Indian Navy commissions nuclear-powered submarine, INS Aridhaman

The Indian Navy on Friday commissioned its indigenous nuclear-powered submarine, INS Aridhaman, a crucial development in building national defence capabilities which was earlier teased by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

The development was hinted at by Singh in a post on X, where he described the submarine as more than just a name, calling it a symbol of power. "Not just a word, 'Aridhaman' is power!," said the post.

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INS Aridhaman is an advanced version of the Arihant-class submarines, following earlier inductions such as INS Arighaat in August 2024 and INS Arihant in 2016. Its commissioning marks another step forward in strengthening India's nuclear triad and maritime deterrence.

As per a Times of India report, INS Aridhaman is a 7,000-tonne vessel, making it larger and more advanced than its predecessors INS Arihant and INS Arighaat. It was built under the Advanced Technology Vessel programme at Visakhapatnam, and represents a key milestone in India’s indigenous defence capabilities.

The submarine features advanced indigenous sonar systems and acoustic suppression technologies, improving its underwater detection and survivability. INS Aridhaman is fitted with eight vertical launch system tubes, allowing it to carry up to 24 K-15 Sagarika missiles with a range of 750 km or eight K-4 missiles with a range of 3,500 km.

With the induction of INS Aridhaman, India will operate three nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines under the Strategic Forces Command.

It is expected to be based at Project Varsha near Visakhapatnam, a high-security naval facility designed to house India’s nuclear fleet.