GS Paper - III

India’s second nuclear submarine, the INS Arighaat, was commissioned into the Indian Navy at Visakhapatnam.

The submarine will “further strengthen India’s nuclear triad, enhance nuclear deterrence, help in establishing strategic balance and peace in the region, and play a decisive role in the security of the country.”

What is the INS Arighaat?

• The 6,000-tonne INS Arighaat will join its predecessor, the nuclear submarine INS Arihant, as a key component of the country’s nuclear triad.
• It refers to a country’s ability to fire nuclear missiles from platforms in the air, land and sea.
• India is in a select group of countries, including the United States, Russia, China and France, which have nuclear triads.
• India can fire missiles such as the Agni 2, the Agni 4 and the Agni 5 from land. Fighter jets of the Indian Air Force, such as the Sukhoi Su-30MKIs and Mirage 2000s, can also fire nuclear missiles.
• While the induction of INS Arihant into the Navy in 2016 added a maritime strike capability for the first time, the commissioning of INS Arighaat will enhance its arsenal.
• The nuclear-propelled submarine will be armed with indigenously made K-15 missiles, having a range of over 700 km. It has undergone extensive trials over the last few months.
• Like INS Arihant, the INS Arighaat is powered by 83 MW pressurised light-water nuclear reactors, allowing it to remain submerged for longer periods when compared to conventional submarines.
• Being difficult to detect for long periods, the nuclear submarines will strengthen India’s ability to carry out retaliatory strikes in the maritime domain when needed.
• This also assumes importance given India’s “No first-use” policy on nuclear weapons, which says it will never initiate a nuclear attack against any other country, only using the weapons for deterrence and retaliation.
• A nuclear submarine acts as a strong deterrent, showcasing formidable second-strike capabilities — surviving a nuclear attack and then launching a counter-attack.
• The construction of INS Arighaat involved advanced design and manufacturing technology, detailed research and development, utilisation of special materials, complex engineering and highly skilled workmanship.

India’s first nuclear submarine

• In 2016, the INS Arihant was commissioned into the Navy as India’s first nuclear submarine.
• The project for such a submarine was initiated over three decades ago, with help from Russia, private firms and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• INS Arihant conducted its first deterrence patrol in 2018, thus establishing India’s nuclear triad.
• It also successfully launched a Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) in October 2022.
• After the commissioning of INS Arighaat, two larger nuclear ballistic submarines (SSBNs) of around 7,000 tonnes are being built.
• While the first of the two is said to have been launched in 2021 and is awaiting commissioning, pending trials and tests, the second one is in the works under 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.

How many submarines does the Indian Navy have?

• The Navy has had one nuclear submarine and 16 conventional submarines in service: seven Kilo-class, four Shishumar class submarines and five French Scorpene-class submarines.
• In 1987, India purchased the USSR-developed, diesel-electric kilo-class submarines.
• They have a life of around 30 years and can last for a slightly longer period after retrofitting them with contemporary devices.
• In the 1980s, Shishumar submarines were bought from Germany and later built in India.
• The Kalvari Class Scorpene submarines were built at India’s Mazagon Dock in partnership with France’s Naval Group. Its first submarine, the INS Kalvari, was commissioned in 2017.
• To carry out its full spectrum of operations, the Navy is authorised to have 18 submarines, a milestone now achieved with the commissioning of INS Arighaat.
• However, at any given point, around 30 per cent are under refit (repair and renovation), bringing down the strength of operational submarines.
• The Navy has gone for medium refit and life certification, which includes all of the major repairs and replacements on a ship.
• This has been done for some of the aging submarines in the fleet to extend their life, until the new submarines come in.