Home-made N-sub INS Arihant to be inducted in 2 years

NEW DELHI: India’s first-ever indigenous nuclear submarine , aptly named INS Arihant (annihilator of enemies), should be ready for induction into Navy in another two years or so. With progress finally being made in fulfiling India’s long-standing aim to have a credible ‘nuclear triad’ , or the ability to fire nukes from land, air and sea, Navy now wants a well-balanced underwater strategic arm.

This will include three SSBNs (nuclear-powered submarines with long-range strategic missiles) and six SSNs (nuclear-powered attack submarines ) in the long-term .

But much before all this, Navy will begin operating a nuclear submarine by early next year. That is when, after several glitches, India will finally get the 12,000-tonne ‘K-152 Nerpa’ Akula-II class submarine from Russia on a 10-year lease.

Nerpa, of course, will not come armed with long-range missiles due to international treaties like the Missile Technology Control Regime. But apart from being a potent hunter of enemy submarines, Nerpa will also help train Indian sailors in the complex art of operating, maintaining and deploying nuclear submarines like INS Arihant and its already-approved two follow-on vessels.

‘‘ Work is in progress to make INS Arihant operational for sea-trials ... it should be inducted in two years or so,’’ said Navy chief Admiral Nirmal Verma on Wednesday, speaking in the run-up to the Navy Day on December 4. Though he did not elaborate, Admiral Verma did say that the ‘‘ tremendous amount of capability’ ’ gained in the ATV (advanced technology vessel) project — under which INS Arihant was built — would not be allowed to wither away. The over 6,000-tonne INS Arihant will be more of ‘a technology demonstrator’ , rather than a fully-operational SSBN, for the subsequent follow-on nuclear submarines.

At present, the government has sanctioned well over Rs 30,000 crore for the ATV project to construct three submarines , with the third being of a much larger size.



SEA POWER



Navy’s underwater arm to include three SSBNs and six SSNs in the long term



Navy to get a ‘K-152 Nerpa’ Akula-II class nuclear submarine from Russia by early next year



The 6,000-tonne INS Arihant will be more of ‘a technology demonstrator’ , rather than a fully operational SSBN