India’s INS Aridhaman Submarine Boosts Nuclear Strength

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a brief ceremony on Friday, April 3, in Visakhapatnam to officially commission INS Aridhaman (S4), India’s third nuclear submarine and the third in the Arihant-class of SSBNs.

INS Aridhaman Submarine: A New Power Added to Indian Navy

The submarine is part of India’s strategic weapons program and comes under the Strategic Forces, making it an important part of the country’s nuclear triad.

Navy sources said the commissioning was kept low-key and not announced to the public, though Mr. Singh gave clear hints about it.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Cryptic Post Hints On Aridhaman Submarine Launch

Even though the event was not publicized, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh posted a cryptic message on X, calling the submarine: “It’s not words but power, ‘Aridhaman’!”

The commissioning of INS Aridhaman was expected, since the submarine had already completed extensive sea trials.

The event also took place during Mr. Singh’s visit to Visakhapatnam for the commissioning of the stealth guided-missile frigate INS Taragiri on April 3.

ATV Project Powers India’s SSBN Expansion to 2024

The SSBN project started as the Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project and is managed by the Ship Building Centre in Visakhapatnam.

The first submarine was launched in July 2009 and quietly commissioned in 2016. The second, INS Arighaat, was commissioned in August 2024.

Aridhaman Submarine Launch: Outgrows Arihant and Arighaat

Arihant and Arighaat are smaller submarines, each weighing about 6,000 tonnes. In comparison, Aridhaman (S4) and S4* are larger, at around 7,000 tonnes. S4*, which may be named Arisudan, is currently undergoing sea trials.

Indian Nuclear Submarine Aridhaman Will be Commissioned Soon, Said Admiral Dinesh Tripathi

Last December, Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Tripathi said that INS Aridhaman was in the final stages of trials and would be commissioned soon.

S4* will have more firepower and can carry up to 24 K-15 Sagarika missiles, eight K-4 missiles, or K-5 missiles, all of which can be nuclear-tipped.

Arihant and Arighaat can carry about twelve K-15 Sagarika missiles or four K-4 missiles.

K-K-4 missiles have a range of about 3,500 km and are designed as nuclear-capable submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs).

India, along with the U.S., Russia, China, and France, has a nuclear triad. This means it can launch nuclear-tipped missiles from the air, land, and sea.

Besides SSBNs, India plans to build several SSNs, or nuclear-powered attack submarines, with at least two expected to be commissioned between 2036 and 2039.