Why India wants German submarines
India plans an $8Billion submarine deal with Germany for six German-designed Type 214 diesel-electric with PEM AIP submarines under Project‑75(I for India). They are to be built in India. This video examines the geopolitical stakes—rising tensions with China and Pakistan, India’s push for self-reliance, and Germany’s strategy in the Indo-Pacific. It’s more than weapons—it's about power, technology transfer, and new security ties. A DW Update: Dear users, we owe you an apology: at 5:29 in this video we showed an incorrect graph. Sorry for the mistake! According to SIPRI estimates for 2025, defense spending is: China $336 billion, India $92.1 billion, and Pakistan $11.9 billion.
See https://www.sipri.org/sites/default/f...
Click on the following to take you straight to those issues:
00:00 Invisible power: how submarines shape global geopolitics
00:21 India's $8 billion submarine deal with Germany explained
01:04 India vs China vs Pakistan: the Indo-Pacific naval arms race
02:33 What makes the Type 214 submarine a game-changer
03:19 Inside Germany's AIP technology: stealth under the sea
04:23 How a small Swedish sub "sank" a US aircraft carrier
05:28 China's navy dominance and the Pakistan submarine alliance
07:40 India's shift away from Russian weapons: a new era?
10:31 Why Germany is sharing its most guarded submarine tech
11:14 Berlin's Indo-Pacific strategy: countering China through India
14:37 Risks ahead: self-reliance, deterrence and the cost of an arms race
Meanwhile, south Korea picks up the pace:
ReplyDeleteSouth Korea accelerates Jangbogo-N nuclear attack submarine project amid major shift in US-South Korea alliance:
https://www.armyrecognition.com/news/navy-news/2026/jangbogo-n-nuclear-submarine-program-acceleration
Hi Anon @ 8/25/2026 12:26 PM
ReplyDeleteYes. This is what happens when the orange president of the country who has guaranteed your security for over 70 years decides the country threatening you with nuclear fire is a "great friend", and he expects you to shoulder the financial burden of any deal he cuts with them, without your input.
From the recent discussion on SK SMR reactors, I've been doing a little research (also, as a Singaporean, it is clear that the Singapore government has a long-term policy for building an SMR in Singapore). Seoul has allocated over $1 billion in SMR research between 2022 and 2030, including a 1/5 scale simulation rig, STELLA-2, to test the functionality of their sodium cooling concept (using an electric heater as their heat source). I believe that SK are close to producing a molten salt naval reactor, perhaps using supercritical CO2 (sCO2) for power generation, as this system is more efficent than high pressure steam, and will use less space.
https://en.sedaily.com/technology/2026/07/29/inside-koreas-reactor-test-lab-that-won-over-terrapower
If you ask me, the Germans are beating around the bush. If it is a militaristic and economical choice, then it’s a bad one. In that regard, the French have always been superior.
ReplyDeleteIt has nothing to do with SSKs or their capabilities; this deal is purely political. I might be totally wrong about it, but India has a history of political deals, like purchasing INS Vikramaditya, VVER reactors, or S-400s. Yes, most of those deals were with the Russians, but I think this one is also political. It’s our gift or lollypop for the EU FTA.
Regarding Pakistan Defence budget, that’s a black hole. We don’t know its actual budget. It’s a private inc, so it doesn’t report its revenue.
https://theprint.in/defence/stake-in-pia-to-uae-deal-fauji-foundation-the-money-machine-that-keeps-pakistan-army-running/2814219/
Hi Shawn at 8/25/2026 7:53 PM
ReplyDeleteSK should be careful what it wishes for with novel reactors (eg. Molten Salt) in any climate but particularly during SK's ice cold Winters.
The US and Soviet/Russia didn't cancel non-PWR reactors for nothing. Novel reactors "talent" for being defective should not be forgot. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfa-class_submarine#Propulsion
Cheers Pete
Hi Arpit Kanodia at 8/26/2026 4:12 PM
ReplyDeleteRe your claim "the French have always been superior."
The German's started and continued being more peaceful than the French in 1946.
No wars for West or even East Germany while the French killed many Algerians and Vietnamese in post colonial wars, while building Israel the Bomb and Jericho long range missiles. France A-Bomb tests in the North African atmosphere and H-Bombs in the atmosphere of the central Pacific - also Operation Satanic against peaceful NZ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinking_of_the_Rainbow_Warrior
Indeed non-aligned India "has a history of political deals".
The next Chinese and Pakistani activity may be accelerating nuclear weapons aid to Saudi Arabia (while Uncle Sam turns a blind eye) to build a nuclear capability against Iran https://gentleseas.blogspot.com/2013/08/pakistans-growing-nuclear-capabilities.html
Regards Pete