New Delhi: In a big step towards further boosting its strategic deterrence capabilities, India is likely to commission its second nuclear-powered submarine INS Arighat on Thursday at a low-key event in Visakhapatnam. India’s first nuclear-powered submarine INS Arihant was commissioned in 2016.
The ballistic missile submarine will be commissioned at a ship-building centre in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh Tripathi, head of Indian strategic command Vice Admiral Suraj Berry and top DRDO officials, according to people familiar with the matter.
What are key features of INS Arighat
INS Arighat is an upgraded version of INS Arihant, India’s first SSBN (Ship, Submersible, Ballistic, Nuclear). The Indian Navy in October 2016 quietly commissioned into service the country’s first indigenous nuclear powered submarine INS Arihant which is capable of firing nuclear weapons.
INS Arighat is powered by 83 MW pressurised light-water reactors at its core that ensure it can stay submerged for months on end. Weighing around 6,000 tonnes, the 112-metre-long nuclear-powered submarine is armed with K-15 missiles that have a strike range of 750-km.
The SSBNs are the best bet when it comes to a retaliatory strike to a nuclear attack. SSBNs are equipped with better stealth features and are larger compared to SSNs, which are nuclear-powered attack submarines.
India’s secret four-SSBN project
India’s quest for its indigenous nuclear submarine began in late 1990s under top secret project called Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV). The plan was to build four such submarines. In 2009, INS Arihant was launched into the water at the ship-building centre in Visakhapatnam. The second nuclear submarine, INS Arighat, will be commissioned today. The third nuclear submarine, INS Aridhaman and the fourth one are already under construction.