India commissions second nuclear-powered submarine

India commissioned its second nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), the INS Arighaat, at an event in the port town of Visakhapatnam on Tuesday, according to an official statement.   

The 6,000-tonne submarine will undertake long-range patrol of the Indo-Pacific and will be fitted with 750-km-range K-15 nuclear ballistic missiles, the Hindustan Times reported.    

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, who commissioned the vessel, said the new addition will further strengthen India’s nuclear triad, enhance nuclear deterrence, help establish the strategic balance and peace in the region, and play a “decisive role” in the security of the country.  

“Today, India is surging ahead to become a developed country. It is essential for us to develop rapidly in every field, including defense, especially in today’s geopolitical scenario. Along with economic prosperity, we need a strong military. Our government is working on mission mode to ensure that our soldiers possess top-quality weapons and platforms made on Indian soil,” Singh asserted.  

India commissioned its first nuclear-powered submarine, the INS Arihant, in 2016, which became fully operational two years later. The Arighaat, the second vessel in the Arihant class, is believed to have more “refined capabilities,” the Hindu noted. In October 2022, the vessel carried out a successful test of a submarine-launched ballistic missile with “very high accuracy,” according to an official statement. After the launch, India became the sixth country, after China, France, Russia, the UK and the US, to have nuclear-powered submarines armed with ballistic missiles.  

The South Asian country’s third SSBN, the INS Aridaman, is also set to be commissioned next year, reports suggested. New Delhi has described its SSBN program as a “key element” of its nuclear deterrence capability.  

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The development comes as India has increased its focus on ramping up its naval strength and shifting from a dependency on imports to building up its own capabilities. Speaking at the commissioning ceremony on Thursday, the defense minister noted that the new submarine was a testament to the resolve of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government to achieve ‘Aatmanirbharta’, or self-reliance, in defense.  

The importance of the Navy has been growing for India, which has been expressing concern over China’s increasing forays into the Indian Ocean region. Last month, Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, without naming any country, warned that the Indian Ocean is poised for “disruptive” changes and India needs to prepare for it.   

Meanwhile, New Delhi has expanded its naval presence in the Gulf of Aden and Araian Sea in view of the recent crises in the Red Sea, where Yemeni Houthi rebels have attack Israel-linked ships. Indian warships have also thwarted several piracy attempts over the past year.