NEW DELHI: Moving ahead with the indigenous nuclear attack submarine programme, the Indian Navy Ship (INS) Arihant on Friday carried out a successful launch of a Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) in the Bay of Bengal.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) in a statement said, “The missile was tested to a predetermined range and impacted the target area in the Bay of Bengal with very high accuracy. All operational and technological parameters of the weapon system have been validated.”
The successful user training launch of the SLBM by INS Arihant is significant to prove crew competency and validate the SSBN (subsurface ballistic nuclear) submarine programme, a key element of India’s nuclear deterrence capability. “A robust, survivable and assured retaliatory capability is in keeping with India’s policy to have ‘Credible Minimum Deterrence' That underpins its ‘No First Use’ commitment.” MoD added.
Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari in August had reaffirmed the sanctity of nuclear weapon’s deterrence value calling it “still effective”. This, as per the Chief, has been proven by the skirmishes which continue between Russia and Ukraine while NATO countries under the US leadership are assisting Ukraine to continue holding its ground against Russia. “Nuclear deterrence is still effective. It is an important takeaway for us. Skirmishes have been going on for over six months under a nuclear overhang.” he said.
The INS Arihant is the first of the four Arihant class attack submarines developed indigenously and is seen as an important component of India’s nuclear triad. The submarine is of 6,000-tonne displacement with a length of 110 metres and a breadth of 11 metres. These submarines are designed to carry K4 and K15 SLBMs.
A nuclear triad is a three layered military force structure that consists of nuclear bombs and missiles that can be launched through land,water and air. The land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), and strategic bombers are the components of the triad.
The aim with the nuclear triad is to deter the enemy from initiating a first-strike attack as the reactionary second strike, would lead to an unbearable damage and cost to the attacking country. The Indian Navy’s tryst with nuclear powered submarines began in January 1988 with a nuclear attack submarine, INS Chakra, leased from the then USSR. Meanwhile, the Indian Navy’s Advanced Technology Vessel project was taking shape in the 1990s. This fructified with INS Arihant getting inducted in August 2016. The second in the class, INS Arighat, was launched in November 2021.