India gifts submarine to Myanmar: The China angle

TIL Desk/World/New Delhi/ With New Delhi’s announcement of the gift of a used submarine to Myanmar, India has played a high card in its long-running competition with Beijing for influence in that country. The Indian Navy has operated INS Sindhuvir, a Soviet-origin Kilo-class submarine, since 1988.

Now, with its service life extended by 10 to 15 years in an overhaul at Hindustan Shipyard Ltd, it will serve the Myanmar navy till the 2030s.’Cooperation in the maritime domain is a part of our diverse and enhanced engagement with Myanmar.

 In this context, India will be delivering a kilo class submarine INS Sindhuvir to the Myanmar navy,’ the ministry of external affairs announced. Last year, India supplied the Myanmar navy with Shyena light torpedoes built by Bharat Dynamics Ltd. These purchases are being paid for through a line of credit that India has granted Myanmar.In gifting the submarine to Myanmar, India is competing with China for influence in the region.