India to build nuclear submarines, buy drones to counter China

India will build two nuclear-powered submarines and buy 31 US-made long-range drones at an estimated cost of 350 billion rupees ($4.2 billion), senior officials familiar with the matter said, helping to counter China's military dominance in the region.

India's Cabinet Committee on Security, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, took the decisions on Wednesday, the people said, asking not to be identified because of the sensitive nature of the matter.

The two nuclear-powered boats carrying conventional weapons will be built in local shipyards for the first time. Nuclear-powered vessels are vastly superior to their diesel-electric counterparts: they're faster, can stay submerged almost indefinitely, and are bigger, allowing them to carry more weapons, equipment and supplies.

Australia is teaming up with the UK and the US to build similar boats through a tripartite security partnership called AUKUS. Until now, only a few nations — the US, UK, France, China and Russia — have had the technology to deploy and operate nuclear-powered submarines.

The acquisition of these sophisticated platforms will add to India's ability to monitor and police the vast waters of the Indian Ocean region. The South Asian country is a member of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or Quad — a grouping of democracies comprising the US, Australia and Japan — aimed at containing China's dominance in the region.

India's Ministry of Defense didn't respond to a request for comment.

Separately, India also cleared the purchase of 31 long-range drones made by US defence giant General Atomics. The MQ-9B drone can fly for about 48 hours and carry a payload of about 1,700 kilograms (3,700 pounds). That would add to the Indian Navy's ability to monitor Chinese warships in the southern Indian Ocean and equip the army to engage targets along the disputed India-Pakistan border in the Himalayas.

India Today earlier reported on the submarine and drone deals.