India on April 3 commissioned its indigenously built nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine INS Aridaman, bolstering the naval leg of its nuclear triad. While there was no formal announcement from authorities, officials confirmed the development.
The submarine is part of India’s closely guarded SSBN (ship submersible ballistic nuclear) programme and is the third such vessel after INS Arihant and INS Arighaat, further strengthening the country’s sea-based nuclear deterrent.
INS Aridaman was inducted after completing months of sea trials. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is learnt to have attended the commissioning ceremony at a naval base in Kerala. In a brief post on X, Singh remarked, “It’s not words but power, ‘Aridman’.”
India’s SSBN programme remains among its most confidential defence initiatives. INS Arihant, the country’s first indigenously developed nuclear submarine, was launched in 2009 and commissioned in 2016, followed by INS Arighaat in August 2024. With INS Aridaman, India expands its strategic underwater fleet, joining a select group of nations with nuclear-powered submarines, including the United States, Russia, United Kingdom, France and China.
The commissioning comes amid a broader push to strengthen India’s second-strike capability—the ability to respond to a nuclear attack—through a credible and survivable sea-based deterrent. While India already has air- and land-based nuclear delivery systems, enhancing the underwater component has remained a key strategic priority.
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INS Aridaman represents a more advanced platform compared to its predecessors. With an estimated displacement of around 7,000 tonnes, it is slightly larger and incorporates design improvements to reduce its acoustic signature, thereby improving stealth.
At its core is an upgraded 83 MW pressurised water reactor developed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, enabling sustained underwater operations.
A major enhancement lies in its missile capability. The submarine features eight vertical launch tubes—double that of INS Arihant—allowing it to carry up to eight K-4 long-range ballistic missiles with a range of about 3,500 km or as many as 24 K-15 missiles with a range of around 750 km.
This expanded capacity is expected to strengthen India’s doctrine of ‘continuous at-sea deterrence’, ensuring that at least one nuclear-capable submarine remains deployed at all times.
The timeline of the commissioning aligns with earlier indications by Navy Chief Dinesh K Tripathi, who had said the vessel would be ready between April and May after completing final testing phases.
With INS Aridaman entering service, India moves closer to consolidating a robust and credible nuclear triad, with a strong emphasis on survivability, stealth and sustained deterrence.
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