India to commission its third indigenously built nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine this year

New Delhi: India is set to commission its third indigenously built nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), INS Aridhaman, in 2025, marking a significant upgrade to its sea-based nuclear deterrence capabilities.

This follows the induction of INS Arighaat in August 2024 and represents a critical step in strengthening India’s nuclear triad—the ability to launch nuclear strikes from land, air, and sea.

The submarine is a stretched variant of the Arihant-class SSBNs, with a displacement of 7,000 tons (compared to 6,000 tons for earlier models) and a length of 125 meters.

This allows it to carry more K-4 submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), which have a strike range of 3,500 km.