India's 10,000-ton nuclear submarine laid its keel—why is China seemingly indifferent?

Lately, the Indian Navy held a steel-cutting ceremony for its new S5-class nuclear submarine at the Visakhapatnam Shipyard. This marks India's second-generation nuclear submarine, with a maximum displacement of 17,000 tons (actual displacement around 13,000 tons), capable of carrying the K-6 submarine-launched ballistic missile with a range of 8,000 kilometers, aiming to establish an underwater strategic deterrence system in the Indian Ocean—a project heavily anticipated by India.

Yet, such a major strategic initiative has drawn almost no attention from Chinese media and public discourse throughout its development, with virtually no reports or discussions, and official channels have remained silent. This strategic silence speaks volumes, far more than any public statement would.

From a technical standpoint, the S5-class nuclear submarine must overcome multiple formidable challenges: reactor miniaturization, hull noise reduction, and large-scale missile underwater launch capabilities. India’s current “Arihant”-class nuclear submarines suffer from relatively weak stealth performance, and the K-6 strategic missile has yet to complete full-range test launches—its core combat capability remains largely on paper.

Moreover, the complete sea-based nuclear deterrent requires supporting systems such as long-wave communication, operational readiness patrols, and deep-sea logistics support—areas where India still exhibits clear shortcomings.

China isn’t dismissing India out of arrogance; rather, we simply don’t view India’s new nuclear submarine as a significant potential deterrent. Currently, China has already established a next-generation underwater anti-submarine warfare system, upgraded its domestically developed nuclear submarines, deployed a space-based infrared early-warning network, and enhanced long-range maritime route support capabilities—giving China a generational advantage over India in terms of operational warning, system dominance, and undersea combat power.

Furthermore, as everyone knows, for India’s new nuclear submarine, merely not sinking would already be considered a success...

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1872026028934272/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.