INS Varsha: Difference between revisions

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'''INS Varsha''' is a new naval base being developed under '''Project Varsha '''for the [[Indian Navy]]. This base will be the home of the navy's new fleet of nuclear submarines and ships. It was planned to be located within a radius of approximately 200 kilometres (124.27 statute miles) from [[Visakhapatnam]], the headquarters of the navy's [[Eastern Naval Command]].<ref name=Sharma>{{cite web | author= Suman Sharma | title= Navy creating a new base for nuke submarines | url= http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_navy-creating-a-new-base-for-nuke-submarines_1395220 | work= India | publisher= (Daily News & Analysis | date= 12 June 2010 | access-date=11 June 2010}}</ref> Previous news reports suggested that [[Gangavaram Port|Gangavaram]] had been the initial site for the new base.<ref>{{cite web | author= Sudha Ramachandran | title= India navy drops another anchor | url= http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/HJ17Df02.html | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20061018004509/http://atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/HJ17Df02.html | url-status= unfit | archive-date= 18 October 2006 | work= [[Asia Times]] | date= 17 October 2006 | access-date=20 April 2009}}</ref> The base is now being developed at [[Rambilli]], which is 50&nbsp;km from Visakhapatnam.<ref name=toi26m>{{cite news|title=India readies hi-tech naval base to keep eye on China|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-03-26/india/38039841_1_akula-ii-ins-chakra-underground-nuclear-submarine-base|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130327133023/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-03-26/india/38039841_1_akula-ii-ins-chakra-underground-nuclear-submarine-base|url-status=dead|archive-date=27 March 2013|access-date=4 July 2013|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|date=26 March 2013}}</ref><ref name=thu17s>{{cite news|title=Navy to have second base near Vizag|url=http://www.hindu.com/2006/09/17/stories/2006091718250100.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071204211016/http://www.hindu.com/2006/09/17/stories/2006091718250100.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=4 December 2007|access-date=4 July 2013|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=17 September 2006}}</ref>

INS Varsha would de-congest the [[Visakhapatnam Port]], which is used by both the navy and the civilian [[Ministry of Shipping (India)|Ministry of Shipping]]. The navy's dockyards at Vizag are facing shortage of berthing space due to the rapid expansion of the Eastern fleet, which grew from 15 major warships in 2006 to 46 in 2012, and is still expanding. ''Varsha'' will have a large near-by facility of the [[Bhabha Atomic Research Centre]] (BARC), and will include modern nuclear engineering support facilities and extensive crew accommodation. It is designed to support the fleet of 8-12 nuclear-powered ballistic missile and attack submarines to be built for the Indian Navy. It will also have underground pens to hide the submarines from spy satellites and protect them from enemy air attacks. The navy is seeking foreign technical assistance pertaining to nuclear safety features for the base.<ref name=sr4j>{{cite web|title=India's Secret warship base commissioned to protect assets in South China Sea|url=http://stratrisks.com/geostrat/9784|publisher=Strat risks|access-date=4 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130815121207/http://stratrisks.com/geostrat/9784|archive-date=15 August 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> While designed principally as a nuclear submarine support facility, the new base can accommodate other naval vessels because of the Indian Navy's expansion. This facility has been compared to the top-secret [[Hainan]] nuclear submarine base for the [[People's Liberation Army Navy|Chinese PLA Navy]]. This east coast base expansion programme by the Indian Navy was started due to India's [[Look East policy (India)|Look East policy]] and the [[PLA Navy|Chinese naval expansion]] into the region.<ref name=Sharma/><ref name=toi26m /><ref>{{cite web | author= Vivek Raghuvanshi | title= Eying China, India Plans New East Coast Navy Bases | url= http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=5189187&c=SEA&s=TOP | work= Home | publisher= DefenseNews | date= 8 December 2010 | access-date=16 December 2010}}</ref>

In addition to Project Varsha, in late 2009, the [[Hindustan Shipyard Limited|Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL)]], located at Visakhapatnam, was transferred from the [[Ministry of Shipping (India)|Ministry of Shipping]] to the [[Ministry of Defence (India)|Ministry of Defence]] in order to support the ''Arihant''-class nuclear submarine construction programme. These new vessels will be based at INS Varsha.<ref name=Sharma/><ref>{{cite news | title= On national security interests, Govt moves Hindustan Shipyard to Defence ministry | url= http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-12-24/india/28091316_1_hindustan-shipyard-defence-ministry-hsl | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120926143826/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2009-12-24/india/28091316_1_hindustan-shipyard-defence-ministry-hsl | url-status= dead | archive-date= 26 September 2012 | work= [[The Times of India]] | date= 24 December 2009 | access-date=11 June 2010}}</ref>

{{INRConvert|160|c|0}} were sanctioned for the project in the 2011-12 budget, of which {{INRConvert|58|c|0}} were for civil works and the balance {{INRConvert|100|c|0}} were for setting up a [[Very low frequency|VLF communication]] system.<ref>{{cite news|title=How India's pride INS Arihant was built|url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/ins-arihant-a-classic-example-of-defence-collaborations-113081100745_1.html|access-date=12 August 2013|newspaper=Business Standard|date=12 August 2013}}</ref>

It was reported that the Central government has diverged 670 hectares of forest land in Rambilli, Andhra Pradesh to Project Varsha which was needed to house a strategic technical area and a command and control centre. This was required for the Phase-II of the project. Construction of Phase-I was reported to be on full swing. It was also reported that the [[Bhabha Atomic Research Centre]] is constructing a research and development complex just 20&nbsp;km away from the Project Varsha site at Atchutapuram that will support the submarine base. About 845 hectares had already been handed over to BARC for the new facility.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://theprint.in/2018/01/10/big-boost-india-secret-nuclear-submarine-base/|title=Big Boost for India's secret nuclear submarine base|work=The Print|access-date=11 January 2018}}</ref>