In an indication that New Delhi is taking the matter seriously, the Government sources confirmed that the high powered Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) is set to discuss the matter during its next meeting.

Commenting on the new Chinese Naval base on Hainan Island in the South China Sea, Navy Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta said that more than the location of the facility, the growing number of new generation Chinese submarines armed with nuclear missiles is a cause for concern.

“It does not make any difference where submarines are operating from. As nuclear submarines have long legs, they can travel long distances. What is important is the number of submarines that are being built up by a particular nation,” said Mehta, talking to reporters on the sidelines of a Naval function here.

While Defence Minister A K Antony tried to evade the issue by saying that the Armed Forces are fully prepared to take care of security interests, the Navy Chief said that the security implications of the Chinese base are ‘not separate from those of the region’.

“What is important is the number of submarines that will come by a particular nation. We will look at it in this manner,” Mehta said, denying that India plans to increase the number of indigenous nuclear-submarines under the ATV (Advanced Technology Vessel) project in response to the development.

However, the Navy Chief said that the threat is not new as China already has enough nuclear missiles that cover almost the entire world. “As you would be well aware of, the coverage of missiles which are held with China, cover virtually the whole world. So, you are already covered,” he said.

The latest satellite images of the Hainan Island, located 1200 nautical miles from the strategic Malacca Strait, had sent alarm bells ringing across the Indian security establishment after they revealed an advanced naval base complete with underground chambers and facilities to host nuclear-submarines. The images also showed a Jin Class SSBN armed with nuclear tipped ballistic missiles docked at the base.