### 인도 해군 기지: 인도양에서 중국의 영향력에 대응하기

### 인도의 해군 확장: 인도양에서 중국의 영향력 확대에 대응하기
* 🌊 인도는 벵골만의 고요한 해안 아래에 **수십억 달러 규모의 해군 기지 INS 바르샤**를 건설하여 증가하는 핵잠수함 함대를 지원하고 있습니다.
* 🔍 이 기지는 **지하 정박 시설**을 갖추고 있어 적의 감시로부터 보호할 수 있으며 인도의 전략적 자산이 될 것입니다.
* ⚓ 벵골만은 **전 세계 무역의 약 30%**가 통과하고 **중국 석유 수입의 80%**가 말라카 해협에 의존하는 중요한 항로 근처에 위치해 있어 매우 중요합니다.
* 🚢 미얀마, 방글라데시, 스리랑카의 항구에 대한 투자로 이 지역에서 **중국의 해군력은 더욱 강화**되어 군사력을 지속적으로 강화할 수 있게 되었습니다.
* 🇧🇩 방글라데시는 **2023년에 첫 잠수함 기지를 개장**하여 주변 국가에 대한 중국의 영향력 확대와 군사 투자를 과시했습니다.
* 🛰 INS 바르샤의 위성 사진에 따르면 인도는 현재 2척의 아리한트급 잠수함보다 크게 늘어난 **최대 12척의 핵잠수함**을 보유할 계획인 것으로 나타났습니다.
* 📈 인도는 해군력 강화를 목표로 하고 있지만, **12척의 핵잠수함을 운영하는 중국**에 비해 여전히 뒤처져 있어 역내 군사 경쟁이 계속되고 있습니다.
* ⚔ 히말라야 국경의 긴장 완화를 위한 노력에도 불구하고 **인도양에서의 경쟁**는 인도와 중국 간의 잠재적인 분쟁의 도화선으로 남아 있습니다.

인도의 해군 기지 INS 바르샤는 인도양에서 중국의 영향력 확대에 대응하는 데 중요한 역할을 하고 있습니다.

(calm music) - [Narrator] Beneath the tranquil shores of a coastal village on the Bay of Bengal, India is building a
multi-billion dollar naval base. Designed to protect India's growing fleet of nuclear submarines in a
key area of the Indian Ocean, 

the new base, INS Varsha,
has a secret design feature. - Its location essentially allows for the underground docking of submarines. - [Narrator] Here's why this project forms the backbone of India's plans to keep China's ambitions
in the region in check. 

(light music)
The Bay of Bengal lies north of critical shipping lanes
that carry around 30% of all globally traded goods
towards this narrow waterway known as the Strait of Malacca. And around 80% of China's oil imports 

pass through this critical choke point. - The Strait of Malacca can be controlled by a number of powers,
which China might plausibly find itself in a conflict with, first and foremost the United States Navy, but also, secondarily, the Indian Navy. 

- [Narrator] Some China
experts believe the waterway could play a key role in
any conflict over Taiwan (engines roaring)
or the South China Sea. - One of the ways in which
China has tried to reduce its perceived
vulnerabilities in this space 

is by building a growing naval presence in the Northern Indian Ocean.
(tense music) - [Narrator] Over the years, China has been building and investing in commercial ports in
Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka through its
Belt and Road initiative, 

the infrastructure project
Beijing has been promoting since 2013 in more than 150 countries. Chinese vessels, including those belonging to the People's Liberation Army, or PLA, are now frequently spotted in these ports, like these two landing ships and a guided missile destroyer
that visited Sri Lanka's port

in late August and docked
just 4,000 feet away from the Indian guided
missile destroyer INS Mumbai. - These vessels have habituated
states within the region to the idea of a Chinese naval presence. (light music) - [Narrator] Beijing has
also helped Bangladesh

to build the country's first ever full-fledged submarine base. The BNS Sheikh Hasina naval base is still under construction,
but was inaugurated in 2023, and at least one of Bangladesh's
first two submarines, also made in China, appears
to already be stationed there.

- What China's investments
in both civilian ports, but also military facilities,
can do is create access points which the PLA can rely on
for more routine sustainment, which in turn can allow it to embark on more prolonged deployments
in the Indian Ocean region.

(calm music) - [Narrator] Satellite
images showing the expansion of INS Varsha reveal India's
efforts to counterbalance China's growing presence
in its own backyard. - The most important
part of the base will be the underground facilities
within which Indian submarines

can dock towards the the
right hand side of the photo. The ability to build
tunnels offer advantages, both in terms of hardening, but also protection against
adversary surveillance. - [Narrator] And its location
on the Bay of Bengal itself

offers significant tactical
advantages for India. - It's relatively close to a
number of Indian air bases. It's an area in which the Indian navy enjoys considerable local superiority over the People's Liberation
Army Navy, and it's ringed

on three sides by either
India's own territory or states that are neutral or
partially aligned with India. Although obviously there's an
ongoing competition with China for influence in many of these states. (light music) - [Narrator] Military experts say the base

will eventually host up to
a dozen nuclear submarines. India currently only has two. Both are Arihant class ballistic
missile submarines or SSBNs. The newest one, INS Arighat,
can carry 12 ballistic missiles with a range of around 430
miles, or four ballistic missiles

that can travel beyond 2,000 miles, putting China's naval base in
Hainan well within the range. India's third SSBN should be ready in 2025,
(camera flashing) but India still lags far behind China,
(camera flashing)

which already has 12 nuclear submarines. (camera flashing) - India doubtless would like to change this balance in the future. That being said, comparing numbers of like for like platforms is
not necessarily the best way to look at a military
balance, because geography

and missions determine which
platforms are most relevant. The question is not
simply how many submarines of each type each country operates. It's also one of reach because
obviously operating closer to Indian shores, many of India's
diesel-electric submarines

are within operating
ranges where they can be pretty effective against
Chinese attack submarines. - [Narrator] The Indian
Ministry of Foreign Affairs didn't respond to requests
for comment on how New Delhi perceives China's
activities in the region.

China's foreign ministry
said Beijing's cooperation in the region is not
targeted at any third party. - Even if Chinese engagement
doesn't necessarily represent a military threat in the
sense that it can enable the PLA navy to fight in the
region, what it can enable

and why the Indian government
and Navy are perturbed by it is because it can enable
a more sustained presence in the region that can set
the preconditions for China to eventually be a much more
credible military player in the Indian Ocean than it is today.

(tense music) - [Narrator] The expansion of India's nuclear submarine project comes as Beijing and New Delhi
agree to deescalate another area of tension
on the Himalayan border. But their competition in the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal

How India’s New Nuclear Submarine Base Challenges China’s Naval Plans | WSJ

The Wall Street Journal takes you inside carefully selected stories and events in a visually captivating way so you can dig deeper into the news and insights that matter to you. 

The Wall Street Journal

Construction of INS Varsha and its strategic importance

India is building a multi-billion dollar naval base, INS Varsha, on the Bay of Bengal to protect its nuclear submarines.

INS Varsha's design allows for underground submarine docking.

The base is crucial for countering China's ambitions in the region.

China's growing naval presence and strategic chokepoints

The Bay of Bengal is near critical shipping lanes carrying 30% of globally traded goods and 80% of China's oil imports.

Control of the Strait of Malacca is a potential conflict point involving the US and Indian navies.

China's increased naval presence in the Northern Indian Ocean is a cause for concern.

China's Belt and Road initiative has led to increased commercial port access in Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.

China aided Bangladesh in building its first submarine base.

India's countermeasures: INS Varsha's capabilities

INS Varsha's underground facilities offer protection and surveillance advantages.

INS Varsha's location provides tactical advantages due to proximity to air bases and Indian naval superiority.

The base will eventually host up to a dozen nuclear submarines.

Comparison of Indian and Chinese naval capabilities

India's current nuclear submarine capabilities lag behind China's.

A simple numerical comparison of submarines isn't sufficient; geography and missions are crucial factors.

India's diesel-electric submarines have effective range against Chinese attack submarines.

India's foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

China stated its regional cooperation isn't targeted at any third party.

China's sustained presence is a concern for India, as it could increase China's military influence in the region.

India and China have agreed to de-escalate tensions on the Himalayan border.

Competition in the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal remains a source of potential conflict.