In India, the INS Aridhaman, the third nuclear-powered submarine of the Arihant class built in India, will soon be declared operational, having almost completed the scheduled testing period.
The announcement was made by the Chief of Staff of the Indian Navy, Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi.
The INS Aridhaman is a nuclear-propelled ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), belonging to the Arihant class, consisting at the moment of the Arihant and the Arighaat.
In October 2024, the fourth nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) of this class, currently named S4, was launched.
The INS Aridhaman is powered by an 83 MW pressurized water reactor and displaces between 6,000 and 7,000 tons, incorporating technological upgrades obtained from operational feedback from the first pair of vessels already in service with the Indian Navy.
The INS Aridhaman, like the fourth ship, has an updated reactor that offers better performance and greater safety conditions compared to the model installed on the first pair of submarines; according to Indian sources, the Aridhaman and the fourth submarine actually constitute a new class of SSBNs compared to Arihant and Arighaat, from which they differ in displacement, armament, and changes made to the reactor and the vessels themselves.
The INS Arihant and Arighaat are armed with 12 K-15 SLBMs with a range of 750 km or with 4 K-4 SLBMs that reach 3,500 km, in addition to six 533 mm torpedo tubes for a maximum of thirty ordnance including torpedoes, environment-changing missiles and mines.
The Aridhaman and the fourth vessel will be armed, instead, with 24 SLBM K-15s or with 8 SLBM K-4s, in addition to the 533 mm torpedo tubes.
The SSBN component is crucial for India’s maritime strategy against China’s growing naval strength, supporting the nuclear triad and the strategic response capability in case of attack by the New Delhi Armed Forces.
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