India launches first nuclear-powered submarine

India launched on Sunday,the first nuclear-powered submarine built on its soil, joining just five other countries that can design and construct such vessels. As the nation paid homage to the soldiers who a decade ago beat back Pakistani intruders in Kargil, it also inducted its first indigenously-built nuclear-powered submarine, taking the first visible step towards creating the sea leg of its nuclear triad. Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh however said that the country has no aggressive designs, though it would take all measures to safeguard itself.

Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said the Navy had a major role to play in re-adjusting “our military preparedness”. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called it a "historic milestone in the country's defence preparedness" as the 6,000-tonne INS Arihant (Destroyer of Enemies) was named in the southern city of Visakhapatnam. INS Arihant 110-metre long and 11-metre wide nuclear-powered submarine that can carry nearly 100 sailors comes 25 years after the project was initiated when Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister. India is now part of an exclusive group of nations -- including China, France, the United States, Britain and Russia -- which own nuclear-powered submarines. The vessel will undergo two years of sea trials in the Bay of Bengal before being commissioned for full service.


“First, we go into harbour trials,” says Vice Admiral B. Kannan, programme director, ATV. “In it, we will test each piece of equipment. First, we get its fluids running and then we will get its heart ticking.” It will be at least a year before the (nuclear) reactor is fired and after that the sea trials.

Inside this yard of the Ship Building Centre, the only photography allowed is by three cameramen who are either authorised naval personnel or defence ministry staff. No television. No live images. The media is confined to a space by the naval band.

Russia’s ambassador to India and Russian technologists associated with India’s nuclear submarine programme are present here. Their contribution is richly acknowledged. “We never had a nuclear submarine, and we needed design consultancy from them,” Vice Admiral Kannan says. The Arihant has about 40 per cent indigenous content. The next two submarines of the same class that are planned are likely to have more.

The nuclear-tipped missiles that will go into its silos are being tried and tested on land. First, it is likely to be armed with the K-15, that have a range of 750km, and subsequently, a more developed missile, at best called the “K-X” now, that is being designed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation and Bharat Dynamics to have a range of at least 1,500km. Even that is not “strategic”.

The Indian Navy is operating under the belief that it has to compete with the Chinese and must be capable of launching a missile from a submarine with a nuclear warhead that is capable of hitting the target from at least 3,500km.

If a reality check were needed, here it is: The Chinese PLAN (People’s Liberation Army Navy) has 10 nuclear submarines. Some of them are attack (SSN) and some are SSBN in the same category as the Arihant.

The idea behind a nuke sub is to stay quiet and undetected undersea for weeks, possibly months. The Advance Technology Vessel project was “officially” begun in 1984 — 25 years ago. The crew will have less, far less, a time to prepare.

Ten years after Kargil, war keeps getting more onerous.