Madrid/New Delhi: The potency of India’s nuclear arsenal has witnessed a quantum jump—the 3,500-km range solid-fuelled K4 submarine launched ballistic missile (SLBM).
The missile, which was fired for the first time from a submarine—INS Arighaat—Wednesday forenoon was tested for almost its complete range across the Bay of Bengal, sources in the defence establishment said.
Even though the missile has been tested six times before, this was the first time it was fired from the submarine. Earlier tests were from a fixed underwater pontoon.
While India’s Strategic Forces Command (SFC) did operate the INS Arihant with the K15 SLBM, the range was only 750 km.
This meant that while India completed the nuclear triad—of being able to fire a nuclear ballistic missile for land, air and undersea—the potency was less because of the range.
India is among a few nations in the world to have the capability to fire a nuclear missile from land, air and undersea.
The induction of INS Arihant into the Navy in 2016 has been one of the biggest developments for the armed forces in the last decade. With this induction, India completed the nuclear triad.
Given India’s ‘no first use’ policy when it comes to nuclear weapons, the undersea capability ensures a fool proof second strike capability.
However, India could have only covered certain parts of Pakistan with the K-15. But the K4 enables it to have a wider range covering not just the whole of Pakistan but also a large part of China as well.
Incidentally, India is also working on the K5 missile which will have a range of about 5,000 km.
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India’s SSBN inventory
India currently operates two nuclear ballistic missile submarines (SSBN)—INS Arihant and INS Arighaat. The capabilities differ.
While both SSBNs are powered by 83 MW pressurised light-water nuclear reactors, their fire power differs.
INS Arihant is designed to carry the K 15 missiles while INS Arighaat can fire both.
INS Arighaat is equipped with four launch tubes on its hump and is capable of carrying up to 12 K-15 or four K-4.
Incidentally, while the ships have a displacement of about 6,000 tonnes, a third SSBN is also under trial with a displacement of 7,000 tonnes and is likely to be inducted next year.
Named ‘Arindham’, the new boat will be able to carry more K-4 missiles and will have a different reactor.