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Arihant-class submarine
Class of Indian nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Arihant-class (lit. 'Vanquisher of the Enemy') is a class of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines in service with Indian Navy. They were developed under the ₹900 billion (US$11 billion) Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project to design and build nuclear-powered submarines.[1] These vessels are classified as 'strategic strike nuclear submarines' by India.[12][13]
The lead vessel of the class, INS Arihant was laid down in 2004, launched in 2009 and after extensive sea trials was confirmed to be commissioned in August 2016.[14][15][16] Arihant holds the distinction of being the first ballistic missile submarine to have been built by a country other than one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.[17] As of 25 October 2024,[update] INS Arihant and INS Arighaat are already on deep sea patrols.[18]
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In December 1971, during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, US President Richard Nixon sent a carrier battle group named Task Force 74, led by the nuclear-powered USS Enterprise into the international waters of the Bay of Bengal in a show of force.[19][20] Task Force 74 remained in international waters, where it was legally entitled to be. The records of Nixon-Kissinger communications show no contingency nor any plan under which Enterprise would enter Indian or Pakistani waters, or otherwise intervene in the conflict but it is well known that the duo viewed Pakistan as a strong ally in that region and were silent on Bangladesh genocide committed by Pakistani military. In response, the Soviet Union sent a submarine armed with nuclear missiles from Vladivostok to trail the US task force in support of India.[21] The event demonstrated the significance of nuclear weapons and ballistic missile submarines to then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.[22] Following the 1974 Smiling Buddha nuclear test, the Director of Marine Engineering (DME) at Naval Headquarters initiated a technical feasibility study for an indigenous nuclear propulsion system (Project 932).[23]
The Indian Navy's Advanced Technology Vessel project to design and construct a nuclear submarine took shape in the 1990s.[24] Then Defence Minister George Fernandes confirmed the project in 1998.[25] The initial intent of the project was to design nuclear-powered fast attack submarines, though following nuclear tests conducted by India in 1998 at Pokhran Test Range and the Indian pledge of no first use, the project was re-aligned towards the design of a ballistic missile submarine in order to complete India's nuclear triad.[26][27][28]
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Description
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The Arihant-class submarines are nuclear powered ballistic missile submarines built under the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project with a budget of ₹30,000 crore (US$6.2 billion).[29][30][31] These are the first nuclear submarines designed and built by India.[32] The submarines are 111 m (364 ft) long with a beam of 11 m (36 ft), a draught of 15 m (49 ft), displacement of 6,000 tonnes (5,900 long tons; 6,600 short tons).[6] The complement is about 95, including officers and sailors.[33] The boats are powered by a single seven blade propeller powered by an 83 MW pressurised water reactor and can achieve a maximum speed of 12–15 knots (22–28 km/h) when surfaced and 24 knots (44 km/h) when submerged.[33][34]
The submarines have four launch tubes in their hump and can carry up to twelve K-15 Sagarika missiles with one warhead each (with a range of 750 km or 470 mi) or four K-4 missiles (with a range of 3,500 km or 2,200 mi).[35][36][37] The third and fourth submarines will have a larger configuration, carrying twenty-four K-15 Sagarika or eight K-4 missiles.[5] The Indian Navy will train on INS Chakra, an Akula-class submarine leased from Russia in 2012.[38][39]
The submarine's K-15 missiles can reach most of Pakistan and its K-4 can target all of Pakistan.[40] The K-4 may also be capable of targeting Beijing, but would need to be in the northern most waters of Bay of Bengal.[40] Deployment of the Arihant to the Pacific Ocean is unlikely given the submarine's noise issues.[40]
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Development
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The submarines are powered by a pressurised water reactor with highly enriched uranium fuel.[41][42] The miniaturised version of the reactor was designed and built by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) in Kalpakkam.[43] It included a 42-metre (138 ft) section of the submarine's pressure hull containing the shielding tank with water and the reactor, a control room, as well as an auxiliary control room for monitoring safety parameters.[44] The prototype reactor became critical on 11 November 2003 and was declared operational on 22 September 2006.[22] Successful operation of the prototype for three years enabled the production version of the reactor for Arihant.[45][46] The reactor subsystems were tested at the Machinery Test Center in Visakhapatnam.[47] Facilities for loading and replacing the fuel cores of the naval reactors in berthed submarines were also established.[22] The prototype 83 MW light water reactor that was installed at Kalpakkam by BARC is codenamed S1 and is used to train nuclear submariners.[5]
In 2007, then finance minister P. Chidambaram, who was a member of the political committee which monitors the ATV programme, questioned the huge amount of money being spent on submarines with just 4 missile launch tubes. Hence, the ATV project team tweaked the Arihant design by adding a 10-metre-long section for four more K-4 SLBMs to be integrated into the boat codenamed S4. After it became evident that the larger S5 class of SSBNs will take more time to develop, an additional unit, codenamed S4*, was sanctioned in 2012 to ensure that the production line doesn't go idle.[5] Hence, the final two ships INS Aridhaman (S4) and S4* in the class are expected to be larger, displacing over 1,000 tonnes more than the Arihant[48] and have 8 missile launch tubes to carry up to 24 K15 or 8 K4 or K5 and a more powerful pressurized water reactor than INS Arihant.[49]
On 24 December 2009, the Hindustan Shipyard, located at Visakhapatnam, was transferred from the Ministry of Shipping to the Ministry of Defence to support the construction of Arihant-class submarine programme. This would help in utilising the shipyard's infrastructure in the project.[50][51]
The detailed engineering of the design was implemented[when?] at Larsen & Toubro's submarine design centre at their Hazira shipbuilding facility.[52] Tata Power SED built the control systems for the submarine.[53] The steam turbines and associated systems integrated with the reactor were supplied by Walchandnagar Industries.[54]
In December 2014, the work on a second nuclear reactor began and INS Arighaat started sea trials in 2017. As per reports released in August 2024, INS Arighaat was commissioned before October 2024.[55][56] On 29 August 2024, after extensive trials and upgrades INS Arighaat was formally commissioned.[57]
INS Aridhaman was launched in November 2021.[58][59] The submarine begun sea trials in 2022.[60] On 30 August 2024, a report suggested that this submarine will be commissioned in the next 6 months.[61] As of 2 December 2025, the submarine has entered the final stages of trials and is expected to be commissioned soon.[62]
The fourth submarine of the class, with an indigenous content of 75% and equipped with K4 missiles, was launched on 16 October 2024.[63]
In August 2024, it was reported that a fifth Arihant class submarine is planned to be constructed.[64]
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Project timeline
- 1974: The nuclear submarine project was sanctioned following the Smiling Buddha tests under the then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi.[65]
- 1983: Additional funds were allotted for the project during the Fourth Indira Gandhi ministry.[65]
- 1998: Larsen & Toubro was involved in the project.[65]
- 12 February 2009: The Advanced Technology Vessel project, meant to deliver three submarines, is part of a $2.9 billion programme to build five nuclear submarines. As per the then Defence Minister, A. K. Antony, the first submarine was in the final stages of construction after supply chain bottlenecks were cleared and DRDO was already developing submarine-launched ballistic missile.[2][66] The project was conceived in 1970s and operationalised in 1980s, though public acknowledgement never came from official sources until this announcement by the defence minister.[67] There were delays to miniaturise the nuclear reactor core for the submarine and Russian technology help was sought to solve the issues without delays. Another factor that resulted in delays was lack of metallurgical expertise and lack of experience of Indian hull makers on the chosen material for the submarine. The successful development of a nuclear submarine came after two failed attempts in the 1970s and 1980s.[68]
- 16 July 2009: Multiple reports suggested that the first vessel under the Advanced Technology Vessel would be launched by Gursharan Kaur, the wife of the then Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, on 26 July 2009. The ceremony would be held in Naval Dockyard (Visakhapatnam). The vessel was named Arihant, meaning "destroyer of enemies". The design is based on Charlie-I submarines, while both the displacement and submerged speed are higher than the Charlie-I designs. While being launched, the dry dock in the Shipbuilding Centre in Visakhapatnam will be flooded and the submarine would be moved out of the SBC. The vessel would be then towed to a nearby pier for harbour trials during which, the nuclear power plant and auxiliary systems would be validated before its sea trials in the Bay of Bengal. The submarine was expected to be commissioned within two to three years. Meanwhile, hull sections of two additional ATVs have been completed in the Hazira facility of Larsen & Toubro and are to be transported to the SBC soon after Arihant exits the dock space.[69][70][66]
- 26 July 2009: The first submarine of the class, Arihant, was launched into the water. The launch took place after three decades of initiating the design stage of the project. The Defence Minister would also attended the event. The harbour acceptance and system trials was scheduled for one year. The submarine was built at a cost of $2.9 billion.[71] Meanwhile, many expected that the operationalisation of the submarine would take much longer than two years.[72] Harbour acceptance trials and followed by sea acceptance trials, including the surface and sub-surface domains, respectively, were to be conducted before commissioning the submarine.[30] Even the nuclear reactor was yet to be fitted onboard and would be followed by the reactor reaching criticality, which would be a milestone.[73] The submarine, equipped with Sagarika missiles,[30] would serve as a technology demonstrator for the following nuclear submarines.[74]
- 9 August 2014: The submarine's nuclear reactor became critical for the maiden time after four years of harbour acceptance patrol. The Navy wanted the submarine ready for deterrent patrol in 2014. Meanwhile, the second submarine was already at an advanced stage of construction at the SBC and could be launched in the following year itself.[75]
- 13 December 2014: Arihant was entered sea for the first time[76] after being flagged off for extensive sea trials following harbour trials.[77] The submarine was initally slated for sea acceptance trials in February 2012.[29]
- 25 November 2015: A dummy or unarmed B-05 Sagarika missile, earlier designated as K-15, was successfully test fired from INS Arihant from a depth of 20 metres.[65][78]
- 31 March 2016: The missile was successfully tested from INS Arihant, 45 nautical miles away from Vishakhapatnam coast. The missile with a dummy payload was launched from the submarine in full operational configuration. The trial was carried out with the support of the personnel of Strategic Forces Command (SFC) and the DRDO provided all the logistics.[31][79][80]
- August 2016: The first boat of the class, INS Arihant, was commissioned.[14][81]
- July 2018: The submarine was reportedly ready to be fully operationalised with several weapons firing trials and deep diving trials off the coast of Visakhapatnam having been completed since five months earlier. The submarine was being accompanied by RFS Epron, a Russian-origin Prut-class submarine rescue ship which arrived in India on 1 October 2017.[82]
- 11–12 August 2018: The B-05 missile system was fired twice on 11th and once on 12th of August from INS Arihant and was operationalised two decades since the missile systems deveelopment commenced. All the missiles followed the designated trajectories and were fired 10 km away from Visakhapatnam from a depth of 20 m.[83]
- 4 November 2018: Arihant completed its first deterrence patrol for 20 days.[12][84][13]
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