India-China-Submarine
India's navy chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta has reacted to reports of Chinese submarines deployed at a massive new military facility on the Hainan Island in the South China Sea.

According to media reports, he admitted that he's taken note of China's big build-up of submarines with nuclear weapons in the region.

Though he tried to play down a new facility, it seems China's flexing of its maritime muscle in the Indian Ocean is causing concern.

"We are more worried about the increasing Chinese submarines in the vicinity than China building a massive naval base in south China sea," he said.

The Hainan base is not the main worry. India is more concerned about China's newly acquired ability to hide nuclear-armed submarines there.

The area is about 2,000 km from India and is said to have underground chambers and tunnels which can base upto 12 nuclear submarines.

Being nuclear powered, these submarines can patrol these sea lanes much longer than other submarines.

The missiles they carry aren't the only worry for New Delhi. It is China's assertion in the Malacca straits that is a matter on bigger concern.

In the past, it has shown that it's willing to use military might to protect its energy interests. For instance, when it fought with Vietnam and Philippines over the Spratly islands.

With both New Delhi and Beijing determined to fight for strategic space in Indian Ocean region, the two navies are likely to compete much more fiercely on the high seas.