INS Arighaat India’s second nuclear submarine

Context

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

About INS Arighaat

  • 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 Arighaat is significantly more technologically advanced than the Arihant, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.
  • The construction of Arighaat involved advanced design and manufacturing technology, detailed research and development, utilisation of special materials, complex engineering, and highly skilled workmanship.

Types of nuclear submarines, what makes Arighaat special

  • Arighaat, like Arihant, is an SSBN.
  • Nuclear-powered submarines are of three kinds. The one that carries conventional weapons is called an SSN in NATO terminology. The second type is capable of carrying guided missiles with conventional warheads — an SSGN. The third, and typically the largest and most complex, is the one that is capable of carrying ballistic missiles that may be nuclear armed — an SSBN.
  • Arighaat adds to India’s sea-based nuclear deterrent, which is the most credible and survivable leg of the nuclear triad. It is understood that Arighaat will be able to carry enhanced-range missiles (3,500 km) — which will be a formidable capability.

How Arighaat fits into India’s national security matrix

  • SSBNs are part of the country’s nuclear deterrent, and constitute the sea leg of the triad, the other two being the air and land delivery systems.
  • India’s nuclear doctrine, in addition to committing to “no first use”, states that India must have a minimum credible deterrent that must be capable of massive retaliation in case of a nuclear attack by any adversary.
  • This deterrent is aimed at preventing nuclear escalation of any conflict between two nuclear weapon states. Arighaat will strengthen this deterrence.

Back to Basics

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.

Navy’s 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: IE

Visit Abhiyan PEDIA (One of the Most Followed / Recommended) for UPSC Revisions: Click Here

IAS Abhiyan is now on Telegram: Click on the Below link to Join our Channels to stay Updated 

IAS Abhiyan Official: Click Here to Join

For UPSC Mains Value Edition (Facts, Quotes, Best Practices, Case Studies): Click Here to Join

Leave a Reply