By Sudha Ramachandran
With the launch of its first indigenously built nuclear-powered submarine for sea trials, India has become the sixth country in the world after the United States, Russia
, France, the United Kingdom and China to develop its own nuclear submarine.
Named INS Arihant (Sanskrit for “destroyer of enemies”), the nuclear submarine will provide India with the capability to launch nuclear weapons from sea, adding to its land and air abilities to complete New Delhi’s nuclear weapons triad. What is more, it brings India a step closer to achieving second-strike capability.
Arihant’s launch on July 26 coincided with the 10th anniversary celebrations of India’s victory over Pakistan at Kargil.
“We do not have any aggressive designs nor do we seek to threaten anyone,” Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said at the launching ceremony. “We seek an external environment in our region and beyond that is conducive to our peaceful development and the protection of our value systems.”
A 6,000-ton vessel, Arihant will be armed with 12 K-15 missiles, each capable of carrying a five-ton nuclear warhead to a target 750 kilometers away. Then, 3,500km-range K-X missiles will subsequently replace the K-15s. The submarine is powered by an 85-megawatt capacity nuclear reactor and can acquire surface speeds of 22 to 28 km/hour (12-15 knots) and a submerged speed of up to 44 km/hour (24 knots).
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