Why is India launching its first nuclear submarine?
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh launched the country’s first locally built nuclear-powered submarine on Sunday. Manmohan Singh, center, honors a war victory in New Delhi on Sunday, the same day he launched a sub. Manmohan Singh, center, honors a war victory in New Delhi on Sunday, the same day he launched a sub. “Today, we join a select group of five nations who possess the capability to build a nuclear-powered submarine,” Singh declared in his speech at the eastern naval base of Visakhapatnam. Although he billed the submarine as an outcome of a public-private partnership, the Indian leader did mention Russia in his address. “I would also like to express our appreciation to our Russian friends for their consistent and invaluable cooperation, which symbolizes the close strategic partnership that we enjoy with Russia,” Singh remarked.