INS Aridhaman unleashed: All about Navy's 7,000-ton nuclear stealth giant armed with K-4 SLBMs

India’s sea-based atomic deterrent is acceptable to get a large boost with the commissioning of its 3rd indigenously built Arihant-class nuclear-powered ballistic rocket submarine (SSBN), INS Aridhaman (S4), apt by April-May, defence sources said.Built nether the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) task astatine the Ship Building Centre successful Visakhapatnam, INS Aridhaman weighs 7,000 tonnes, making it larger than its predecessors INS Arihant and INS Arighaat (6,000 tonnes).The submarine carries 8 vertical motorboat strategy (VLS) tubes, compared to 4 connected earlier vessels, allowing it to deploy up to 24 K-15 Sagarika short-range missiles (750 km) and 8 K-4 intermediate-range missiles (3,500 km).

It tin besides accommodate K-5 missiles with a scope of 6,000 km.INS Aridhaman is powered by an 83 MW Compact Light Water Reactor (CLWR), an upgraded pressurised h2o reactor with a precise debased acoustic signature. It features a seven-blade propeller, enabling speeds of 12–15 knots connected the aboveground and 24 knots submerged. Advanced indigenous sonar systems USHUS and Panchendriya, on with anechoic tiles, amended stealth and detection capabilities.

Once operational, India volition person 3 SSBNs nether the Strategic Forces Command, marking a cardinal measurement towards achieving Continuous At-Sea Deterrence, which ensures astatine slightest 1 atomic submarine is ever connected patrol. INS Aridhaman’s enhanced rocket payload and stealth volition fortify India’s “second-strike” capability.The submarine volition beryllium stationed astatine Project Varsha, a high-security naval basal with underground pens adjacent Visakhapatnam. Meanwhile, India is besides acceptable to get the Russian Akula-class nuclear-powered onslaught submarine, Chakra III, expected by 2027–28, and is negotiating with Germany for six precocious diesel-electric submarines nether Project-75(I).