into a logistics hub for both Chinese and Pakistani submarines. These submarines could spend extended periods of time at the location. The location is strategic. It is about 1,000 km from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and equidistant from Visakhapatnam, the headquarters of India’s submarine fleet and the Eastern Naval Command,” another retired commodore-rank officer said.

The tri-services command in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is a strategic one. The movement of both Chinese submarines and surface warships has been reported close to India’s territorial waters around the archipelago.

The Indian Navy has four Kamorta-class anti-submarine warfare corvettes. It has also started receiving the 16 anti-submarine shallow water crafts that are capable of hunting for enemy submarines close to the country’s coast. It also deploys its P8I long-range surveillance aircraft to keep a lookout for submarines in the vast Bay of Bengal. Despite this, India will not be comfortable with Chinese or Pakistani submarines lurking next door.

–IANS

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