Work on INS Arihant began in the 1970s.
By Rajiv Theodore
NEW DELHI: The Indian Navy has finally joined the big boys club of the US, UK, France, Russia and China after having indigenously-developed a nuclear-powered submarine, the INS Arihant.
The submarine is said to be built at an estimated cost of Rs. 15,000 crore (USD 2.5 billion) and is 110-meter-long. The vessel is capable of reaching speeds of twenty four knots underwater. The 111–meter long INS Arihant achieved nuclear criticality early on Saturday morning after several months of “checking and re-checking” of all the systems and sub-systems of the 6000-ton behemoth at the ship-building centre Visakhapatnam.
It is powered by an 80-mw pressurized water reactor that uses uranium as fuel and light water as a coolant and moderator. At present, India has 14 vessels powered by diesel-battery setup. All these vessels are outdated and aging and they would be completing a life-span of 25 years by 2017. Plans are afoot to have one similar vessel for each coast the western and the eastern, and another on stand.
The work on this indigenous nuclear-powered submarine began in 1970s, during the period of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Codenamed, Advanced Technology Vehicle (ATV) this classified project was kept under wraps for three decades, before it was made public by India’s Atomic Energy Commission, PK Iyenger, in 2007.
Arihant is a name derived from Sanskrit language and it means destroyer of enemies. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh calls it a “giant stride” in the progress of the country’s indigenous technological capabilities.
The nuclear reactor provides submarine with capability to remain underwater for longer duration of time, in contrast to diesel or battery run conventional submarines. The present vessel can stay underwater for 2 months, at a stretch. The vessel is capable of lying underwater undetected for months and it can survive a ‘first-strike’ and hit back with massive second nuclear strike.
The submarine is expected to be ready by the year 2014 before it undergoes sea trials under the command of Captain Sanjay Mahendru. The sea trials are expected to begin as soon as the monsoon season subsides. Naval officials here say that there was still a long way to go before INS Arihant becomes part of Navy’s arsenal. The entire process from the completion of harbor and sea trials till the submarine is ready for operational deployment will take another 18-19 months.
On the striking capacity, Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has readied a medium-range nuclear missile BO-5 for deployment on Arihant. It can be armed with 12 K-15 Sagarika submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), with range of 7000 kms.
The indigenization program of India’s weapon systems and its defence infrastructure comes in the wake of India’s huge import bill accruing from it being the world’s largest importer of weapons. With the second highest active military personnel after China India’s defence budget has risen to $46.8 billion. IHS Jane’s, a consultancy, reckons that by 2020 it will have overtaken Japan, France and Britain in the world ranking. The immediate external threats facing India are a tottering but dangerous Pakistan and an intimidating China.
Now coupled with the nuke submarine under its belt the Indian Navy could expect better vigilance of its long coastlines. But the navy’s share of the defence budget is much less at 19 % compared to other two wings of the defence forces with 25% for the air force and 50% for the army.