niaz
PDF THINK TANK: CONSULTANT
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For the benefit of Pakistani members (Indian members know it already) let me briefly inform you about the secret Indian ATV (Advanced Technology Vessel) program.
Indian nuclear program and technology goes further back than Pakistan’s. Bhaba Atomic Research Reactor Centre (BARC) started working in 1954. CIRUS (Canadian Indian Reactor) went critical in 1960. Nuclear fuel processing from the spent fuel was started in the 1964. I was a student in London when the news leaked out. Plutonium obtained from the processing the spent fuel from various reactors was used to conduct first nuclear explosion by India in 1974 at Pokhran.
Special Weapons Research unit has been established at the BARC for quite sometime. Based upon 30 years experience gained at BARC, India launched a secret program to build a nuclear powered submarine in 1983!
It is now 25 years and India is still no way near to manufacturing a safe rugged and long life PWR reactor suitable for use in the naval vessels. Unlike civil power plants, power plants used in naval vessel are not periodically opened and must keep on running safely for the entire life of the vessel; about 20 years. This has forced India to seek nuclear submarines frown Russia,
Understand main problem comes in associate components. Just as designing an aircraft engine ab initio is far more difficult than designing fuselage and wing of the aircraft (India could not produce suitable engine for the LCA), a nuclear reactor requires manufacture of main structure, pipelines and pumps made from Boron Steel. It is so strong that ordinary welding equipment will not affect it. There are thousands of other specialized metallurgy requirements.
Pakistan has a long way to go towards acquiring sufficient expertise. Let us face it; even for our tank we are importing tank engines from Ukraine. TT for Augusta was very basic. We were never given the technology to make MESMA. To put it simply, we have gained experience in putting together a submarine from knocked down components such as assembling a car.
Submarine is a stealth weapon system, normal diesel electric submarines run on battery power when under water; therefore they need to surface ever so often to charge their batteries thru the diesel engine. Once at snorkeling depth these can be spotted and open to attack.
Understand that a submarine such as Augusta will need to surface every 5/6 days. Augusta B with MESMA can keep under water for nearly 3 weeks. Fuel cell technology performs the same task. A nuclear submarine dose not need to surface at all. Only the need to replenish food supplies will cause it to surface. Thus a nuclear sub is very difficult to detect.
Hon PAFAce has correctly pointed out that a nuclear sub is only a platform to launch weapons under water. Having a nuclear submarine does not mean that you become a global power. For that you would need MIRV missiles such as Trident or Poseidon to go with the nuclear sub.
I apologize if I sound like a school master, but I keep seeing posts in various threads about nuclear subs as if it was the end all weapon system.
Worrying development is that the recent India/US agreement for the transfer of advanced technology to produce nuclear power, would also probably provide India with sufficient know how to produce miniature PWR reactors suitable for naval propulsion.
Indian nuclear program and technology goes further back than Pakistan’s. Bhaba Atomic Research Reactor Centre (BARC) started working in 1954. CIRUS (Canadian Indian Reactor) went critical in 1960. Nuclear fuel processing from the spent fuel was started in the 1964. I was a student in London when the news leaked out. Plutonium obtained from the processing the spent fuel from various reactors was used to conduct first nuclear explosion by India in 1974 at Pokhran.
Special Weapons Research unit has been established at the BARC for quite sometime. Based upon 30 years experience gained at BARC, India launched a secret program to build a nuclear powered submarine in 1983!
It is now 25 years and India is still no way near to manufacturing a safe rugged and long life PWR reactor suitable for use in the naval vessels. Unlike civil power plants, power plants used in naval vessel are not periodically opened and must keep on running safely for the entire life of the vessel; about 20 years. This has forced India to seek nuclear submarines frown Russia,
Understand main problem comes in associate components. Just as designing an aircraft engine ab initio is far more difficult than designing fuselage and wing of the aircraft (India could not produce suitable engine for the LCA), a nuclear reactor requires manufacture of main structure, pipelines and pumps made from Boron Steel. It is so strong that ordinary welding equipment will not affect it. There are thousands of other specialized metallurgy requirements.
Pakistan has a long way to go towards acquiring sufficient expertise. Let us face it; even for our tank we are importing tank engines from Ukraine. TT for Augusta was very basic. We were never given the technology to make MESMA. To put it simply, we have gained experience in putting together a submarine from knocked down components such as assembling a car.
Submarine is a stealth weapon system, normal diesel electric submarines run on battery power when under water; therefore they need to surface ever so often to charge their batteries thru the diesel engine. Once at snorkeling depth these can be spotted and open to attack.
Understand that a submarine such as Augusta will need to surface every 5/6 days. Augusta B with MESMA can keep under water for nearly 3 weeks. Fuel cell technology performs the same task. A nuclear submarine dose not need to surface at all. Only the need to replenish food supplies will cause it to surface. Thus a nuclear sub is very difficult to detect.
Hon PAFAce has correctly pointed out that a nuclear sub is only a platform to launch weapons under water. Having a nuclear submarine does not mean that you become a global power. For that you would need MIRV missiles such as Trident or Poseidon to go with the nuclear sub.
I apologize if I sound like a school master, but I keep seeing posts in various threads about nuclear subs as if it was the end all weapon system.
Worrying development is that the recent India/US agreement for the transfer of advanced technology to produce nuclear power, would also probably provide India with sufficient know how to produce miniature PWR reactors suitable for naval propulsion.
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perhaps in the design and construction but not the AIP
we are already onto it mate 
