INS Arighaat: How India’s 2nd nuclear submarine is major defence boost | 5 points

The second Arihant-class submarine, INS Arighaat, was commissioned into the Indian Navy on Thursday at Visakhapatnam. In his address, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed confidence that Arighaat will further strengthen India’s nuclear triad, enhance nuclear deterrence, establish strategic balance and peace in the region, and play a decisive role in the country's security.

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Key points about INS Arighaat:

1. INS Arighaat is a nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) and is part of India's closely guarded programme, which began with the launch of INS Arihant in 2009.

2. The construction of INS Arighaat involved advanced design, manufacturing technology, and extensive research and development. The submarine features indigenous systems and equipment developed by Indian scientists, industry, and naval personnel.

3. INS Arighaat is more technologically advanced than its predecessor, INS Arihant, and will significantly boost India’s strategic deterrence capabilities.

4. The 6,000-tonne submarine is equipped with K-15 nuclear ballistic missiles, which have a range of 750 km, and is set to embark on long-range patrols in the Indo-Pacific region, HT has learnt.

5. INS Arighaat will soon be joined by India's third SSBN, INS Aridaman (S4), which is expected to be commissioned next year, followed by a fourth SSBN, codenamed S-4*, sources said.

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Why nuclear-powered submarine over conventional diesel-electric?

The SSBN can remain under water for months, and their range limitation is only due to logistics, supplies and crew changes. Diesel-electric attack submarines, or SSKs, on the other hand, need to surface almost every other day to charge their batteries.

Along with economic prosperity, we need strong military: Rajnath Singh

Rajnath Singh praised the Indian Navy, DRDO, and the industry for their hard work and collaboration in achieving this milestone. He stressed on the importance of military strength alongside economic prosperity.

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"Our government is working on a mission mode to ensure that our soldiers possess top-quality weapons and platforms made on Indian soil,” the defence minister said.