Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile

India’s Strategic Strike Nuclear Submarine INS Arihant carried out a successful launch of a Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM).

Details –

The missile was tested to a predetermined range and impacted the target area in the Bay of Bengal with very high accuracy. This trial was significant to prove crew competency and validate the SSBN (Ship Submersible Ballistic Nuclear Submarine) program.

About INS Arihant –

• INS Arihant, a 6,000-tonne submarine is the lead ship of India’s Arihant class of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines built under the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project.
  • Under the Rs 90,000 crore top secret ATV project, India is currently building three more SSBNs to follow INS Arihant.
  • The second such submarine, INS Arighat, is slated to become fully operational next year.
  • The vessel will be followed by two 7,000-tonne SSBNs under the ATV project.
  • There is also plan to build 13,500-tonne SSBNs with more powerful 190MW reactors.
• It is India’s first indigenous nuclear submarine that has been inducted in the Indian Navy.
  • Launched in 2009, INS Arihant was commissioned in 2016.

Features –

• Power source — It is propelled by an 83 MW pressurised light-water reactor at its core with enriched uranium fuel.
• Builder — Shipbuilding Centre (SBC), Visakhapatnam. Its design is based on the Russian Akula-1 class submarines and its 83MW pressurised water reactor has been built with significant Russian assistance.
• SSBN — SSBN’s are that class of submarines which can go deep beneath the ocean making them virtually undetectable for months, they also carry nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles.
• Armament —
  • It is capable of carrying ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads.
  • It is armed with the K-15 Sagarika missiles with a range of 750 km.
  • Later, it will also be armed with K-4 missiles, being developed by the DRDO, which are capable of striking targets at a distance of up to 3,500 km. These ‘K’ series of missiles are named after former President APJ Abdul Kalam.