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Defence & Security
Mahesh

31/08/24 10:37 AM IST

INS Arighaat: India’s second nuclear sub

In News
  • India’s second nuclear submarine, the Arighaat, was commissioned into the Indian Navy recently at Visakhapatnam. 
Features
  • The 6,000-tonne INS Arighaat will join its predecessor, the nuclear submarine INS Arihant, as a key component of the India’s nuclear triad, which refers to a country’s ability to launch nuclear missiles from platforms in the air, land, and at sea.
  • India is part of a select group of countries with nuclear triad capabilities.
  • These include the United States, Russia, China, and France.
  • The induction of INS Arihant into the Navy in 2016 provided India with maritime strike capability for the first time.
  • The commissioning of INS Arighaat will enhance the Navy’s nuclear strike capability.
  • The nuclear-capable Agni 2, Agni 4, and Agni 5 missiles can be launched from land, and fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force such as the Rafales, Su-30MKIs, and Mirage 2000s can deliver nuclear warheads.
  • The nuclear-propelled Arighaat will be armed with indigenously built K-15 missiles, with a range of more than 700 km.
  • Like Arihant, Arighaat is powered by 83 MW pressurised light-water nuclear reactors, which allow it to remain submerged and undetected for much longer than conventional diesel-electric submarines.
  • Under its “No first-use” policy, India is committed to using nuclear weapons only for deterrence and retaliation.
  • With its ability to survive a nuclear attack and then launch a retaliatory strike, a nuclear sub acts as a very strong deterrent.
  • The construction of Arighaat involved advanced design and manufacturing technology, detailed research and development, utilisation of special materials, complex engineering, and highly skilled workmanship.
  • It has the distinction of having the indigenous systems and equipment which were conceptualised, designed, manufactured and integrated by Indian scientists, industry, and naval personnel.
INS Arihant
  • India’s nuclear-powered submarine project was initiated more than three decades ago, involving both private firms and the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), with help from Russia.
  • Arihant was launched in 2009, and commissioned into the Navy in 2016 as its first nuclear-powered submarine.
  • INS Arihant conducted its first deterrence patrol in 2018, thus establishing India’s nuclear triad.
  • In October 2022, the Ministry of Defence announced the successful launch, “with very high accuracy”, of a submarine launched ballistic missile (SLBM) in the Bay of Bengal by Arihant.
Naval Submarines
  • Two nuclear ballistic submarines (SSBNs) larger than Arihant and Arighaat, of around 7,000-tonne displacement, are currently being built.
  • The first of these two subs is said to have been launched in 2021, and is awaiting commissioning pending trials and tests; the second is in the works as part of a separate classified project.
  • In comparison, the United States has 14 Ohio-class SSBNs and 53 fast-attack submarines.
  • China has 12 nuclear submarines, of which six are nuclear-powered attack submarines.
  • The Indian Navy also has 16 conventional submarines in service — seven Kilo (Sindhughosh) class, four Shishumar class, and five French Scorpène (Kalvari) class attack submarines.
  • India procured the USSR-developed, diesel electric Kilo-class submarines from the mid-1980s onward.
  • These boats have a lifespan of around 30 years, and can serve for somewhat longer after retrofitting with modern devices.
  • The Shishumar class submarines, developed by the German yard Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) and subsequently built in India, were commissioned from the 1980s onward.
  • The Kalvari class submarines were built at India’s Mazagon Dock in partnership with France’s Naval Group.
  • The first of these submarines, INS Kalvari, was commissioned in 2017, followed by several other vessels.
  • To carry out its full spectrum of operations, the Navy is authorised to have 18 submarines, a milestone that has been achieved with the commissioning of INS Arighaat.
  • However, at any time, around 30 per cent of the fleet is under refit (repair and renovation), which brings down the strength of operational submarines.
Source- Indian Express

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