India: N-powered sub Arihant all set to sail

[Vikrant]

New Delhi, July 28

Indigenously built nuclear-powered submarine, INS Arihant, is finally set to sail out from its base at Vishakhapatnam. The 6,000-tonne submarine, armed with nuclear missiles, is ready after years of efforts interspersed with sanctions in 1998 and impediments due to non-availability of cutting-edge technology.

“The nuclear reactor that will power the submarine can be formally declared ‘critical’ anytime now, while the nuclear-tipped missiles to be launched from underwater are in place,” sources said.

“Everything is ready,” a functionary said. “The wait is for the monsoon to subside before Arihant (slayer of enemies) dives into sea. A certain amount of calm is needed at sea when the vessel goes out the first time. The monsoon on the East Coast starts weakening by the middle of August, meaning the submarine will slither out in a couple of weeks from now,” he added.

“Around 95 per cent of harbour trials are over,” sources said. Once the submarine is out at sea, it will run on nuclear-powered 80MW pressurised water reactor (PWR). The PWR was developed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) with assistance from a Russian designing team. It uses enriched uranium as fuel and light water as coolant and moderator.

Once at sea, the vessel will be gradually loaded with weapons and missiles. All parameters will be tested after each addition. “Each test will be conducted underwater for two months or more. This will include the Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM)”, sources said.

New Delhi has done 10 underwater launches of SLBMs code named ‘B05’ using a submerged pontoon to mimic a submarine. It can travel 700 km, while the bigger variant, so far know as the ‘K-4’, can hit targets 3,500 km away and will finally be installed on Arihant and also the next two follow-on submarines of the same class.

The submarine will provide second-strike capability in case of a nuclear attack. It is the easiest to launch a nuclear strike from a submarine as it remains submerged, hence the enemy cannot detect it.

In December 2010, the then Navy Chief Admiral Nirmal Verma had announced: “When Arihant goes to sea, it will be on a deterrent patrol (armed with nuclear-tipped missiles).” Being nuclear-powered, the submarine will not have to surface for two months to breath, like the conventional vessels have to.



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The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Main News

 

[Vikrant]

Arihant is finishing up the sea trial.

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NEW DELHI, JAN 21:
With the indigenous nuclear submarine INS Arihant set to be launched for sea trials in few weeks, India will soon complete its nuclear triad giving it the capability to respond to nuclear strikes from sea, land and air-based systems.

Navy sources said INS Arihant was going through harbour acceptance trials phase where it did not face any hiccups and is ready for being launched for the sea trials, which are expected to be completed by the end of this year.

“INS Arihant will provide us with the option for sea-based strategic deterrence, the third leg of the triad,” Assistant Chief of Navy Staff (Submarine) Rear Admiral L Sarat Babu told reporters.

Attaining a nuclear triad would be significant for India, which has a ‘no first-strike’ policy regarding the use of its nuclear weapons and requires a strong retaliatory capability as a deterrence.

He said the submarine achieved a major milestone by achieving criticality of its nuclear reactor on August 10 last year and “the next milestone would be when Arihant puts to sea for her sea trials.”

“It would be Navy’s efforts to provide every possible assistance and support during the conduct of these extensive ’first of class’ trials,” Babu said.

On the INS Chakra submarine leased from Russia, Babu said the vessel during its around one-and-a-half years with the force has been helping Navy hone its skill of integrating nuclear submarines across the entire spectrum of naval operations.

“Presently, a part of the crew comprises those who have been trained in India, thus indicating that Navy has also attained self sufficiency in training personnel for operating such complex platforms besides operations and maintenance,” he said.

The officer said the size of Navy’s nuclear submarine fleet would depend on the “maritime security dynamics in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and our extended neighbourhood would dictate our overall plans to augment our fleet.”

Nuclear submarine INS Arihant to be ready for sea trials soon | Business Line

 

[Vikrant]

Nuclear Submarine Arihant Set for Missile Firing Test

NEW DELHI: The country’s first indigenously developed nuclear submarine INS Arihant, which has successfully completed its sea trials held so far, is expected to launch its maiden missile firing test this month.

According to sources in the Defence Ministry, the missile test from the nuclear-powered submarine is aimed at paving the path for handing over it to the Indian Navy during the International Fleet Review, scheduled to be held in Visakhapatnam in February next year.

“Firing of Nirbhay missile from the submarine will be followed by firing of another type of missile. So far, all trials and tests have been held successfully from the nuclear submarine,” official sources claimed.

While Nirbhay is a long range subsonic cruise missile with a strike range of over 1,000 km, the next missile would be India’s first Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile, which has a range of about 700 km. More rounds of tests would follow.

India plans to build at least two more Arihant-class submarines. It had started building Arihant in the 1990s under its Advanced Technology Vessel programme. Though Arihant was initially supposed to be a fast-attack submarine, the project was realigned to make it a ballistic missile submarine, following the nuclear test conducted by India in 1998.

India is the sixth nation in the world to have the capability to design and construct a nuclear submarine. The Navy has been operating diesel-electric submarines, which have to surface to charge their batteries. Arihant will help provide additional capability to stay in the high seas for longer durations.

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Nuclear Submarine Arihant Set for Missile Firing Test