Today is a historic day not only for the Indian Navy, but a day of pride and joy for the entire country. Today marks the formal launch of INS Arihant, India's first Nuclear Submarine. Today is also significant because it marks India's 10 anniversary of the decisive victory over Pakistan in the heights of Kargil.
Today, our prime minister formally launched The INS Arihant at the Ship Building Centre, Vishakapatnam. It is India's nascent step for acquiring credible second/ retaliatory strike capability. It is historic in many ways as India joins the select league of five nations which has mastered the intricate technology involved in the manufacture of Nuclear Powered Submarines. Only the big five including The USA, Russia, United Kingdom, France and China has this capability.
Generally these submarines can broadly be divided into two groups, The SSBN ( carrying ballistic missiles) and SSN ( fast attack submarines). There is a general conflict weather to classify INS Arihant as an SSBN or an SSN. Now it is generally acknowledged that the Arihant is an SSBN.
SSBN generally connotes Submarines that are larger than conventional submarines. Their main role is not to engage any enemy fleet . Their main responsibility is to carry nuclear tipped missiles and hide deep in the ocean depths with out detection and in the circumstance of a war tiptoe close to the enemy shore and launch it's deadly arsenal of nuclear tipped missiles. The ships of this class of Subs includes the USN Ohio class of The United States Navy and the Russian Borei class. These ships are behemoths and giants of sea compared to Arihant tipping the scale above 18,000 in tonnage when submerged and close to 16,000 tones when on surface. The Americans fondly call their Ohio class subs "Boomers". The Arihant on the other hand have a surface displacement of only 6000 tons and when submerged only 8000 tons. Hence Arihant can best be described a "BABY BOOMER". But Arihant far out class the general and conventional subs. The subs that is presently used by India has less endurance and has to come out to charge their batteries, making them vulnerable to enemy detection. Arihant on the other hand like all the other nuclear subs can remain submerged for many months on end, limited only by the food supply. Hence subs like Arihant has greater flexibility for long endurance operations.
The weapons system on the Arihant mainly consists of the K-15 Sagarika family of SLBM/SLCM with a limited range of around 750 KM. The larger range, possibly Agni-3 (SLBM variant yet under development) and possibly ICBMs too may be deployed. Until that time, India will have to be content with Sagarika which has a limited range, hence has to be deployed much closer to the shores of the possible adversary thus risking the chance of detection. Ohio on the other hand is equipped with the "TRIDENT-II" missiles with over a range of 11,000 KM. Hence India has to travel afar before we have a credible second strike capability.
In Asia, India becomes the second country to develop these potent subs. The other country is of course China which is way ahead of us having already operational fleet of subs. India will have to leap frog if we have to catch up with the Chinese, possibly India's main threat in the future. That beginning is made with the acquisition of the Akula class sub from Russia, The NERPA specifically for the training of our sailors to ready them for Arihant and her successors. India has a long way to go. But a promising beginning has been made.
THE ENTIRE NATION JOINS ME WISHING ALL THE MEN AND WOMEN BEHIND THE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF ATV PROJECT WITH THE OFF SPRING IN THE FORM OF INS ARIHANT. MAY SHE AND HER SUCCESSORS BEARING THE FLAG OF OUR GREAT NATION CONQUER THE SEVEN SEAS AND IMMORTALIZE INDIA'S NAME THROUGHOUT THE GLOBE. MAY SHE BE THE MESSENGER OF PEACE AND BE A DETERRENT AGAINST ANY ONE WHO MAY BE FOOLISH ENOUGH TO ATTACK US. THE NATION IS PROUD OF YOU
Comments