India's INS Arihant Makes First Contact with Water
India one step closer of fielding first indigenously built nuclear submarine
08:18 GMT, July 28, 2009 defpro.com | Amidst all the news and controversy about delays and shortcomings in European and North American defence programmes, India, steadily and on schedule, moves forward in its own ambitious programme to launch a domestically built nuclear submarine. Although the technology is not ground-breaking and India is being assisted by Russia, which is well-known for having extensive knowledge in this field, the construction of the INS Arihant remains a major step in the emancipation of the still young modern Indian defence manufacturing history.
Yesterday, the Arihant, which is Indian for “Destroyer of Enemies”, made first contact with water, when the Navy flooded a dry dock in the southern port city of Visakhapatnam. According to Indian officials, the submarine must now undergo extensive sea trials in the Bay of Bengal. The nuclear powered, 112-meter (367 feet) long submarine is intended to carry ballistic missiles and will be operated by a crew of some 100 men. However, the Arihant still is far from reaching operational status, as it currently is little more than a floating hull. Its key capability of nuclear propulsion is not yet available, as the nuclear reactor still has to be fitted. Also, significant systems, such as surveillance equipment as well as ordnance, are still missing, according to Uday Bhaskar, a former naval commander and director of the National Maritime Foundation. It will, therefore, probably take India a further three to five years before the Arihant is fully operational.
Bhaskar, however, gets to the point, stating "What is significant about the launch is that now India has publicly acknowledged its quest to acquire a nuclear submarine and has shown it has the ability to design and build such a platform." Under the veil of India’s “Advanced Technology Vessel” programme, the Arihant has been domestically developed during much of the past two decades and, reportedly, is a 5,000-ton modified version of the Russian Charlie-II class submarine, which it leased from the Soviet Union between 1988 and 1991. With the completion of the Arihant, India will join the exclusive club of nations that has the technological capabilities and know-how to develop and build nuclear submarines. So far, only the United States, Russia, France, Britain and China have dominated this demanding field.
What also remains to be accomplished in order to provide the Arihant with a significant strike capability is to produce and integrate nuclear ballistic or cruise missiles. As The Times Of India recently reported, India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has been working on the “Sagarika” project since the mid-1990s, under which the 700 km range K-15 missile has been tested from submersible pontoon launchers. The next step will be a launch from the Arihant as soon as it is equipped with the required systems.
Furthermore, the Indian Navy is waiting for a Russian submarine of the Akula-II class as part of a 10-year lease agreement reportedly worth some $650 million. The submarine, which after an accident is currently undergoing sea trials in Russia, will specifically be used to train Indian submarine crews to operate a nuclear powered submarine. It is expected to be handed over to the Indian Navy in early 2010.
Threatening regional peace?
As soon as news of this milestone in Indian’s nuclear submarine programme was learned, obligatory protests and warnings from India’s arch-rival Pakistan were aired. As the Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said immediately after the announcement of the launch, the continued introduction of this new, lethal weapons system by India was detrimental to regional peace and stability. He further pointed out that Pakistan will “take all appropriate steps to safeguard its security and maintain a strategic balance in South Asia.”
As Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said during the ceremony of the launch of the Arihant, India does not seek to threaten anyone. “Nevertheless, it is incumbent upon us to take all measures necessary to safeguard our country and to keep pace with technological advancements worldwide.”
India’s nuclear ambitions – of both civilian and military natures – are not new and have been controversial since its first announcement. It is true that any further development in this direction affects the balance of power in this political and cultural hot spot. This especially applies to India’s rapidly developing ability to deliver nuclear weapons from sea, which will give it a further deterrent and a possible key advantage in the two countries’ struggle for military dominance and professed self-defence capabilities. Nevertheless, as long as the Arihant is not even near to becoming operational, and until India has introduced its planned fleet of five nuclear powered submarines, it remains somewhat tedious to conjure a possible imbalance which, anyway, has been the case for quite some time.
India, currently having one of the most interesting defence markets in the world, finds itself in an enviable position as both Russian, as well as the US and other western nations’ industries, are very keen on selling it military equipment. This includes the never-ending story of the Russian-built Gorshkov aircraft carrier (see: http://www.defpro.com/daily/details/355/). The Indian Navy has been the focus of this fast ramping-up of Indian military capabilities. The navy not only offers India a significant force to stay at the upper edge of the South Asian “balance” of power, but is also a means for India to be on par with the world’s strategic powers. With its new assets, comprising the full range of major naval platforms such as aircraft carriers, destroyers, frigates and submarines, India will be able to project its military influence far beyond the spheres of the Indian Ocean.
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by Nicolas von Kospoth, Editor
(N.B.: Due to a lack of an adequate photo of India's top-secret submarine, the editor has selected a photo of the Akula-II class submarine, which India will soon receive from Russia.)
Is the Gorshkov Aircraft Carrier India’s best option? - Interview on a possible joint carrier programme in the Austral-Asian region http://www.defpro.com/daily/details/355/
Nicolas von Kospoth
