INS Arighat likely to join Indian Navy soon

New Delhi: India is poised to enhance its strategic defence capabilities with the imminent commissioning of its second nuclear-powered submarine armed with nuclear missiles. The INS Arighat, a significant addition to the country’s naval arsenal, is nearing its operational debut following extensive trials and upgrades.

The INS Arighat, a 6,000-ton nuclear-powered submarine, was constructed at the ship-building centre in Vizag. It is now fully prepared for commissioning after a series of rigorous trials.

According to a report by The Times of India (TOI), technical challenges encountered during the trials have been resolved, and necessary upgrades have been implemented. The submarine is expected to be commissioned within the next one to two months. Once operational, it will join the INS Arihant, India’s first nuclear-powered submarine, which became fully operational in 2018.

The commissioning of INS Arighat is part of a broader initiative to strengthen India’s naval capabilities. The project to build two nuclear-powered attack submarines armed with conventional weapons is awaiting final approval from the PM-led Cabinet Committee on Security.

Initially, the plan included constructing six 6,000-ton “hunter-killer” submarines under Project-77, but this was later revised to three and finally settled at two submarines.

The INS Arighat, along with its sister submarines, will significantly enhance India’s naval deterrence. The current project is estimated to cost ₹40,000 crore, and the two submarines will be approximately 95% indigenously built.

Future plans include developing additional submarines, including the slightly larger INS Aridhaman, which is expected to carry K-4 missiles with a range of 3,500 km. The fourth SSBN, under construction, will also carry K-4 missiles and is part of the ₹90,000 crore advanced technology vessel (ATV) project.

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