New Delhi: India’s second nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, the INS Arighat, which was commissioned into service at Visakhapatnam in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on August 29, joins the first such submarine, the INS Arihant, which was commissioned into service in 2016.
The technological advancements undertaken indigenously on this submarine make it significantly more advanced than its predecessor Arihant, the Defence Ministry said in a statement.
The presence of both INS Arihant and INS Arighat will enhance India’s capability to deter potential adversaries and safeguard its national interests, it added.
The K-4 submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) plays a crucial role in enhancing India’s nuclear deterrence capabilities. Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the K-4 has a range of approximately 3,500 kilometres, allowing it to target significant areas within adversarial nations, including parts of southern China and Pakistan.
The construction of INS Arighat involved the use of advanced design and manufacturing technology, detailed research and development, the use of special materials, complex engineering, and highly skilled workmanship, the Ministry statement said.
“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,” it said.
The completion of the nuclear triad was announced in November 2018, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on social media that INS Arihant had returned from its first deterrence patrol.
The advanced technology project began in the 1980s and its first product, the Arihant vessel, was launched in 2009, and eventually commissioned in 2016.
The third of these submarines, which is at an advanced stage of construction, is set to be larger and more capable than the current two submarines in the same class.
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