India's Second Nuclear Ballistic Missile Submarine 'INS Arighat' Likely To Be Commissioned Tomorrow

The Indian Navy is most likely to commission its second nuclear submarine, INS Arighat, tomorrow (29 August).

According to a report by ANI, the boat's commissioning ceremony will be conducted in the presence of top military and national security officials tomorrow.

INS Arighat is the second boat of the Arihant-class ballistic missile submarines. The first boat, INS Arihant, was commissioned into the navy in August 2016.

Boats of the Arihant class are powered by an 83 MWe nuclear reactor developed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre with consultancy from Russia. These boats belong to the SSBN category, where the nuclear-powered boat carries ballistic missiles with live strategic nuclear warheads as their payload.

These boats can carry four long-range K-4 ballistic missiles with a strike range of 3,500 kilometres or 12 K-15 ballistic missiles with a strike range of 750 kilometres.

Since these boats carry strategic payloads (live nuclear warheads), they will only be used for deterrence patrols, unlike the SSN nuclear attack submarines, which can be used to hunt enemy submarines and ships.

India is, in total, working to induct five Arihant-class SSBNs and six SSNs in the next three decades. The next Arihant-class SSBN is expected to be named INS Aridhaman.

Apart from this, the Indian Navy operates 15 conventional diesel-electric submarines (SSKs), which include the latest six Kalvari-class submarines. An additional three Kalvari-class submarines are on order as well.

Furthermore, the Indian Navy is negotiating with German and Spanish companies to induct six more Project-75I diesel-electric submarines, apart from the indigenously developed Project-76 class boats.