Arihant Class SSBN: News & Discussion

[Rakesh]

Last Page of Previous Thread ---> viewtopic.php?t=7663&start=480

Info Sheet ---> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arihant-class_submarine

* INS Arihant (S2) - Launched on 26 July 2009 and commissioned in August 2016
* INS Arighaat (S3) - Launched on 08 Jan 2018 and commissioned on 29 August 2024
* INS Aridhaman (S4) - Launched on 23 Nov 2021 and to be commissioned in February 2025
* INS xxx (S4) - Launched on 16 Oct 2024 and to be commissioned in 2025
* INS xxx (S4) - Planned

[Rakesh]

India Inducts 2nd Homegrown Boomer Arighaat
https://www.livefistdefence.com/india-i ... -arighaat/
29 August 2024

[Rakesh]

Second Arihant-Class submarine ‘INS Arighaat’ commissioned into Indian Navy in the presence of Raksha Mantri in Visakhapatnam
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2049870
29 August 2024

[Rakesh]

VIDEO: https://x.com/NewsIADN/status/1829133206815129691 ---> Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has commissioned India's second nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine 'INS Arighat' (S3) into service at Visakhapatnam today.

[Rakesh]

https://x.com/manupubby/status/1829146510631809377 ---> "Technological advancements undertaken indigenously on Arighaat submarine make it significantly more advanced than its predecessor Arihant."

- Defence Ministry release on the commissioning of Arighaat in the presence of @rajnathsingh today.

[Rakesh]

Indian Navy Commissions Second Arihant Class SSBN
https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/20 ... lass-ssbn/
29 August 2024

[Rakesh]

Scale model of the Arihant Class (Arighaat pictured below)...

https://x.com/Rethik_D/status/1704872499815813488 --->



https://x.com/ang3lkenny/status/1822542235503558676 --->

[Rakesh]

VIDEO: https://x.com/ShivAroor/status/1829202876729831658 ---> Kudos to the designers, engineers, builders, workers, welders, tradesman & craftsman who’ve made INS Arighaat a reality. A nuclear submarine is in many ways more complex than a spacecraft. And building 2 yourself? Priceless.

[Rakesh]

https://x.com/Chellaney/status/1829190846689992789 ---> Bolstering its nuclear deterrence, India commissions a second nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN). Powered by an 82.5 MW pressurized light water reactor, INS Arighat is armed with 12 K-15 SLBMs. A third SSBN with the longer-range K-4 SLBMs is nearing completion.

[Rakesh]

India Commissions Nuke-Powered Submarine INS Arighaat
https://bharatshakti.in/india-commissio ... e_vignette
29 August 2024

[Rakesh]

Chinese getting takleef with the commissioning of INS Arighaat. See first tweet below and then see Kapil Sibal's (retd IFS officer) reply.

https://x.com/globaltimesnews/status/18 ... 2140618935 ---> India is reportedly scheduled to launch its second nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine. Chinese experts said that #India should wield this power responsibly and contribute to peace and stability, rather than use it to flex muscles.

https://x.com/KanwalSibal/status/1829185239543164991 ---> China has 6 nuclear powered ballistic missile submarines and 6 nuclear attack submarines. Of course, China with the biggest navy today does not use it to flex muscles, it is only to make friendly port calls. What hypocrisy.

[SSridhar]

Amid China standoff, India set to boost naval power with 3rd N-sub in 6 months - Rajat Pandit, ToI

India plans to commission its third nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) in another six months to further bolster its sea-based leg of the nuclear weapons triad, after the second such boat was formally inducted into the Strategic Forces Command as INS Arighaat at Visakhapatnam on Thursday.

The third SSBN, undergoing trials ahead of her commissioning as INS Aridhaman early next year, is slightly bigger than the first two, INS Arihant & INS Arighaat, and consequently capable of carrying more long range nuclear-tipped missiles.

Significantly, INS Arighaat is also capable of carrying some K-4 missiles, which have a strike range of over 3,000-km, unlike her forerunner INS Arihant that is armed only with the 750-km range K-15 missiles, sources told TOI.

"INS Arighaat's hull and size may be the same as INS Arihant but she is a much more capable version with lot of internal engineering upgrades," an official said.

INS Aridhaman and the fourth under-construction SSBN in turn, will be even more potent. With a 7,000-tonne displacement & 125-metre long, they will be able to carry larger number of K-4 missiles.

[uddu]

In 2016, there was a test of K4 from INS Arihant, reported by the New Indian Express. That's Good enough reason to believe that, the subs are armed with K4. The K15 will be used for training purposes.

[Prem Kumar]

True. Plus, the K-15's range is 1500 Kms, though we annoyingly report it as 750 Km

I still dont understand the logic behind understating a deterrence, knowing fully well that a 750 Km SLBM wont deter anyone. I can understand understating Agni-V's range to 5000 K, not to alarm Europe/US, but not this

But strange are the ways our NatSec establishment thinks

[uddu]

At that time, only the K15 were available and ready. Later on work started on K4 to replace K15. We could be looking at K5 and K6 for Aridhaman and S5 class subs.

[maitya]

In 2016, there was a test of K4 from INS Arihant, reported by the New Indian Express. That's Good enough reason to believe that, the subs are armed with K4. The K15 will be used for training purposes.

Here' s that post, however not sure if the link is still active or not.

[Rakesh]

True. Plus, the K-15's range is 1500 Kms, though we annoyingly report it as 750 Km

I still dont understand the logic behind understating a deterrence, knowing fully well that a 750 Km SLBM wont deter anyone. I can understand understating Agni-V's range to 5000 K, not to alarm Europe/US, but not this.

But strange are the ways our NatSec establishment thinks

Unnecessary modesty which stems from a deep rooted fear of a NatSec establishment that believes a strong India, is a belligerent India.

What is there to alarm even with Agni V? That is the range of the missile. Are we going to curtail military R&D for fear of alarming other nations? This same logic does not apply to scientific pursuits i.e. India becoming the first nation to land in the lunar south pole region. We shouted at every roof top when this happened. But yet military achievements must always be downscaled, not celebrated and actual capability never announced. This is especially pronounced in an assured second-strike capability.

Weird, Twisted, Flawed and Dangerous for the nation. This is what hundreds of years of subjugation does to the mind. Wake UP!!!

Trident SLBM can strike anywhere on the planet. Who in America is getting takleef about what other nations think?

[Rakesh]

Amid China standoff, India set to boost naval power with 3rd N-sub in 6 months - Rajat Pandit, ToI

What a great piece of news. Thank you SSridhar-ji.

Just yesterday I was thinking that it might take a few years for Aridhaman to enter service, but six months is wonderful.

[Cybaru]

Amid China standoff, India set to boost naval power with 3rd N-sub in 6 months - Rajat Pandit, ToI

What a great piece of news. Thank you SSridhar-ji.

Just yesterday I was thinking that it might take a few years for Aridhaman to enter service, but six months is wonderful.

When IN says will join in 6 months about a N-Sub, it is probably celebrating 5 years of service already!

[sanjaykumar]

Almost certainly

[Prem Kumar]

The SSBN execution is coming along nicely. For a change, its one area where we have fully embraced the crawl-walk-run concept. Each iteration getting better than the next, till we reach & surpass world-class

Sad that the SSN & SSK projects didn't/wouldn't learn and adopt this model

[drnayar]

one thinks the nuclear missiles aboard the Indian SSBNs are mated with the nuclear warheads. so ready to do some serious damage ..no wonder Gobar times is whining

[drnayar]

What a great piece of news. Thank you SSridhar-ji.

Just yesterday I was thinking that it might take a few years for Aridhaman to enter service, but six months is wonderful.

When IN says will join in 6 months about a N-Sub, it is probably celebrating 5 years of service already!

if i remember right both the SSBNs amd SSNs are built up in parallel lines, so expect faster inductions

[Suraj]

Amid China standoff, India set to boost naval power with 3rd N-sub in 6 months - Rajat Pandit, ToI

What a great piece of news. Thank you SSridhar-ji.

Just yesterday I was thinking that it might take a few years for Aridhaman to enter service, but six months is wonderful.

I just wish they had better photos of these things . 15 years after Arihant things haven’t gotten past the first set of photos that circulated.

[Rakesh]

The SSBN execution is coming along nicely. For a change, its one area where we have fully embraced the crawl-walk-run concept. Each iteration getting better than the next, till we reach & surpass world-class

Sad that the SSN & SSK projects didn't/wouldn't learn and adopt this model

WRT to the SSK...we would have got there, had we had our own diesels. We don't and therein lies the crux of the problem. Just like with the Tejas program, the Achilles Heel is again the engine.

SSN is a different cookie, which you have mentioned in the P75A thread. Will respond in that thread.

[Rakesh]

When IN says will join in 6 months about a N-Sub, it is probably celebrating 5 years of service already!

So true. Well said.

[Prem Kumar]

WRT to the SSK...we would have got there, had we had our own diesels. We don't and therein lies the crux of the problem. Just like with the Tejas program, the Achilles Heel is again the engine.

SSN is a different cookie, which you have mentioned in the P75A thread. Will respond in that thread.

What about P-76? I doubt we are building our own diesel engines for that class. Only the AIP will be our own. Like the Tejas, couldn't we have identified a Diesel Engine partner + any other necessary consultancy, but built the boat on our own?

[Rakesh]

What about P-76? I doubt we are building our own diesel engines for that class. Only the AIP will be our own. Like the Tejas, couldn't we have identified a Diesel Engine partner + any other necessary consultancy, but built the boat on our own?

As of now, the plan is for P-76 to come with MTU diesels. MTU is the global standard for most diesel electric boats.

So much for self reliance.

[Pratyush]

OT for the thread. But it's in line with few of the preceding posts.

I wonder, if the plan is to adapt the 1500 HP diesel engine being developed for the FMBT for underwater applications. By connecting it with an alternator.

It's nearly identical to power output of the MTU plant we could install in the P 76.

Because when we see the latest positive indigenisation list. We see line item's covering diesel engine and alternator set for a future Indian submarine. I forget if it was for P75I or P 76.

[Rakesh]

INS Arighaat fitted with 3,500 km strike range missiles, 70 pc indigenous content
https://aninews.in/news/national/genera ... 906192342/
06 Sept 2024

[Rakesh]

INS Arighaat fitted with 3,500 km strike range missiles, 70 pc indigenous content
https://aninews.in/news/national/genera ... 906192342/
06 Sept 2024

https://x.com/AdithyaKM_/status/1832067937777401893 ---> INS Arighaat to be equipped with K4 SLBMs with 3,500 km range. Has 70% indigenous content. Third SSBN to be inducted by early 2025.

[Tanaji]

Who is providing the remaining 30% content? How does it not violate MTCR? Who is ready to provide help for developing a SLBM ?

[pravula]

We are inside MTCR now. Check Brahmos range extension post MTCR...

[Rakesh]

https://x.com/NewsIADN/status/1832428058487226516 ---> Indian Navy's third SSBN (S4) is at least 10 meters longer & can carry twice the missile payload than it's predecessor; likely to be commissioned next year.

[Rakesh]

https://x.com/SJha1618/status/1832363554780917981 ---> The third and fourth tubs will be 75% desi. And the bigger tubs over 90% or so.

https://x.com/SJha1618/status/1832355008823656464 ---> My commiserations to various professors and veterans who think we cannot reach the right targets from the Bay of Bengal.

[S_Madhukar]

Is that also the reason why Unkil desperate for space in the Bay of Bengal? They know something we don’t ? Will we see more visitors unwelcome and often unannounced…? also are we interested in keeping this in the Bay of Bengal or park them somewhere far from time to time?

I also heard on YT that in the late 80s during naval exchange program one of the yanks had asked do you guys have nook sub program and one of our guys had said yes… no wonder we got delayed… I hope and am happy we are quiet and doing the job!

[Rakesh]

https://x.com/SJha1618/status/1832355008823656464 ---> My commiserations to various professors and veterans who think we cannot reach the right targets from the Bay of Bengal.

For all the folks who were doing rona-dhona over the need for the SSBN, please see below. Granted, these are nuclear weapons and are used as a last resort. But which other platform - in Indian military service - can strike at targets anywhere in China, from beneath somewhere in the Bay of Bengal and with zero loss of Indian life?

https://x.com/Varun55484761/status/1833525440612601997 ---> K4 and K5 ranges. IN submarines don't need to go anywhere, they can launch SLBMs from the Bay of Bengal itself. This is one major reason Chinese research ships are mapping the IOR, for finding suitable locations for hiding their subs & best places for looking for Indian subs.

K4 SLBM



K5 SLBM

[Rakesh]

Waiting to see something similar on the upcoming S5 Class SSBN Unfortunately, I will be waiting onlee!!!

https://x.com/TheSubHunter1/status/1841855812697805305 ---> Ohio Class with all her 24 missile hatches open.

[S_Madhukar]

Even the Koreans show off their SLBMs, this jingo wants a proper one at least after the 3rd sub is in service… may be GoI waiting on some negative overtures before showing off

[Rakesh]

https://x.com/Shankar5Anubhav/status/18 ... 5134049338 ---> What should be the best deployment strategy for Indian SSBNs? My upcoming book tries to weigh the choices and recommends policy options. Delighted to share the cover of the book, scheduled for publication by @kw_publishers in Oct-Nov, in association with @CAPS_INDIA.